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Unravelling Work Drive: A Comparison between Workaholism and Overcommitment

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  • Lorenzo Avanzi

    (Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy)

  • Enrico Perinelli

    (Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy)

  • Michela Vignoli

    (Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy)

  • Nina M. Junker

    (Department of Social Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, 60323 Frankfurt, Germany)

  • Cristian Balducci

    (Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy)

Abstract

Workaholism and overcommitment are often used as interchangeable constructs describing an individual’s over-involvement toward their own job. Employees with high levels in both constructs are characterized by an excessive effort and attachment to their job, with the incapability to detach from it and negative consequences in terms of poor health and job burnout. However, few studies have simultaneously measured both constructs, and their relationships are still not clear. In this study, we try to disentangle workaholism and overcommitment by comparing them with theoretically related contextual and personal antecedents, as well as their health consequences. We conducted a nonprobability mixed mode research design on 133 employees from different organizations in Italy using both self- and other-reported measures. To test our hypothesis that workaholism and overcommitment are related yet different constructs, we used partial correlations and regression analyses. The results confirm that these two constructs are related to each other, but also outline that overcommitment (and not workaholism) is uniquely related to job burnout, so that overcommitment rather than workaholism could represent the true negative aspect of work drive. Additionally, workaholism is more related to conscientiousness than overcommitment, while overcommitment shows a stronger relationship with neuroticism than workaholism. The theoretical implications are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Lorenzo Avanzi & Enrico Perinelli & Michela Vignoli & Nina M. Junker & Cristian Balducci, 2020. "Unravelling Work Drive: A Comparison between Workaholism and Overcommitment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-14, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:16:p:5755-:d:396602
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    1. Cecilie Schou Andreassen & Ståle Pallesen & Torbjørn Torsheim, 2018. "Workaholism as a Mediator between Work-Related Stressors and Health Outcomes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, January.
    2. Siegrist, Johannes, 2000. "Place, social exchange and health: proposed sociological framework," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 51(9), pages 1283-1293, November.
    3. Siegrist, Johannes & Starke, Dagmar & Chandola, Tarani & Godin, Isabelle & Marmot, Michael & Niedhammer, Isabelle & Peter, Richard, 2004. "The measurement of effort-reward imbalance at work: European comparisons," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 58(8), pages 1483-1499, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Cristian Balducci & Luca Menghini & Paul M. Conway & Hermann Burr & Sara Zaniboni, 2022. "Workaholism and the Enactment of Bullying Behavior at Work: A Prospective Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-13, February.
    2. Young-Jae Kim & Seung-Woo Kang, 2021. "An Analysis of the Relationship between the Modified Theory of Planned Behavior and Leisure Rumination of Korean Employees," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-14, January.
    3. Oliver Weigelt & J. Charlotte Seidel & Lucy Erber & Johannes Wendsche & Yasemin Z. Varol & Gerald M. Weiher & Petra Gierer & Claudia Sciannimanica & Richard Janzen & Christine J. Syrek, 2023. "Too Committed to Switch Off—Capturing and Organizing the Full Range of Work-Related Rumination from Detachment to Overcommitment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-29, February.
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    5. Cristian Balducci & Paola Spagnoli & Malissa Clark, 2020. "Advancing Workaholism Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-4, December.

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