Incorporating gendered analysis and flexibility in heavy work investment studies: a systematic literature review.

Introduction: Significant impacts of heavy work investment on employee well-being and organizational performance have prompted its increasing importance as a research topic. The findings about good or evil of these repercussions are nonetheless inconclusive. The intersection of Heavy Work Investment construct with gender has not been explicitly addressed by previous literature review and research. Besides, the relevance of flexibility for women, as one of the key factors for successful work-family balance management, still remains to be analyzed. Methods: A literature review on Heavy Work Investment was conducted using the SPAR-4-SLR protocol, wherein 83 articles were selected from a pool of 208 previously identified works. Bibliometric and content analysis techniques were employed, including co-word analysis, to evaluate research production, impact, and trends in the gender perspective within Heavy Work Investment. Results: As a result, a strategic diagram illustrates thematic topics, providing a clear understanding of the field's structure and evolution. Six thematic groups were identified, around work-family conflict as the central theme. Discussion: The explicit consideration of a gender perspective in literature involves nuanced differences regarding the conclusions of studies with a broader focus. First, the emerging prominence of studies on China and Japan becomes clear with gender as the specific focus of the review, aiming to clarify the experiences women face in more traditional societies with a more decisive division of roles. Second, there is a shift in interest regarding the analysis of Job Demands and Job Resources. Despite the apparent decline in interest in the former, the focus in gender literature clearly shifts toward the side of Job Resources, showing potential for the future. It could be understood that in a context of talent war and employee retention efforts, priority is given to better understanding of facilitating individual and organizational factors for work-life balance, especially for women. Future research areas are identified, including gender differences in organizational support and the impact of flexible work on the work-life balance, providing valuable insights for academia, practitioners, and organizations. The need for more comprehensive cross-cultural and gender research is also made clear.

Heavy Study Investment in Pre-adolescence and Adolescence: Psychometric Properties of the Studyholism Inventory (SI-10) / La fuerte inversión en el estudio en la preadolescencia y la adolescencia: propiedades psicométricas del Inventario de Obsesión con el Estudio (SI-10)

The Studyholism Inventory (SI-10) allows evaluating two types of Heavy Study Investment (Studyholism – or obsession toward study – and Study Engagement), and four kinds of student (engaged studyholics, disengaged studyholics, engaged students, detached students). We analyzed its psychometric properties in Italian pre-adolescents (n = 451) and adolescents (n = 446) and proposed its cut-off scores. Moreover, we investigated some demographic and study-related differences in studyholism and study engagement. The results supported the use of the SI-10 in pre-adolescents and adolescents. The fit indices are similar in the two samples (for adolescents, GFI = .98, RMSEA = .059). Moreover, we found a high prevalence of studyholism, especially in pre-adolescence (18.6%), and a decrease in study engagement in both genders from pre-adolescence to adolescence. In conclusion, the SI-10 might be used from pre-adolescence for research, preventive, and clinical purposes. Also, demographic-related results supported the definition of studyholism as an obsessive-compulsive related disorder.(AU)

El Inventario de Obsesión con el Estudio (SI-10) permite evaluar dos tipos de fuerte inversión en el estudio (obsesión con el estudio e implicación en el estudio), y cuatro tipos de estudiantes (obsesionados con el estudio implicados, obsesionados con el estudio desconectados, estudiantes implicados, estudiantes desinteresados). Analizamos sus propiedades psicométricas en preadolescentes italianos (n = 451) y adolescentes (n = 446) y propusimos sus puntuaciones de corte. Además, investigamos algunas diferencias demográficas relacionadas con el estudio en la obsesión y la implicación con el estudio. Los resultados avalan el uso del SI-10 en preadolescentes y adolescentes. Los índices de ajuste son similares en las dos muestras (para adolescentes, GFI = .98; RMSEA = .059). Asimismo, encontramos una gran prevalencia de la obsesión con el estudio, especialmente en la preadolescencia (18.6%) y una disminución en la implicación con el estudio en ambos sexos desde la preadolescencia hasta la adolescencia. En conclusión, el SI-10 podría usarse desde la preadolescencia con fines de investigación, preventivos y clínicos. Además, los resultados relacionados con la demografía confirman la definición de obsesión con el estudio como un trastorno relacionado con la obsesión-compulsión.(AU)

Heavy Study Investment: An Analysis of the Defense Mechanisms Characterizing Studyholism and Study Engagement.

