{"id":659846,"date":"2025-04-01T07:00:34","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T04:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/a-fine-balance-between-dedication-and-burnout\/"},"modified":"2025-04-01T07:00:34","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T04:00:34","slug":"a-fine-balance-between-dedication-and-burnout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-fine-balance-between-dedication-and-burnout\/","title":{"rendered":"A fine balance between dedication and burnout"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a27cfa668f73\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a27cfa668f73\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-fine-balance-between-dedication-and-burnout\/#Three_types_of_investment_in_work\" >Three types of investment in work<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-fine-balance-between-dedication-and-burnout\/#Fourteen_percent_are_workaholics\" >Fourteen percent are workaholics<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/workaholic.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/workaholic.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/workaholic.jpg\" alt=\"workaholic\" title=\"Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>How do workaholics&#8217; self-images influence their degrees of dedication to their jobs? And how does that impact their mental health?<\/p>\n<p>To find out, Marie-Colombe Afota, a professor in Universit\u00e9 de Montr\u00e9al&#8217;s School of Industrial Relations, teamed up with colleagues in Montreal and France to study 544 graduates of a French business school over an eight-month period.<\/p>\n<p>The findings of the three professors\u2014Afota, Christian Vandenberghe of HEC Montr\u00e9al, and V\u00e9ronique Robert of Universit\u00e9 Toulouse Capitole, in France\u2014are <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2024.1434482\/full\" target=\"_blank\">published<\/a> in the journal <i>Frontiers in Psychology<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>The study was conducted against a backdrop of rising digitalization in society and a surge in remote working arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic, which have significantly altered people&#8217;s relationship to their jobs.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;With the spread of smartphones and email, the boundaries between personal and professional life have eroded over the past 15 years, and for many people, this has translated into an increase in working hours,&#8221; Afota said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When the pandemic broke out, many thought remote work would reverse the trend. However, the opposite has h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ened: many teleworkers feel obligated to be available and responsive at all times to show they are productive and committed to the job.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Three_types_of_investment_in_work\"><\/span>Three types of investment in work<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The study distinguishes three types of heavy investment in work: toxic over-investment (or workaholism), work engagement and affective organizational commitment.<\/p>\n<p>Workaholism is defined as addiction to work, characterized by &#8220;constant internal pressure and obsessive thoughts focused on work-related tasks,&#8221; whereas work engagement is a positive state of mind associated with vigor, enthusiasm and concentration. Lastly, affective organizational commitment refers to an emotional attachment to the organization itself.<\/p>\n<p>The study found a connection between these types of investment in work and workers&#8217; self-concept.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In our research, a tendency to define oneself in terms of a collective self\u2014in other words, in terms of membership in a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> group\u2014was a predictor of all three forms of heavy investment in work,&#8221; Afota said.<\/p>\n<p>By contrast, an individualistic self-concept correlated only with workaholism.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Workaholism is mainly motivated by darker, less positive goals, such as the need to prove one&#8217;s worth, both to oneself and to others,&#8221; Afota said. &#8220;The problem is, it never ends, and ultimately becomes destructive.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The results of the study show that the different types of heavy investment in work have contrasting effects.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Workaholism has only negative effects,&#8221; said Afota. &#8220;The data show that it leads to an increase in the number of hours worked, work overload and a risk of depression and emotional burnout.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, work engagement is not associated with work overload and protects against depression and burnout.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This finding challenges the conventional wisdom that organizations benefit from employing people who work long hours,&#8221; Afota noted. &#8220;In fact, it&#8217;s not necessarily a good sign.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>There was no statistically significant correlation between affective organizational commitment and the mental-health indicators used in the study.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ads w-100 my-4 article-main__more bg-light p-3 border\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-3\">\n        Discover the latest in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>, tech, and space with over <strong>100,000 subscribers<\/strong> who rely on Phys.org for daily insights.<br \/>\n        Sign up for our <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/newsletter\/\" target=\"_blank\">free newsletter<\/a> and get updates on breakthroughs,<br \/>\n        innovations, and research that matter\u2014<strong>daily or weekly<\/strong>.\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fourteen_percent_are_workaholics\"><\/span>Fourteen percent are workaholics<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>By some estimates, approximately 14 percent of workers are workaholics. The distinction between a healthy investment in work and over-investment is therefore becoming an important public health issue.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In a work landscape where the boundary between personal and professional life is increasingly porous, our results call for a rethink of management practices that value digital presenteeism and long working hours,&#8221; Afota said.<\/p>\n<p>In her view, organizations are mistaken to believe that it&#8217;s to their advantage for employees to be always working or always available.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The challenge is particularly acute for professionals whose duties are broad and difficult to measure,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Employers measure quantity, the amount of time spent working, but it&#8217;s a cognitive shortcut to conclude that if a person works a lot, they&#8217;re competent.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The study concludes that it is important for managers to learn to recognize the warning signs of workaholism and to promote work engagement as a positive form of investment.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Organizations would do well to adopt management practices that promote work-life balance,&#8221; Afota said. &#8220;The quality of work engagement matters more than the quantity. More than ever, balancing dedication to the job with personal well-being is a subtle art that needs to be mastered.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n<p><strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarie-Colombe Afota et al, Workaholism, work engagement, and affective commitment: relationships to self-concept levels and work outcomes, <i>Frontiers in Psychology<\/i> (2025). <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-doi=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2024.1434482\" target=\"_blank\">DOI: 10.3389\/fpsyg.2024.1434482<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium mt-4\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUniversity of Montreal<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"http:\/\/www.umontreal.ca\/english\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInvesting in your work: A fine balance between dedication and burnout (2025, March 31)<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tretrieved 1 April 2025<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfrom https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-03-investing-fine-dedication-burnout.html\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-03-investing-fine-dedication-burnout.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain How do workaholics&#8217; self-images influence their degrees of dedication to their jobs? And how does that impact their mental health? To find out, Marie-Colombe Afota, a professor in Universit\u00e9 de Montr\u00e9al&#8217;s School of Industrial Relations, teamed up with colleagues in Montreal and France to study 544 graduates of a French business&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":659847,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/workaholic.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-659846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/659846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=659846"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/659846\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/659847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=659846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=659846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=659846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}