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European Journal of Social Sciences Studies ISSN: 2501-8590 ISSN-L: 2501-8590 Available on-line at: www.oapub.org/soc Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 doi: 10.5281/zenodo.438139 INVESTIGATING THE AMOUNT OF WORK ADDICTION AMONG MUNICIPALITY EMPLOYEES OF PIRANSHAHR CITY, IRAN Nematollah Mahmoud Pour*i, Mohammad Amin Savareh Denkhe, Naser Faraji, Naser Bayezidi The Staff of Piranshahr Municipality, Piranshahr City, Iran Abstract: The work, at the present era, is an inseparable part of human life. Every day, people spend much of their time in organizations. Unlimited pressures and demands of the organization forced the people to keep working constantly which may increase the probability formation of addiction to work with them, which this may leave behind the positive and negative effects in the related organization. Thus, the purpose of this research is to investigate the amount of work addiction among municipality employees of Piranshahr city that is done with descriptive-survey method. The statistical population consists of the employees of Piranshahr city municipality, their number was 55 people. To collect data, work addiction questionnaire of Spence and Robbins (1992), which contains 20 questions, was used. Its validity was confirmed by experts in the management field. The reliability was obtained 0.88 by Cronbach's alpha. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, as well as one-sample t-test was used. Results indicated that job involvement, passion for work and pleasure from work have a positive and meaningful impact on the municipality employees of Piranshahr city (p=0.01). Keywords: work addiction, involvement, desire, pleasure, staff 1. Introduction Today employees thought about their working life more than ever and worry about it. They are searching a secure, long-term and satisfying job. The employees start their Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved. © 2015 – 2017 Open Access Publishing Group 153 Nematollah Mahmoud Pour, Mohammad Amin Savareh Denkhe, Naser Faraji, Naser Bayezidi INVESTIGATING THE AMOUNT OF WORK ADDICTION AMONG MUNICIPALITY EMPLOYEES OF PIRANSHAHR CITY, IRAN profession with special hope and expectations and for reaching the highest level and most of them care about their progress, power, gaining the highest responsibilities and rewards. Work addiction is an addiction that may be enjoyable, but also frustrating and problematic, so that even some people consider it as a disease. They do not necessarily love their work, but without the work, they cannot spend their time. They think they are the only ones who can do this particular job and because of excessive involving in the work, they are known as workaholics (Bonebright, 2000) The term work addiction, for the first time used by an American priest and psychologist Wayne Oates (1968) in his book entitles as "Confessions of a Workaholic". Of course, this term in the 1990s had widespread applications. Although in most cases, addiction to work at a job, is associated with a high income, but this state may be correct about those who excessively do sports, music, art etc. This term is often applied mistakenly about the personality of active and full work people that in addition to having a good relationship with colleagues, enjoyment of non-profit activities, adequate rest and proper participation in family and society, the as well as, consider a lot of time to work. These people, e normal people whose only difference from the others, is the proper planning in their personal and professional life. While the person suffering from work addiction, behaves in a way that his attempts out of his work is harmful to himself and his family (Burke, 2001). Otes (1971) believes that work addiction is kind of habituation to something. He knows a work addiction as a person that has an extreme need for work that creates many problems and conflicts in the health, happiness and personal weakness, interpersonal relations and the spirit of being social. Robbins (1992) presented the first scientific and academic definition of the work addiction term. From the perspective of addiction to work originated from a set of attitudes and perceptions of people. They consider a work addiction person as a person that has a great involvement in the work, high compulsive feelings or extraordinary inner passion for working and taking little pleasure from his work. Machloitz (1980) in another place wrote "the different attitudes and views that exist toward the work, is not meant as the working hours that a person accounted for the work”. In contrast, Scott et al. (1997) state that work addiction cannot be a kind of attitude, but it is a behavioral pattern. This means that a person allocates more time for his work activities, even when he is not at his workplace; he even works continuously outside the organization. Robinson (2000) also points out; really a bright and clear definition of addiction to work is very hard and difficult. He knows addict to work as an obsessive disorder, that arises as a result of self-actualization requirements or lack of ability to control work habits or an excessive in work in which is an exceptional something in comparison with European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 154 Nematollah Mahmoud Pour, Mohammad Amin Savareh Denkhe, Naser Faraji, Naser Bayezidi INVESTIGATING THE AMOUNT OF WORK ADDICTION AMONG MUNICIPALITY EMPLOYEES OF PIRANSHAHR CITY, IRAN other life activities (Robbinz, 2004). Snier and Harpaz (2004), define work addiction as excessive time devoted to physical or mental activity that is related to work. MacMillan et al. (2001) also defines work addiction as the resistance of an individual in releasing him from a work that always involves in it. Generally from definitions that have been presented in the past few decades, it can be said that at least two factors are specified as the main characteristic of work addiction people that include the inner urge to work and spend so much time on the job (even important life) (N G, 2007). One of the most well-known tools for measuring addiction to work that is widely used is "Achievement – oriented" of Spens and Robbins (1992) that work dived into 3 following components base on degree and value: 1. Work involvement 2. Feelings of Being Driven to work 3. Work Enjoyment Recently, many field types of research have been done on the work addiction (Scott, 1997). The extent of researchers has gone so far that questions about work addiction are more than answers and many of the great attention of researchers are about defining issues. Elsewhere, Spence and Robbins (1992), have identified six subscales of addicts and non-addicts work: Work Addicts, Enthusiastic Workaholics, Work Enthusiasts, unfettered workers, relief workers, indifferent workers. In 2004, two researchers, namely, Buelens and Poelmans, developed the typology of Spence and Robbins that in addition to 6 subtypes the type of "Reluctant Hard Worker" and "Alienated Professionals" added to that. Fundamental studies that are done, about work addiction, focused on a surface descriptive rather than describe it as a unique phenomenon. Empirical researches conducted by Burke et al., were measured only cognitive factors of Workaholics (beliefs, fears, and perceptions) (Kanai, 2001, Wakabaiashi, 2004) have studied the impact of stressful work environment and economic factors on work addiction and Buelens and Poelmans (2005) have studied the impact of organizational culture (the positions and work pressure on personal growth) on addict to work. According to Burke et al (19992004), there was not observed a significant difference between addicts to work, eagers and eagers to work in terms of working hours and involved in the work. They concluded that feel the urge to work and enjoy working, are two key elements that will determine the types of work addiction and according to their opinion; these two elements are as the behavior and attitude gained during work and according to work experience. According to the expressed materials and the importance of the issue and because so far has not been done any research about the value of the staff of the European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 155 Nematollah Mahmoud Pour, Mohammad Amin Savareh Denkhe, Naser Faraji, Naser Bayezidi INVESTIGATING THE AMOUNT OF WORK ADDICTION AMONG MUNICIPALITY EMPLOYEES OF PIRANSHAHR CITY, IRAN municipality of Piranshahr city the necessity of this study was formed. For this reason this study was done with the purpose of investigating the amount of work addiction among municipality employees of Piranshahr city. 2. Methods The research method is a descriptive survey. The statistical population consists of the employees of Piranshahr city municipality, their number was 55 people. To collect data, work addiction questionnaire of Spence and Robbins (1992), which contains 20 questions, was used. Its validity was confirmed by experts in the management field. The reliability was obtained 0.88 by Cronbach's alpha. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, as well as one-sample t-test was used. All statistical operations carried out by software SPSS-22. 3. Results In this part of the study using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and one-sample t-test hypotheses of the research were tested. Before the implementation of the single-sample t-test, the non-parametric test Kolmogorov-Smirnov (Z Kolmogorov-Smirnov) was conducted to determine the normal distribution of data. Results of this test indicate the normality of the data in each three variable of the study (Table 1). Table 1: Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for variables of research Variable P – Value Z Work addiction 0.774 0.368 Job involvement 0.651 0.445 Eager to work 1.2.16 0.198 Enjoy the work 1.129 0.160 According to results of Table 1 and obtained significance level, each of the variables of the research that is bigger than meaningful level the data of all variables are higher than 0.05 and as a result, they are normal therefore for testing each of the variables the Tsimple test is used. A. The first hypothesis test Involvement with work has an impact on work addiction among staff working in the municipality of Piranshahr city (H1). European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 156 Nematollah Mahmoud Pour, Mohammad Amin Savareh Denkhe, Naser Faraji, Naser Bayezidi INVESTIGATING THE AMOUNT OF WORK ADDICTION AMONG MUNICIPALITY EMPLOYEES OF PIRANSHAHR CITY, IRAN Involvement with work has not an impact on work addiction among staff working in the municipality of Piranshahr city (H0). Table 2: Single sample t-test for the first hypothesis First hypothesis Involvement with The value of test = 3 The value of Degree t-test freedom sig Average In confidence level 0.99 work Min 3.842 55 0.000 0.632 Max 0.266 0.891 According to Table 2, the value of t is 3.842 and its degree freedom is 55.since the obtained t value is higher than