Defense mechanisms are unconscious processes that protect a person from excessive anxiety. They are part of everyday functioning, and mature defenses are associated with positive outcomes. However, the excessive use of defenses or the use of immature defenses is associated with psychopathology. The present study aims to analyze the defense mechanisms that characterize two types of heavy study investment: Studyholism and Study Engagement. We performed a path analysis, MANOVAs, and binary logistic regressions on 422 Italian college students (Mage = 22.56 ± 2.87; 63.5% females). Among the main findings, the strongest (and positive) predictor of Studyholism is regression (maladaptive defense), while for Study Engagement, it is task-orientation (adaptive defense). Hence, Studyholism might be defined as a new potential clinical condition. Additionally, a critical analysis of all the defense mechanisms predicting Studyholism supports the appropriateness of the OCD-related framework for conceptualizing Studyholism. Regarding Study Engagement, even if generally associated with a positive defense style, the finding that it is positively predicted by projection confirms previous studies suggesting that, for some students, it might constitute a coping strategy with paranoid symptoms (and social anxiety and anxiety). Hence, we recommend screening engaged students for social impairment and clinically relevant symptoms that might be hidden by hard studying.

The assessment of heavy work investment: Psychometric properties of the WI-10 on a sample of Israeli workers.

BACKGROUND: Heavy Work Investment (HWI) is a construct that covers both positive and negative behaviors characterized by a high investment of time and energy in working (work engagement and workaholism, respectively). In the literature, it has been introduced, recently, the Work-related Inventory (WI-10) that allows evaluating four types of worker, three of which are HWIs: disengaged workaholics, engaged workaholics, engaged workers, and detached workers. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to validate the Hebrew WI-10 on Israeli workers. METHODS: We recruited a convenient sample of 459 workers (about half females and half males) with a mean age of 37.12±10.33. We performed Confirmatory Factor Analysis, convergent and divergent validity analyses. Finally, we calculated the cut-off scores corresponding to high and low workaholism and work engagement. RESULTS: We found support for the 10-item (2 filler) and 2-factor structure (Workaholism and Work Engagement) of the WI-10, as well as for its good psychometric properties. CONCLUSIONS: The WI-10 may be used in future research aimed at disentangling the question about the positive and adverse effects that might be associated with different types of HWI.

Heavy-work investment: its dimensionality, invariance across 9 countries and levels before and during the COVID-19's pandemic / La inversión en trabajo duro: dimensionalidad, invarianza en 9 países y nivel antes y durante la pandemia del COVID-19

The goals of the current comparative and half-exploratory paper are to: 1) shed light on the properties of the relatively “new” construct, Heavy-Work Investment (HWI) and its two dimensions – Time Commitment and Work Intensity, (2) assess differences across 9 countries in relation to HWI, (3) gauge the effect of demographical parameters on HWI, and (4) investigate the interaction between them and COVID-19's pandemic (i.e., before COVID-19, and during the COVID-19 pandemic). Data of 3,418 employees were collected from 9 different countries: Israel, Romania, Japan, USA, Pakistan, Italy, Turkey, Brazil, and Germany. Among other findings, analyses revealed that HWI construct is stable across countries and that the mean investment at work (in the form of both time and efforts) is higher during the COVID-19's pandemic than before it. Discussion section summarizes the findings of the entire research, and elaborates on limitations and future research suggestions (AU)

Los objetivos de este estudio comparativo y semiexploratorio son: 1) arrojar luz sobre las características del constructo relativamente “nuevo” inversión en trabajo duro (ITD) y sus dos dimensiones (compromiso temporal e intensidad del trabajo), 2) ver las diferencias en 9 países relativas a la ITD, 3) analizar el efecto de los parámetros demográficos en la ITD y 4) comprobar la interacción entre ellos y la pandemia del COVID-19 (es decir, antes y durante el mismo). Se recogieron datos de 3,418 empleados de 9 países diferentes: Israel, Rumanía, Japón, EE UU, Paquistán, Italia, Turquía, Brasil y Alemania. Los análisis revelaron, entre otros resultados, que el constructo de ITD es estable en los distintos países y que la inversión media en el trabajo (en tiempo y esfuerzo) es mayor durante la pandemia del COVID-19 que antes de la misma. En la sección de Discusión se resumen los resultados de toda la investigación y se abordan las limitaciones y las propuestas de investigación futura (AU)

Studyholism and Study Engagement: What about the Role of Perfectionism, Worry, Overstudy Climate, and Type of School in Adolescence?

This study aims to deepen the analysis of Studyholism (or obsession toward study) on a sample of 793 Italian adolescents (Mage = 16.30 ± 1.73; 53% boys). A path analysis model including potential antecedents (i.e., worry, study-related perfectionism, perfectionistic strivings and concerns, overstudy climate, type of school) and outcomes (e.g., grade point average, time spent studying, psychological well-being) of Studyholism was tested. In line with previous findings on college students, this study supported the conceptualization of problematic overstudying as an OCD-related disorder, since worry is the strongest predictor of Studyholism. Moreover, among the main findings, it confirmed that Studyholism is associated with negative academic outcomes, while Study Engagement predicts positive academic outcomes. Finally, it also confirmed that both Studyholism and Study Engagement predict social impairment. In conclusion, preventive interventions to favor students' academic success and well-being should reduce perfectionistic concerns and study-related perfectionism and enhance time management skills (in Engaged students too). For reducing Studyholism, instead, the primary target should be trait worry. Finally, preventive interventions should be implemented across all the school types and possibly during childhood or pre-adolescence to avoid the increase in psychological and social impairment that has been found to be associated with Studyholism in youths. It is also essential to detect potential early risk indicators (especially among individual factors) of Studyholism in childhood.

