How does workaholism affect worker health and performance? The mediating role of coping.
BACKGROUND
The underlying mechanisms connecting workaholism on the one hand and ill-health and performance on the other hand have to date hardly been examined empirically.


OBJECTIVE
The aim was to study the mediating role of coping (i.e., active coping and emotional discharge) in the relationship between workaholism, ill-health (i.e., psychological distress and physical complaints), and job performance.


METHODS
A theory-based model was tested among 757 employees of a Japanese construction machinery company.


RESULTS
Workaholism was positively related to active coping, which was, in its turn, negatively associated with ill-health and positively with job performance. Workaholism was also positively related to emotional discharge, which was positively associated with ill-health. In addition, workaholism was positively and directly related to ill-health, whereas it was not significantly related to job performance.


CONCLUSIONS
Workaholism is associated with both active coping and emotional discharge. Active coping leads to better health and performance, whereas emotional discharge leads to poor health. In addition, workaholism coincides with poor health. Since the costs for workaholics themselves (in terms of ill-health) are high, workaholism has on average adverse effects on health and performance.
Shimazu
Akihito
A
Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. ashimazu@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Schaufeli
Wilmar B
WB
Taris
Toon W
TW
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000209:etiology; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires