The Motivational Make-Up of Workaholism and Work Engagement: A Longitudinal Study on Need Satisfaction, Motivation, and Heavy Work Investment

Effect of compassion fatigue on emotional labor in female nurses: Moderating effect of self-compassion

Emotional labor is common in nursing but may be affected by the mental state of nurses. This study explored the effect of compassion fatigue on emotional labor and whether self-compassion moderates this effect of compassion fatigue.

METHODS

A two-stage survey design with a convenience sample. Participants were female nursing staff recruited from emergency departments, intensive care units, ward nursing units, and outpatient departments of medical centers, regional hospitals, and district hospitals in Taiwan. A total of 300 questionnaire copies in each of the first and second stages were distributed, and 272 pairs of responses were retrieved (valid response rate = 91%). The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were tested, and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with AMOS 21. The proposed hypotheses were verified using hierarchical regression conducted with SPSS version 25.0.

RESULTS

This study revealed that compassion fatigue positively predicted surface acting (β = 0.12, p < 0.05) and negatively predicted deep acting (β = -0.18, p < 0.01) and expression of genuine emotions (β = -0.31, p < 0.01). In addition, self-compassion negatively moderates the relationships between compassion fatigue and surface acting (β = -0.12, p < 0.05), and positively moderates the relationships between compassion fatigue and expression of genuine emotions (β = 0.15, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

To avoid excessive consumption of emotional resources, nurses with high compassion fatigue may employ surface acting by engaging in emotional labor without making an effort to adjust their feelings. Nurses need also be sympathized with, and such sympathy can come from hospitals, supervisors, colleagues, and, most crucially, the nurses themselves. Hospital executives should propose improvement strategies that can prevent the compassion fatigue on nurses, such as improving nurses' self-compassion.

Antecedents of Workaholism and Work Engagement: A Motivational Perspective in Research on Heavy Work Involvement

In this perspective article, we propose encompassing the motivational perspective to enrich future studies on two forms of heavy work involvement (HWI): workaholism and work engagement. Based on the holistic definition of motivation, we build a theoretical instrumentation that includes four motivational categories that are presented and characterized by relevant key terms: I. Activation and energy of action; II. Action orientation and action realization; III. Competencies and cognitive processes; IV. Work environment and the context of action. We use these categories in an analysis of the latest contemporary research which has investigated the motivational determinants of both workaholism and work engagement. Our analysis shows that studies in this perspective are in the initial stages; we propose examples of theories and models as well as important precise questions embedded in each I-IV motivation category that can stimulate future research directions. The concluding comments include three main recommendations for future research on HWI.

The prevalence of workaholism: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The present study represents the first meta-analysis and systematic review on the prevalence of workaholism. It also investigated if sample size, representativeness, and instrument moderated the prevalence estimates. The analysis was pre-registered at PROSPERO (CRD42023395794). We searched Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, PsychInfo. BASE, MedNar, NYAM, OPENGREY, OpenMD and included the first 200 searches on Google scholar as gray literature [search string: "(workaholi* OR "work addict*") AND (prevalence* OR incident* OR frequen* OR cut-off OR epidem*)]. The search yielded 42 studies to be included, in addition to 11 studies identified using other methods. Two independent raters went through the searches, extracted information and evaluated risk of bias, resulting in agreement ratings of 92.4%, 84.9%, and 87.0%, respectively. The inclusion criteria were studies reporting original data on the prevalence of workaholism written in any European language. Criteria which led to exclusion were conference abstracts, usage of secondary data, purposive sampling of workaholics, qualitative research and pre-determined cut-off based on distribution. Risk of bias of the included articles was evaluated through a checklist. Most of the included studies had a moderate risk of bias. Of the 663 records identified, a total of 53 studies were included, 10 of these being nationally representative with all studies in total amounting to 71,625 participants from 23 countries. The pooled workaholism prevalence was 15.2% (95% CI = 12.4-18.5), which was adjusted to 14.1% (95% CI = 11.2-17.6) following a trim-and-fill adjustment for publication bias. The meta-regression revealed that studies with representative samples reported lower prevalences than those based on non-representative samples, and that studies based on the Dutch Work Addiction Scale yielded higher prevalences than studies employing the Bergen Work Addiction Scale. The regression model explained 29% of the variance implying that a vast amount was still unexplained, and that future research would benefit from the inclusion of other moderators.

Motivational background of work addiction: the role of perceived demanding organizational conditions

Purpose

In the literature, work addiction is proposed to be considered a construct that requires an extensive approach for understanding it; consequently, it should be analyzed as the interaction between personal and situational factors. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the mediating role work motivation plays in the relationship between perceived demanding organizational conditions and employee work addiction.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of 669 workers from different organizations in Lithuania. Data were collected using online self-administered questionnaire. To test a mediation model, a structural equation modeling path analysis was performed.

