Workaholic

Last updated

A workaholic is a person who works compulsively. A workaholic experiences an inability to limit the amount of time they spend on work despite negative consequences such as damage to their relationships or health. [1]

Contents

There is no generally accepted medical definition of this condition, although some forms of stress, impulse control disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder can be work-related; ergomania is defined as "excessive devotion to work especially as a symptom of mental illness". [2] [3]

The phenomenon of hustle culture, while disregarding healthy work–life balance, may exacerbate workaholism. [4] [5]

Etymology

The word itself is a portmanteau word composed of work and alcoholic . Its first known appearance, according to the Oxford English Dictionary , came in Canada in the Toronto Daily Star of April 5, 1947, page 6, with a punning allusion to Alcoholics Anonymous:

If you are cursed with an unconquerable craving for work, call Workaholics Synonymous, and a reformed worker will aid you back to happy idleness. [6]

Details

The term workaholic refers to various types of behavioral patterns, with each having its own valuation. For instance, workaholism is sometimes used by people wishing to express their devotion to one's career in positive terms. The "work" in question is usually associated with a paying job, but it may also refer to independent pursuits such as sports, music, art, and science. However, the term is more often used to refer to a negative behavioral pattern that is popularly characterized by spending an excessive amount of time on working, an inner compulsion to work hard and a neglect of family and other social relations. [7]

Researchers have found that in many cases, incessant work-related activity continues even after impacting the subject's relationships and physical health. Causes of it are thought to be anxiety, low self-esteem, and intimacy problems. Furthermore, workaholics tend to have an inability to delegate work tasks to others and tend to obtain high scores on personality traits such as neuroticism, perfectionism, and conscientiousness.

Clinical psychologist Bryan E. Robinson identifies two axes for workaholics: work initiation and work completion. He associates the behavior of procrastination with both "Savoring Workaholics" (those with low work initiation/low work completion) and "Attention-Deficit Workaholics" (those with high work initiation and low work completion), in contrast to "Bulimic" and "Relentless" workaholics – both of whom have high work completion. [8]

Workaholism in Japan is considered a serious social problem leading to early death, often on the job, a phenomenon dubbed karōshi . Overwork was popularly blamed for the fatal stroke of Prime Minister of Japan Keizō Obuchi, in the year 2000. [9] Death from overwork is not a uniquely Japanese phenomenon; in 2013, a Bank of America intern in London died after working for 72 hours straight. [10]

Workaholics tend to be less effective than other workers because they have difficulty working as part of a team, trouble delegating or entrusting co-workers or organizational problems due to taking on too much work at once. [11] Moreover, workaholics often suffer sleep deprivation, which results in impaired brain and cognitive function. [12]

The business risk that workaholism presents is an underestimated risk in companies and human resources management, which can develop into an existential threat to a business. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karoshi</span> Sudden death from overwork

Karoshi, which can be translated into "overwork death", is a Japanese term relating to occupation-related sudden death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obsessive–compulsive personality disorder</span> Personality disorder involving orderliness

Obsessive–compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is a cluster C personality disorder marked by a spectrum of obsessions with rules, lists, schedules, and order, among other things. Symptoms are usually present by the time a person reaches adulthood, and are visible in a variety of situations. The cause of OCPD is thought to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors, namely problems with attachment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Body dysmorphic disorder</span> Mental disorder

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), also known in some contexts as dysmorphophobia, is a mental disorder defined by an overwhelming preoccupation with a perceived flaw in one's physical appearance. In BDD's delusional variant, the flaw is imagined. When an actual visible difference exists, its importance is disproportionately magnified in the mind of the individual. Whether the physical issue is real or imagined, ruminations concerning this perceived defect become pervasive and intrusive, consuming substantial mental bandwidth for extended periods each day. This excessive preoccupation not only induces severe emotional distress but also disrupts daily functioning and activities. The DSM-5 places BDD within the obsessive–compulsive spectrum, distinguishing it from disorders such as anorexia nervosa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoarding disorder</span> Behavioral pattern

Hoarding disorder (HD) or Plyushkin's disorder, is a mental disorder characterised by persistent difficulty in parting with possessions and engaging in excessive acquisition of items that are not needed or for which no space is available. This results in severely cluttered living spaces, distress, and impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Excessive acquisition is characterized by repetitive urges or behaviours related to amassing or buying property. Difficulty discarding possessions is characterized by a perceived need to save items and distress associated with discarding them. Accumulation of possessions results in living spaces becoming cluttered to the point that their use or safety is compromised. It is recognised by the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salaryman</span> Japanese white-collar worker

