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Workaholism and work engagement: An examination of their psychometric multidimensionality and relations with employees’ functioning

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Abstract

This research sought to provide a better understanding of the psychometric multidimensionality of workers’ responses to the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES; Studies 1 and 3) and the Dutch Work Addiction Scale (DUWAS; Studies 2 and 3). This research also aimed to document the relations between the components of work engagement and workaholism and workers’ functioning (i.e., job satisfaction, work performance, work-family conflict, and sleeping problems). Three studies (N = 273, N = 241, N = 304) were conducted to reach these objectives. Results from these three studies indicated that a bifactor-exploratory structural equation modeling (bifactor-ESEM) representation of workaholism and work engagement ratings was superior to alternative representations. Specifically, employees’ assessments of work engagement concurrently reflected a global work engagement factor which co-existed with specific vigor, dedication, and absorption components. Similarly, employees’ ratings of workaholism revealed a global workaholism factor and simultaneous specific working excessively and working compulsively facets. Our findings also shed light on the criterion-related validity of these workaholism and work engagement components by documenting their differentiated associations with measures of job satisfaction, work performance, work-family conflict, and sleeping problems. Precisely, results from Studies 1 to 3 consistently showed the key role of global workaholism, global work engagement, and the specific vigor facet in predicting outcomes.

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Data Availability Statement

Data available upon requests from the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne (E.A. 6291, Laboratoire C2S), 57 rue Pierre Taittinger, 51571, Reims Cedex, France

    Tiphaine Huyghebaert-Zouaghi

  2. Université Catholique de Louvain (Institute of Psychological Sciences, IPSY), 10 Place Cardinal Mercier, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    Gaëtane Caesens

  3. Université de Tours (E.E. 1901, QualiPsy), 3 rue des Tanneurs, 37041, Tours Cedex 1, France

    Émilie Sandrin & Nicolas Gillet

  4. Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France

    Nicolas Gillet

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  1. Tiphaine Huyghebaert-Zouaghi
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Correspondence to Tiphaine Huyghebaert-Zouaghi.

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Huyghebaert-Zouaghi, T., Caesens, G., Sandrin, É. et al. Workaholism and work engagement: An examination of their psychometric multidimensionality and relations with employees’ functioning. Curr Psychol 42, 5240–5253 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01820-6

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