workoholism
ENG101
Period 3
Cause-Effect
November, 10th 2013
Cause and Effects of Workaholism
With the development of society, working competition becomes increasingly severe. Employees, the key element in the process of achieving profits, are required or inspired to work in a compulsive way. It is not easy for employees to find a middle ground between work and life. Therefore, some new terms such as “affluenza” and “karoshi” have come up and all of these terms are associated with a word-----“workaholism”. The preference of wealthy life or pursuit of self-achievement may drive them working more. This essay will define a modern phenomenon called “workaholism” and discuss its impact on people’s well-being such as family harmony and life satisfaction. In my opinion, it can really bring negative effects and lots of problems to people’s daily life.
Workaholism is an addictive behavior that employees overload themselves with work. It is first defined as a strong desire or need to work constantly (Gates 1971, cited in Bonebright et al. 2000, p.60). As the increasing of overwork and working pressure, workaholism gradually becomes a universal phenomenon and those who suffer from it are called workaholics. These people are considered with syndromes of exhibiting persistent involvement in their work tasks (Quick et al. 2000, p.39). Under the impact of workaholism, people pay more attention and excessive time on work which will lead to many problems such as health problems and high stress levels. Although there are many different ways to define this term, no doubt it is a negative compulsion which should be avoided.
In spite of the various reasons for workaholism, all of them can be classified into two types: inner desire and external force. People motivated by inner desire always highly enjoy their work and feel satisfied when they get involved in work commissions. Some of them regard work as a process of self-achievement from the abundant rewards of hard work
Period 3
Cause-Effect
November, 10th 2013
Cause and Effects of Workaholism
With the development of society, working competition becomes increasingly severe. Employees, the key element in the process of achieving profits, are required or inspired to work in a compulsive way. It is not easy for employees to find a middle ground between work and life. Therefore, some new terms such as “affluenza” and “karoshi” have come up and all of these terms are associated with a word-----“workaholism”. The preference of wealthy life or pursuit of self-achievement may drive them working more. This essay will define a modern phenomenon called “workaholism” and discuss its impact on people’s well-being such as family harmony and life satisfaction. In my opinion, it can really bring negative effects and lots of problems to people’s daily life.
Workaholism is an addictive behavior that employees overload themselves with work. It is first defined as a strong desire or need to work constantly (Gates 1971, cited in Bonebright et al. 2000, p.60). As the increasing of overwork and working pressure, workaholism gradually becomes a universal phenomenon and those who suffer from it are called workaholics. These people are considered with syndromes of exhibiting persistent involvement in their work tasks (Quick et al. 2000, p.39). Under the impact of workaholism, people pay more attention and excessive time on work which will lead to many problems such as health problems and high stress levels. Although there are many different ways to define this term, no doubt it is a negative compulsion which should be avoided.
In spite of the various reasons for workaholism, all of them can be classified into two types: inner desire and external force. People motivated by inner desire always highly enjoy their work and feel satisfied when they get involved in work commissions. Some of them regard work as a process of self-achievement from the abundant rewards of hard work
Cited: Hamilton C., & Denniss R., 2005, Affluenza—When Too Much Is Never Enough, Chapter 1 (page s1-13) and 6 (pages 85-89), Allen & Unwin, Australia Bonebright C. A. et al., 2000, The Relationship of Workaholism With Work-Life Conflict, Life Satisfaction, and Purpose in Life, Universit of Iowa Bassman E. S., 1992, Abuse in the Workplace: Management Remedies and Bottom Line Impact, Quorum Books, Westport, CT, p. 77 – 81 Quick J. D., Henley A. B. & Quick J. C., 2005, The Balancing Act—At Work and At Home Gates, cited in Bonebright et al., 1976, p.60 Kiechel, cited in Bonebright et al., 1989, p.51