Personality traits and personal and organizational inducements: Antecedents of workaholism

Personality has been shown to be a valid predictor of behavior in work settings, but few studies have tested the causality of relationships between personality and workaholism. Extending the propositions of Ng, Sorenson, and Feldman (2007), in this article personality traits were treated as multidimensional and causal relationships were proposed between personality traits and workaholism. We also investigated the interactions among antecedents of workaholism using the definition of Ng et al. as the construct of workaholism, and deduced its antecedents from dimensions that underlie workaholism. Our model identified the following antecedents as being potentially linked to workaholism: personality traits, personal inducements, and organizational inducements. Obsessive compulsion, achievement orientation, perfectionism, and conscientiousness are key personality traits leading to workaholism. Intrinsic work values and vicarious learning in the family are two components of personal inducements, while putting work ahead of family commitments, peer competition, and vicarious learning at the workplace constitute three organizational inducements.