ABSTRACT
For over four decades, workaholism has been a commonplace term used in popular culture to depict individuals who are addicted to work. Oates (1971) first created the term workaholic to describe a person whose addiction and compulsion to work, or uncontrollable need to work incessantly, impedes multiple life functions. The term has since grown in familiarity and been used more often in the media, on the Internet, and in the research literature. People typically view “workaholics” as hardworking employees who are devoted to their careers. Furthermore, workaholism has a positive connotation in our society and many believe that being a workaholic is a prerequisite to a successful career. The concept of workaholism has become engrained in North American culture and is now an accepted way of life—as Spruell (1987, p. 44) states, “workaholism is the most rewarded addiction in our culture.”