Findings

Demanding organizational conditions (i.e. work addiction of a manager, the workload, a work role conflict, a competitive organizational climate and the family-unsupportive organizational environment) were related to increased work addiction through higher extrinsic motivation. The mediator of intrinsic motivation yielded different results: the indirect relationship between demanding organizational conditions and work addiction was significant only at lower levels of intrinsic motivation. Even having controlled work motivation as a mediator, the proposed direct links remained significant in most cases.

Originality/value

The study gives a profound understanding of work addiction and explains the mechanism activated by an organization that is of great importance for its development and maintenance.

Association Between Low Back Pain, Workaholism, and Work Engagement in Japanese Hospital Workers: A Quantitative Cross-sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the association between two types of heavy work investment, workaholism and work engagement, and low back pain prevalence.

METHODS

We conducted a paper-based survey of Japanese hospital workers. The Dutch Workaholism Scale (DUWAS) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) were used to classify the participants into four groups and perform multiple logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

Among 699 participants, the group with low DUWAS and high UWES at 37.1% had the lowest low back pain prevalence. In order, the groups with low DUWAS and UWES were at 51.7%; those with high DUWAS and UWES, 58.5%; and those with high DUWAS and low UWES, 62.4%, with multivariate-adjusted odds ratios of 1.77, 2.01, and 2.33, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Low back pain prevalence among Japanese hospital workers was reduced by high levels of work engagement, even at high levels of workaholism.

Understanding Work Addiction in Adult Children: The Effect of Addicted Parents and Work Motivation

The aim of the study was to examine the mediating role that work motivation plays in the relationship between perceived work addiction of parents and their adult child's work addiction. The sample was comprised of 537 participants working in different Lithuanian organizations that were selected on the basis of the convenience principle. Data were collected by means of online self-administered questionnaires. To test a mediation model, a structural equation modeling was performed. It was found that perceived work addiction of both mother and father was related to higher levels of work addiction of their adult child. The results also indicated that perceived work addiction of the father was related to increased work addiction in an adult child through higher levels of extrinsic motivation as a partial mediator. The indirect effect of perceived work addiction of the mother (via extrinsic motivation) was not significant. As was expected, the indirect relationship between work addiction in parents and their adult child via intrinsic motivation was not significant. This study demonstrates that integrating both family-related and motivational variables may provide relevant insights into the nature of and mechanisms underlying work addiction and that studies in this field deserve to be further developed in future research.

Importance of Autonomous Motivation in Construction Labor Productivity Improvement in Vietnam: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective

Labor productivity is an important aspect of the construction industry, and motivation is believed to be an influential factor that affects it. While previous studies have emphasized the role of controlled motivation (i.e., external factors), the role of autonomous motivation (i.e., internal factors) has been ignored. This knowledge gap hampers further efforts to explore new determinants that increase construction labor productivity (CLP). Accordingly, self-determination theory (SDT) is promising in terms of its ability to bridge this gap and explain how autonomous motivation can be generated by integrating reasonable leadership styles and psychological satisfaction. Therefore, this study develops a novel model for assessing the effects of engaging leadership, three basic psychological satisfaction factors (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness), and work motivation on CLP. Based on the data collection in Vietnam, we found that both autonomous motivation and controlled motivation positively and significantly contributed to CLP. In terms of promoting autonomous motivation and improving CLP, competence and relatedness satisfaction played a key role. Ultimately, these results highlighted two crucial features related to CLP improvement in addition to the conventional view: “negative legacy” and “new light of hope”. This study expands and reinforces SDT knowledge by comprehensively illuminating leadership and psychological and motivational indicators in the construction context. It provides substantial practical recommendations for CLP improvement, such as enhancing autonomous motivation, promoting satisfaction with competence and relatedness, and reducing selfish work, which is a novel factor that negatively contributes to CLP. This factor is the first discovered in the construction domain.

“No Days Off”: Using Self-Determination Theory to Better Understand Workaholism in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Coaches

Workaholism (i.e., working excessively and compulsively) is associated with negative physical, psychological, and social consequences. Researchers have previously examined antecedents of workaholism, but the experiences of sport coaches have not yet been investigated. This study explored (a) differences in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I coaches’ workaholism, as well as need satisfaction and frustration based on gender, coaching role, gender of athletes coached, age, and years of coaching experience; and (b) how coaches’ perceptions of their three basic psychological needs are associated with tendencies to work excessively and compulsively. A total of 873 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I coaches participated in the research. Data analyses revealed significant differences in participants’ workaholism as well as need satisfaction and frustration. Structural equation modeling indicated a significant relationship between reported levels of workaholism and perceptions of the three needs. Findings illustrate the importance of basic psychological needs in preventing coaches’ workaholism and maintain optimal functioning.

Workaholism across European and Asian cultures during the COVID-19 pandemic

The current cross-cultural study examined the construct of workaholism across European and Asian cultures during the pandemic caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A total of 2,617 recipients, aged 18-80 years from three Asian countries (China, India, and Indonesia) with higher levels of collectivistic values, and three European countries (Bulgaria, Germany, and Hungary) supposing to have higher individualistic values. The participants completed the online version of the two-dimensional measure, dubbed the Dutch Workaholism Scale (DUWAS). The goal of the study was to demonstrate that during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the cultural context that mediates and influences the way of change in workaholics' attitudes. The results led to the conclusion that the way in which the COVID-19 crisis affects workaholism and workaholics' behavior depends on cultural and sex differences, and stages of the human life cycle. The data analysis revealed that cultural differences and sex affect the configuration of workaholism (excessive/compulsive): in the Asian sample, unlike the European, there was a significant increase in the level of workaholism compulsive; European female participants reported higher levels of workaholism compulsive and workaholism excessive, but the sex difference was not found in Asian sample. Along with cultural context, and sex differences, age also influences the configuration of workaholism. In this case, the separate stages of the human life cycle contribute in different ways to changes in levels of workaholism excessive and workaholism compulsive.

The Multidimensional Workaholism Scale in a Korean Population: A Cross-Cultural Validation Study

This study aimed to provide a reliable and valid measure of workaholism for Korean workers. We translated the Multidimensional Workaholism Scale (MWS) into Korean and validated it with a sample of 1020 full-time Korean employees. An exploratory factor analysis revealed a four-factor solution (Study 1; N = 524), and a confirmatory analysis further demonstrated good model fit of the four-factor structure (Study 2; N = 496). The scale’s concurrent and construct validity was supported by positive correlations with other existing measures of workaholism, emotional exhaustion, and work–family conflict (WFC) and by a negative correlation with psychological detachment. Moreover, the MWS demonstrated a moderate association with work engagement, but no significant association with job satisfaction. It further showed significant incremental validity in predicting emotional exhaustion and WFC. The findings support the Korean MWS version’s reliability and validity for measuring workaholism among Korean employees. Theoretical implications for the workaholism literature and practical implications for corporate counselors and human resource practitioners are discussed.

The relationship between work engagement and workaholism: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to clarify the relationship between two sub-constructs of heavy work investment: work engagement and workaholism.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize and critically assess existing research on the relationship between these concepts.

Findings

The review revealed three major shortcomings of the extant literature: a dichotomous perspective, variations in measurements and the unaddressed complexity of the relationship.

Originality/value

Based on these findings, this study provides a discussion on the limitations and suggestions for future research on work engagement and workaholism, including using a person-centered approach.

Same Involvement, Different Reasons: How Personality Factors and Organizations Contribute to Heavy Work Investment

The academic literature has drawn a clear distinction between a positive form (i.e., work engagement) and a negative form (i.e., workaholism) of heavy work investment (HWI). Nevertheless, the different weight of individual and situational factors contributing to their development was not thoroughly explored. This study aims to investigate the role of individual variables (i.e., obsessive-compulsive traits, achievement orientation, perfectionism, and conscientiousness) and situational factors (i.e., job demands and overwork climate) regarding engagement and workaholism simultaneously. Hypotheses were tested using a sample of 523 Italian employees. Results of structural equation modeling revealed that overwork climate and job demands were conversely related to engagement and workaholism, with job demand reporting the strongest association with workaholism. Furthermore, fear of failure was the only individual factor showing a significant and opposite relationship with workaholism and engagement. In contrast, perfectionism was positively associated with both forms of HWI. These results shed light on the potential effectiveness of intervention strategies focused on the employees and organizations in preventing workaholism and promoting engagement.

Effect of psychosocial safety climate on psychological distress via job resources, work engagement and workaholism: a multilevel longitudinal study

Objective. Our innovation was to propose a multilevel model to explain how an organizational factor, psychosocial safety climate (PSC) - the climate for worker psychological health - related to work investment (work engagement and workaholism) and, in turn, psychological distress. Methods. Longitudinal data were collected in Peninsular Malaysia across 26 police departments from 392 police personnel, matched across 4 months, and were tested using hierarchical linear modeling. Results. The analysis revealed between-group effects linking PSC to job resources, to work engagement and to workaholism. When PSC operated by improving job resources, aside from increased work engagement, it could unwittingly boost workaholism. However, this only existed under low PSC conditions. The secondary function of PSC buffered the impact of job resources on workaholism and psychological distress. When PSC was high, job resources reduced both workaholism and psychological distress, suggesting that PSC enabled resources to do their job of mitigating unfavorable conditions. Conclusions. Results support a multilevel PSC-extended job demands-resources motivational path with cross-links, and PSC's moderation function, as an explanation of worker psychological health. Confirming PSC as a leading indicator and the importance of a motivational path, this article presents new evidence in support of targeting PSC to improve worker psychological health.