The Wall Street Journal: When it’s OK to be a workaholic

Originally found at The Wall Street Journal, by Vanessa Fuhrmans

For those who love what they do, being a workaholic isn’t all that unhealthy, new research suggests.

Workaholism by its very name suggests detriment to one’s physical and mental health, and the American psychologist Wayne Oates, who coined the term nearly 50 years ago, likened it to substance abuse. Yet research on workaholism has been inconclusive so far, in part because it is hard to distinguish the consequences of merely working long hours from actual work addiction.

A study published in the current issue of Academy of Management Discoveries not only finds health differences among people who work long hours and those who compulsively work to excess. Researchers also found differences between workaholics who enjoyed their work and those who didn’t.”

Continue reading original article at The Wall Street Journal.

Learn more about the AOM Scholars and explore their work:

• Lieke L. Ten Brummelhuis, Simon Fraser University
• Nancy P. Rothbard, University of Pennsylvania
• Benjamin Uhrich, University of North Carolina – Charlotte