IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i16p9940-d885808.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Dysfunctional Family Mechanisms, Internalized Parental Values, and Work Addiction: A Qualitative Study

Author

Listed:
  • Viktória Kenyhercz

    (Doctoral School of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1053 Budapest, Hungary)

  • Gabriella Frikker

    (Faculty of Education and Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1053 Budapest, Hungary)

  • Zsuzsa Kaló

    (Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1053 Budapest, Hungary)

  • Zsolt Demetrovics

    (Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1053 Budapest, Hungary
    Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar GX11 1AA, Gibraltar)

  • Bernadette Kun

    (Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1053 Budapest, Hungary)

Abstract

(1) Background: Work addiction is a syndrome characterized by excessive and compulsive work disturbing one’s health and personal and social life. Several quantitative studies investigated the correlates of work addiction, but the personal experiences of workaholics remained hidden. Our qualitative research explores the perceived parental style and childhood family climate of individuals affected by work addiction. (2) Method: Based on our previous research, we invited 29 individuals (48,3% females) at risk for work addiction based on a work addiction scale. Semi-structured interviews have addressed topics of working habits, work addiction, social relationships, and their early family experiences. The texts were analyzed by qualitative thematic analysis using both deductive and inductive methods. (3) Results: The interviewees were affected by dysfunctional family mechanisms, i.e., lack of sense of security at home and addictions in the family. The participants reported that internalized parental values (transferred values and work attitudes, high expectations, and compulsion to conform) contributed to their later compulsive overwork. (4) Conclusions: Qualitative research can help to emphasize the individuals’ own experiences about the development of their work addiction. Dysfunctional family mechanisms and parental values might be significant risk factors for the work addiction of an offspring.

Suggested Citation

  • Viktória Kenyhercz & Gabriella Frikker & Zsuzsa Kaló & Zsolt Demetrovics & Bernadette Kun, 2022. "Dysfunctional Family Mechanisms, Internalized Parental Values, and Work Addiction: A Qualitative Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:16:p:9940-:d:885808
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/16/9940/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/16/9940/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Paweł A. Atroszko & Zsolt Demetrovics & Mark D. Griffiths, 2020. "Work Addiction, Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, Burn-Out, and Global Burden of Disease: Implications from the ICD-11," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-13, January.
    2. Akihito Shimazu & Arnold B. Bakker & Evangelia Demerouti & Takeo Fujiwara & Noboru Iwata & Kyoko Shimada & Masaya Takahashi & Masahito Tokita & Izumi Watai & Norito Kawakami, 2020. "Workaholism, Work Engagement and Child Well-Being: A Test of the Spillover-Crossover Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-16, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cristian Balducci & Luca Menghini & Paul M. Conway & Hermann Burr & Sara Zaniboni, 2022. "Workaholism and the Enactment of Bullying Behavior at Work: A Prospective Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-13, February.
    2. Greta Mazzetti & Dina Guglielmi & Wilmar B. Schaufeli, 2020. "Same Involvement, Different Reasons: How Personality Factors and Organizations Contribute to Heavy Work Investment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-19, November.
    3. Daniel, Carole & Gentina, Elodie & Mesmer-Magnus, Jessica, 2022. "Mindfulness buffers the deleterious effects of workaholism for work-family conflict," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    4. Paweł A. Atroszko & Bartosz Atroszko & Edyta Charzyńska, 2021. "Subpopulations of Addictive Behaviors in Different Sample Types and Their Relationships with Gender, Personality, and Well-Being: Latent Profile vs. Latent Class Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-29, August.
    5. Paola Spagnoli & Nicholas J. Haynes & Liliya Scafuri Kovalchuk & Malissa A. Clark & Carmela Buono & Cristian Balducci, 2020. "Workload, Workaholism, and Job Performance: Uncovering Their Complex Relationship," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-20, September.
    6. Eleonora Russo & Pawel Atroszko & Sara Zaniboni & Stefano Toderi & Cristian Balducci, 2023. "The Relationship between Workaholism and Personal Burnout in Dual-Earner Couples: An Analysis Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-15, August.
    7. Cristian Balducci & Paola Spagnoli & Malissa Clark, 2020. "Advancing Workaholism Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-4, December.
    8. Nanhee Kim & Yun Jin Kang & Jinsoo Choi & Young Woo Sohn, 2020. "The Crossover Effects of Supervisors’ Workaholism on Subordinates’ Turnover Intention: The Mediating Role of Two Types of Job Demands and Emotional Exhaustion," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-17, October.
    9. Alessandra Falco & Damiano Girardi & Annamaria Di Sipio & Vincenzo Calvo & Cristina Marogna & Raphael Snir, 2020. "Is Narcissism Associated with Heavy Work Investment? The Moderating Role of Workload in the Relationship between Narcissism, Workaholism, and Work Engagement," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-23, July.
    10. Young-Jae Kim & Seung-Woo Kang, 2021. "An Analysis of the Relationship between the Modified Theory of Planned Behavior and Leisure Rumination of Korean Employees," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-14, January.
    11. Julija Gecaite-Stonciene & Naomi A. Fineberg & Aurelija Podlipskyte & Julius Neverauskas & Alicja Juskiene & Narseta Mickuviene & Julius Burkauskas, 2020. "Mental Fatigue, But Not other Fatigue Characteristics, as a Candidate Feature of Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder in Patients with Anxiety and Mood Disorders—An Exploratory Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-10, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:16:p:9940-:d:885808. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.