On the nature and covariates of workaholism profiles: A generalizability study across distinct types of employees

Abstract

We used a person-centered approach to identify the profiles of workaholism observed in six samples, including 12 subsamples, of employees (N = 7944). These profiles were defined while considering workers' global levels of workaholism, together with their specific levels of motivational, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral workaholism. We also considered the extent to which these profiles and their relations with covariates (work–family conflict, harmonious passion, and obsessive passion) generalized across all subsamples. Our results revealed a total of five profiles (Preoccupied Employees with Very Low Global Levels of Workaholism, Disengaged Employees with Low Global Levels of Workaholism, Motivated and Involved Employees with Moderately Low Global Levels of Workaholism, Normative, and Preoccupied Employees with High Global Levels of Workaholism). Systematically, the Normative profile was the most prevalent (43.7% to 63.2% across subsamples), whereas the Preoccupied Employees with Very Low Global Levels of Workaholism profile was the least prevalent (0.4% to 8.9%). The Preoccupied Employees with High Global Levels of Workaholism profile presented the highest levels of obsessive passion and work–family conflict, and the lowest levels of harmonious passion. Beyond their theoretical implications for research on workaholism, these results highlight how workaholism has highly similar implications across contexts.