the critical value of 1.96 then the null hypothesis of the research rejected and the main hypothesis is accepted. Then, with 99 percent confidence, we can say that involvement with the work has an impact on work addiction among staff working in the municipality of Piranshahr city. B. The second hypothesis test Passion for work has an impact on work addiction among staff working in the municipality of Piranshahr city (H1) Passion for work has not an impact on work addiction among staff working in the municipality of Piranshahr city (H0) Table 3: Single sample t-test for the second hypothesis First hypothesis The passion The value of test = 3 The value of Degree t-test freedom sig Average In confidence level 0.99 for work Min 2.679 55 0.000 0.412 0.165 Max 0.874 According to table 3, the value of t is 2.679 and its degree freedom is 55.since the obtained t value is higher than the critical value of 1.96 then the null hypothesis of the research rejected and the main hypothesis is accepted.Then, with 99 percent confidence, we can say that passion for work has an impact on work addiction among staff working in the municipality of Piranshahr city. European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 157 Nematollah Mahmoud Pour, Mohammad Amin Savareh Denkhe, Naser Faraji, Naser Bayezidi INVESTIGATING THE AMOUNT OF WORK ADDICTION AMONG MUNICIPALITY EMPLOYEES OF PIRANSHAHR CITY, IRAN C. The third hypothesis test Enjoy from work has an impact on work addiction among staff working in the municipality of Piranshahr city (H1) Enjoy from work has not an impact on work addiction among staff working in the municipality of Piranshahr city (H0). Table 3: Single sample t-test for the third hypothesis First hypothesis The value of test = 3 Enjoy The value of Degree from t-test freedom sig Average In confidence level 0.99 work Min 3.720 55 0.000 0.559 0.267 Max 0.879 According to Table 4, the value of t is 3.720 and its degree freedom is 55.since the obtained t value is higher than the critical value of 1.96 then the null hypothesis of the research rejected and the main hypothesis is accepted. Then, with 99 percent confidence, we can say that enjoy from work has an impact on work addiction among staff who are working in the municipality of Piranshahr city. 4. Discussion and Conclusion The purpose of this research was doing an investigating the amount of work addiction among municipality employees of Piranshahr city. Results suggested that the involvement in work, having a passion for work and enjoy from work has a positive and meaningful impact on municipality employees of Piranshahr city. Managers always try to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization by taking advantage of the academic experience. The recovery and improvement of an organization is a process that through its knowledge and the performances of behavioral sciences are used to help greater effectiveness. Efficiency means less time or used energy for most of the work that is done. The level of increasing efficiency directly deposited to the managers. The displacement and job circulation of people van has an impact on job satisfaction and finally in increasing efficiency, especially when it is done along with the promotion. To create a powerful work environment, the role of managers must be transformed from a mind framework to a supportive environment which in this frame all staff can work efficiently. Increasing productivity leads to promote efficiency and effective help to obtain organizational goals. To improve the work in the organization following suggestions are offered: European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 158 Nematollah Mahmoud Pour, Mohammad Amin Savareh Denkhe, Naser Faraji, Naser Bayezidi INVESTIGATING THE AMOUNT OF WORK ADDICTION AMONG MUNICIPALITY EMPLOYEES OF PIRANSHAHR CITY, IRAN The rewards not rewarded to addictive behaviors(of course, those employees who are very active and have a balance between work-life must be identified),make sure that the vacation time of staff is apart from their work, job insecurity, too much work, the limited opportunity for jobs and lack of control may be pushing workers to do more work. In the other place, Hass (1991) points out the great role of managers. Administrators can stimulate workaholic employees to change their behavior. Staff must participate in counseling programs of the staff and begin their healing process with rehabilitation programs. In the meantime, managers should adopt supporting role and prepare the short-term and long-term plans for them. According to Hass, the directors must comply with the preset programs, every day, meet with their staff and closely observe their work. Some researcher's support of Self – Help programs for work addiction people (Kiechel, 1989, Oates, 1971, Klaft & Kleiner, 1988, Franzmeir, 1988).These activities are included, identify new options for work, Create new entertainment and enjoyment from anything. Professional helps, either as individual or group counseling, can also lead a good help to decrease addiction (Noghton, 1987, Sibled and Saloman, 1994).examples of Self – Help programs are conducted in Canada and United states that is done as 12 stage program. According to Robinson (1998), devoting time to family and counseling with them can also heal the negative effects of addiction to work. Increasing communication skills can also be useful. Organizations can also try to be more time with their families with a variety of programs. Even organizations can by giving rewards to those who spend a great time with their families, reduce work addiction among staff. Some researchers believe that some behaviors of addicted staff to decreased job performance (Fasel, 1990, Scott, 1997, Spense and Robbonz, 1992). An employee who is constantly engaged in the work or constantly doing minor tasks shows lower performance. Creating busy working, working very hard on simple projects or create unnecessary crises for opportunities to work more, causing weakness in the performance. In addition, experience has shown, the increase in the quantity of works will sacrifice the quality of the works. According to Korn et al (1987), the positive behavioral patterns can be achieved by training and spread it among the people. Even it is possible to reduce negative effects of addiction to work (especially health and well-being and stress). Some also have different ways to reduce this type of addiction (that is provided in many bulletins and various organizations).in the following some of them presented: European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 159 Nematollah Mahmoud Pour, Mohammad Amin Savareh Denkhe, Naser Faraji, Naser Bayezidi INVESTIGATING THE AMOUNT OF WORK ADDICTION AMONG MUNICIPALITY EMPLOYEES OF PIRANSHAHR CITY, IRAN a. Self-control: When a co-worker or subordinate offering a suggestion that in your view is ridiculous not resist and let it be done, although, it is not true. Let someone else do the job. Even though you think it is a trivial theory, then replace another idea to your opinion. Give the authority to someone else to review the projects. Do not offer, do not recommend and do not control the work in detail. b. Discover new hobbies: Try to play and exercise. It is a great chance that you can strengthen your muscles. c. Accept defeat: For people who are addicted to work the defeat very painful. Try to in the right direction, delegate the works to your friends and colleagues. d. Collaborate with family and friends in entertainment programs: spend a time in the week with your spouse, kids, and friends. Short working hours. e. Accolades others: do this work several times during day because people will pay more attention to their work, you should exercise by praise others gives more attention to them. f. Identify the pretext that confirms addiction to work: for example, I work hard for my family, the company needs me to work 18 hours during the day. The truth is that the company continues its work without you, but you finally do, you lose your family. g. Reducing Activities: talk to someone who calls instead of your spouse. h. Say No: Learn to say no All these things are not realized until the real value of what you do is a cover, but if you work normally appears the origins value of yourself, the family and broad interests. 5. Other recommendations 1) Advice about introducing different aspects of the life of work addiction people that do not pay much attention to them such as family, parents, social life, friends... 2) Review the workload of people addicted to work in case of being busy and delegate some tasks to others. 3) Reducing overtime hours of workaholics and people on the verge of addiction to work 4) Emphasis and requirement for organizations for sending on leave the workaholics staff and people on the verge of addiction, to relax and stay away from the work environment and get used to the new conditions. 5) Providing appropriate spaces for sport and recreation facilities for employees and organizing sports competitions between employees. European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 160 Nematollah Mahmoud Pour, Mohammad Amin Savareh Denkhe, Naser Faraji, Naser Bayezidi INVESTIGATING THE AMOUNT OF WORK ADDICTION AMONG MUNICIPALITY EMPLOYEES OF PIRANSHAHR CITY, IRAN 6) Attention to the most influential personality traits on the work addiction of the staff. 7) Emphasis and requirement for organizations to deploy work addiction staff, to the monthly family camps and sending to pilgrimage, tourism and... 8) The basic attention to job rotation for workaholics and people on the verge of addiction. 9) Guidance and planning for the self-esteem of the employees in order to achieve the higher goals of the organization References 1. Bonebright, C.A., Clay, D.L., Ankenmann, R.D. (2000). "The relationship of workaholism with work-life conflict, life satisfaction, and purpose in life", Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol. 47 No.4, pp.469-77. 2. Brown. A. (1997). 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"Workaholism: definition, Measurement, and Preliminary Results", Journal of Personality Assessment, Vol. 58 No.1, pp.160-78. European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 162 Nematollah Mahmoud Pour, Mohammad Amin Savareh Denkhe, Naser Faraji, Naser Bayezidi INVESTIGATING THE AMOUNT OF WORK ADDICTION AMONG MUNICIPALITY EMPLOYEES OF PIRANSHAHR CITY, IRAN Creative Commons licensing terms Author(s) will retain the copyright of their published articles agreeing that a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) terms will be applied to their work. Under the terms of this license, no permission is required from the author(s) or publisher for members of the community to copy, distribute, transmit or adapt the article content, providing a proper, prominent and unambiguous attribution to the authors in a manner that makes clear that the materials are being reused under permission of a Creative Commons License. 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