In Japan, a salaryman is a salaried worker. In Japanese popular culture, this is embodied by a white-collar worker who shows overriding loyalty and commitment to the corporation where he works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perfectionism (psychology)</span> Personality trait

Perfectionism, in psychology, is a broad personality trait characterized by a person's concern with striving for flawlessness and perfection and is accompanied by critical self-evaluations and concerns regarding others' evaluations. It is best conceptualized as a multidimensional and multilayered personality characteristic, and initially some psychologists thought that there were many positive and negative aspects.

Many both in and outside Japan share an image of the Japanese work environment that is based on a "simultaneous recruiting of new graduates" and "lifetime-employment" model used by large companies as well as a reputation of long work-hours and strong devotion to one's company. This environment is said to reflect economic conditions beginning in the 1920s, when major corporations competing in the international marketplace began to accrue the same prestige that had traditionally been ascribed to the daimyō–retainer relationship of feudal Japan or government service in the Meiji Restoration.

Presenteeism or working while sick is the act or culture of employees continuing to work as a performative measure, despite having reduced productivity levels or negative consequences. Reduced productivity during presenteeism is often due to illness, injury, exhaustion, or other conditions, but presenteeism can also describe working while contagiously sick, which has the added risk of creating a workplace epidemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intrusive thought</span> Unwelcome involuntary thought, image or idea

An intrusive thought is an unwelcome, involuntary thought, image, or unpleasant idea that may become an obsession, is upsetting or distressing, and can feel difficult to manage or eliminate. When such thoughts are associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette's syndrome (TS), depression, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), and sometimes attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the thoughts may become paralyzing, anxiety-provoking, or persistent. Intrusive thoughts may also be associated with episodic memory, unwanted worries or memories from OCD, post-traumatic stress disorder, other anxiety disorders, eating disorders, or psychosis. Intrusive thoughts, urges, and images are of inappropriate things at inappropriate times, and generally have aggressive, sexual, or blasphemous themes.

An addictive behavior is a behavior, or a stimulus related to a behavior, that is both rewarding and reinforcing, and is associated with the development of an addiction. There are two main forms of addiction: substance use disorders and behavioral addiction. The parallels and distinctions between behavioral addictions and other compulsive behavior disorders like bulimia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are still being researched by behavioral scientists.

Work–family conflict occurs when an individual experiences incompatible demands between work and family roles, causing participation in both roles to become more difficult. This imbalance creates conflict at the work-life interface. It is important for organizations and individuals to understand the implications linked to work-family conflict. In certain cases, work–family conflict has been associated with increased occupational burnout, job stress, decreased health, and issues pertaining to organizational commitment and job performance.

The obsessive–compulsive spectrum is a model of medical classification where various psychiatric, neurological and/or medical conditions are described as existing on a spectrum of conditions related to obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). "The disorders are thought to lie on a spectrum from impulsive to compulsive where impulsivity is said to persist due to deficits in the ability to inhibit repetitive behavior with known negative consequences, while compulsivity persists as a consequence of deficits in recognizing completion of tasks." OCD is a mental disorder characterized by obsessions and/or compulsions. An obsession is defined as "a recurring thought, image, or urge that the individual cannot control". Compulsion can be described as a "ritualistic behavior that the person feels compelled to perform". The model suggests that many conditions overlap with OCD in symptomatic profile, demographics, family history, neurobiology, comorbidity, clinical course and response to various pharmacotherapies. Conditions described as being on the spectrum are sometimes referred to as obsessive–compulsive spectrum disorders.

Animal psychopathology is the study of mental or behavioral disorders in non-human animals.

Compulsive buying disorder (CBD) is characterized by an obsession with shopping and buying behavior that causes adverse consequences. It "is experienced as a recurring, compelling and irresistible–uncontrollable urge, in acquiring goods that lack practical utility and very low cost resulting in excessive, expensive and time-consuming retail activity [that is] typically prompted by negative affectivity" and results in "gross social, personal and/or financial difficulties". Most people with CBD meet the criteria for a personality disorder. Compulsive buying can also be found among people with Parkinson's disease or frontotemporal dementia.

