Understanding the etiology of workaholism: The results of the systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract The objective of the present study was to determine the antecedents of workaholism. To attain the main objective, a systematic review was conducted that was further supplemented with the meta-analytic data. Additionally, attempts were made to separate the precursors of both workaholism and work addiction in our study. Four online databases were used to search for articles. Thirty-three articles published during the period between 2008 and 2019 were included. The results of the systematic review revealed that perfectionism, extrinsic work motivation and job demands (workload, interpersonal conflicts and role conflict at work) were the most important factors leading to the increased levels of workaholism. When conducting meta-analytic calculations, variables of neuroticism, openness and conscientiousness gave significant effects. The results of both the systematic review and meta-analysis correspond to the idea that the etiologic pathway to work addiction may differ from that leading to workaholism on account of the role of certain personality traits (such as neuroticism).