Is narcissism associated with workaholism? The moderating role of workload

Workaholism, or the tendency to work excessively hard on a compulsive basis, is a form of heavy work investment that is mostly associated with negative consequences for both the individual and the organization. According to the biopsychosocial model, workaholism has a multifactorial genesis. From this standpoint, it may stem from a complex interaction between individual (e.g., personality traits) and situational (e.g., organizational) factors. Among individual factors, narcissism may play a central role. Narcissism can be seen as a set of personality traits that imply a grandiose but fragile sense of self and entitlement, preoccupation with success as well as demands for admiration. Individuals with high levels of narcissism may dedicate considerable time and effort to their work, given that they pursue power, status, social recognition, and rewards in the workplace. For these reasons, we expect narcissism to be positively associated with workaholism. With respect to organizational factors, workload signals what the norms are in an organization (i.e., to work exceedingly hard). Hence, high workload may encourage workaholism in individuals with strong narcissistic components, who may feel compelled to work hard to achieve social recognition and rewards, as well as to attain ego enhancement, by meeting these extremely demanding external standards. In this study, we hypothesized that narcissism is positively associated with workaholism (Hypothesis 1), and that workload may exacerbate this association, which is expected to be stronger when workload is high (Hypothesis 2). The study was carried out on a sample of 217 workers who completed a self-report questionnaire aimed at determining narcissism, workload, and workaholism, in terms of working excessively (WE) and working compulsively (WC). Data were analyzed using moderated multiple regression. Results showed that narcissism was not associated with either workaholism (overall score) or its components, namely WE and WC (Hypothesis 1 not supported). Furthermore, workload moderated the association between narcissism and workaholism (overall score as well as WE/WC), which was significant only when workload was high (Hypothesis 2 supported). Overall, in line with the biopsychosocial model’s prediction, this study suggests that workaholism may result from an interaction between individual predispositions, such as narcissism, and organizational factors that encourage employees to work hard (e.g., high workload). Finally, from a practical standpoint, this study recommends that organizations should target narcissism, especially in managers. Indeed, narcissistic leaders, who necessarily face high job demands in their work, are particularly at risk of workaholism and may also encourage workaholism in their subordinates.