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Work Motivations, Work Outcomes, and Health: Passion Versus Addiction

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Abstract

Individuals in managerial and professional jobs now work long hours for a variety of reasons. Building on previous research on workaholism and on types of passion, the results of three exploratory studies of correlates of work-based Passion and Addiction are presented. Data were collected in three samples using anonymously completed questionnaires: Canadian managers and professionals, Australian psychologists, and Norwegian journalists. A common pattern of findings was observed in the three samples. First, respondents scoring higher on Passion and on Addiction were more heavily invested in their work. Second, respondents scoring higher on Passion also indicated less obsessive job behaviors, greater work satisfactions, and higher levels of psychological well-being. Third, respondents scoring higher on Addiction indicated more obsessive job behaviors, lower work satisfaction, and lower levels of psychological well-being.

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Correspondence to Ronald J. Burke.

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Preparation of this manuscript was supported in part by York University. We thank our colleagues for their help in the collection of the data: Stig Berge Mathiesen, Zena Burgess, Fay Oberklaid, and Graeme MacDermid.

Readers interested in obtaining more details about these three studies should contact Ronald J. Burke: rburke@schulich.yorku.ca

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Burke, R.J., Fiksenbaum, L. Work Motivations, Work Outcomes, and Health: Passion Versus Addiction. J Bus Ethics 84 (Suppl 2), 257–263 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-008-9697-0

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