Workaholic Tendencies and the High Potential for Stress Among Co-Workers

The dangers associated with excessive time at work do not apply equally to all people. Attempts to specify how much is too much have often referenced underlying motives as a factor in whether time at work is excessive and, therefore, likely to lead to undesirable outcomes. The literature on workaholism separates joy in work and perfectionism as two contrasting characteristics, either of which can lead to long hours at work. This study categorized subjects on those two characteristics to examine how the differences might relate to stress among coworkers. In line with suggestions of earlier studies, the joy/perfectionism difference was not linked to standard demographic breakdowns. However, tendencies toward one or the other did correspond to perceptions that may affect the quality of personal interaction in the workplace and, therefore, the level of stress among coworkers.