Work hard, play hard... or maybe not: A look at the relationships between workaholism, work-leisure conflict, and work stress

Abstract

In the current study we sought to examine the relationships between workaholism, work-leisure conflict, and work stress. Workaholism is related to many negative consequences to both the employee and the organization. It is vital, then, to examine these outcomes in order to find ways to reduce potential harm. As such, self-report measures were used to study whether work-leisure conflict would strengthen the relationship between workaholism and work stress, and if work-leisure conflict acts as a mediator between workaholism and work stress. The sample consisted of 346 working adults from various occupations and backgrounds. The results indicated workaholism was positively correlated with work stress. Additionally, work leisure conflict was positively correlated with both workaholism and work stress. Moreover, work-leisure conflict was a significant mediator between workaholism and work stress, however, the results did not indicate a moderation effect for work-leisure conflict on the relationship between workaholism and work stress. Organizational implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.