Workaholics Anonymous (WA) is a twelve-step program founded circa 1983 for people identifying themselves as "powerless over compulsive work, worry, or activity" including, but not limited to, workaholics–including overworkers and those who suffer from unmanageable procrastination or work aversion. Anybody with a desire to stop working compulsively is welcome at a WA meeting. Unmanageability can include compulsive work in housework, hobbies, fitness, or volunteering as well as in paid work. Anyone with a problematic relationship with work is welcomed. Workaholics Anonymous is considered an effective program for those who need its help.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obsessive–compulsive disorder</span> Mental and behavioral disorder

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental and behavioral disorder in which an individual has intrusive thoughts and feels the need to perform certain routines (compulsions) repeatedly to relieve the distress caused by the obsession, to the extent where it impairs general function.

In psychology, relationship obsessive–compulsive disorder (ROCD) is a form of obsessive–compulsive disorder focusing on close or intimate relationships. Such obsessions can become extremely distressing and debilitating, having negative impacts on relationships functioning.

A psychosocial hazard or work stressor is any occupational hazard related to the way work is designed, organized and managed, as well as the economic and social contexts of work. Unlike the other three categories of occupational hazard, they do not arise from a physical substance, object, or hazardous energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryan E. Robinson</span>

Bryan E. Robinson is an American writer, psychotherapist, and professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte currently living in Asheville, NC. He is a graduate of East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina system and author of two novels and over 40 nonfiction books and Professor of Counseling and Child Development at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for 25 years... At UNC-Charlotte, he conducted the first research studies on children of workaholics and the effects of workaholism on marriage and the family. Robinson is best known for his book, Chained to the Desk: A Guidebook for Workaholics, Their Partners and Children and the Clinicians Who Treat Them. He is noted for his identification of two axes for workaholics: work initiation and work completion. He associates the behavior of procrastination with both "Savoring Workaholics" and "Attention-Deficit Workaholics", in contrast to "Bulimic" and "Relentless" workaholics - both of whom have high work completion. He is widely recognized as being one of the world's leading experts on workaholism. He is also known for developing the Work Addiction Risk Test (WART) a psychometric tool used to measure work addiction used clinically and in research worldwide to identify workaholism. He has lectured on his pioneering research on workaholism and work/life balance across the United States and throughout the world: Sweden, Russia, Norway, Hong Kong, England, Canada, and Australia, and his books have been translated into thirteen languages: Arabic, Korean, Turkish, Hebrew, German, French, Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Japanese, and Russian.

References

  1. Ruggeri, Christine (2022-11-28). "Research Shows Hustle Culture Does More Harm Than Good". Leaders.com. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
  2. "Medical Definition of ERGOMANIA". Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary. February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  3. Van Houdenhove, Boudewijn; Neerinckx, Eddy (1999). "Is "Ergomania" a Predisposing Factor to Chronic Pain and Fatigue?". Psychosomatics. 40 (6): 529–530. doi: 10.1016/S0033-3182(99)71197-7 . ISSN   0033-3182. PMID   10581987.
  4. Griffith, Erin (January 26, 2019). "Why Are Young People Pretending to Love Work?". The New York Times . Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  5. Da Costa, Celinne (April 28, 2019). "Stop Idolizing Hustle Culture And Do This Instead". Forbes . Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  6. "workaholic, n. and adj." in Oxford English Dictionary Third Edition (September 2014)
  7. Quinones, Cristina; Griffiths, Mark D. (October 2015). "Addiction to Work: A Critical Review of the Workaholism Construct and Recommendations for Assessment". Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services. 53 (10): 48–59. doi:10.3928/02793695-20150923-04. ISSN   0279-3695. PMID   26489104.
  8. Robinson, Bryan E. (2001). Chained to the Desk: A Guidebook for Workaholics, Their Partners and Children, and the Clinicians Who Treat Them . New York: New York University Press. p.  62. ISBN   0-8147-7480-6.
  9. Daniel Griffiths (April 4, 2000). "Japan's workaholic culture". BBC News Online. Retrieved October 12, 2007.
  10. "Bank of America To Improve Working Conditions After Intern Death". HuffPost . 10 January 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  11. "The Hidden Costs of Workaholism". Fast Company. July 9, 2009. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  12. "The Human Brain - Sleep and Stress". Fi.edu. September 27, 2007. Archived from the original on January 7, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  13. Meissner, Ulrike Emma (2018). Business Risk Workaholism, Management challenges and action guidelines for professional practice. Berlin: Berlin Peter Lang. ISBN   978-3-631-76634-7.