How Does Work Motivation Impact Employees' Investment at Work and Their Job Engagement? A Moderated-Moderation Perspective Through an International Lens.

This paper aims at shedding light on the effects that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, as predictors, have on heavy work investment of time and effort and on job engagement. Using a questionnaire survey, this study conducted a moderated-moderation analysis, considering two conditional effects-worker's status (working students vs. non-student employees) and country (Israel vs. Japan)-as potential moderators, since there are clear cultural differences between these countries. Data were gathered from 242 Israeli and 171 Japanese participants. The analyses revealed that worker's status moderates the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on heavy work investment of time and effort and on job engagement and that the moderating effects were conditioned by country differences. Theoretical and practical implications and future research suggestions are discussed.

Studyholism Inventory (SI-10): A Short Instrument for Evaluating Study Obsession Within the Heavy Study Investment Framework.

Loscalzo and Giannini (Loscalzo, Y., & Giannini, M. [2017]. Studyholism or Study Addiction? A comprehensive model for a possible new clinical condition. In A. M. Columbus (Ed.), Advances in psychological research, (Vol. 125, pp. 19-37). Hauppauge, NY, USA: Nova Science) recently proposed a theoretical model for a new potential clinical condition: Studyholism, or obsession toward studying. This study aims to analyze the psychometric properties of the instrument that has been created based on their theory, namely the Studyholism Inventory (SI-10). The participants are 1296 Italian college students aged between 19 and 55 years. We analyzed its factor structure, as well as its convergent and divergent validity, and we proposed the cut-off scores of the SI-10. Moreover, we investigated some demographic and study-related differences in studyholism and study engagement and the correlations with academic indicators. The results showed that the SI-10 is a ten-item (2 fillers) and 2-factor instrument (GFI = .98, CFI = .97, RMSEA = .07) with good psychometric properties. The SI-10 could be used in future research to analyze the features and correlates of studyholism, and for both clinical and preventive purposes, pointing to favor students' well-being and academic success.

Heavy Study Investment in Italian College Students. An Analysis of Loscalzo and Giannini's (2017) Studyholism Comprehensive Model.

Loscalzo and Giannini (2017) recently proposed the construct of studyholism (or obsession toward study) and a theoretical model highlighting its potential antecedents and outcomes. This study aims to analyze some of these antecedents and outcomes by means of a path analysis including both studyholism and study engagement. The participants are 1,958 Italian college students aged between 18 and 60 years (M age = 23.53 ± 4.43) and heterogeneous as far as their year and major of study are concerned, as well as concerning the city in which they attended their courses. They filled some instruments that allow evaluating studyholism and study engagement, along with individual and situational antecedents (e.g., worry and overstudy climate) and outcomes (e.g., sleep quality, study-relationships conflict, dropout intention). In addition to the path model we performed aiming to test the direct effects we hypothesized, we performed two MANOVAs for analyzing if there were differences on the antecedents and outcomes among the four kinds of student suggested by Loscalzo and Giannini (2017; i.e., engaged studyholics, disengaged studyholics, engaged students, and detached students). The results of this study support Loscalzo and Giannini's (2017) conceptualization of studyholism as an internalizing disorder, since worry is the strongest predictor of studyholism (ß = .67, p < .001). In addition, in line with Loscalzo and Giannini's (2017) theorization, we found some differences among the four kinds of student on both the antecedents and outcomes we analyzed. This study has critical theoretical, preventive, and clinical implications. It supports the definition of studyholism as an OCD-related disorder. Also, about preventive implications, it shows that interventions aiming to favor students' wellbeing should target also engaged students, since study engagement predicts social impairment as well as studyholism. Finally, it suggests that in a clinical setting, it is important to distinguish between disengaged studyholics and engaged studyholics as they have different relationships with some antecedents and outcomes; also, they both have functional impairment, even if in different areas.

What type of worker are you? Work-related Inventory (WI-10): A comprehensive instrument for the measurement of workaholism.

BACKGROUND: In literature, there are many instruments for evaluating workaholism; however, they do not have convergent validity, because of the lack of a shared definition of workaholism. OBJECTIVE: We propose a new instrument for evaluating workaholism and work engagement, namely the Work-related Inventory (WI-10), which is based on Loscalzo and Giannini's (2017) comprehensive definition of workaholism. METHODS: We developed a pool of 36 items, covering: 1) addiction symptoms; 2) obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and 3) work engagement. Then, we conducted Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor analyses on a sample of 503 Italian workers (165 males, 337 females, one missing; Mean age = 38.26±10.84) aiming to reduce the number of items. RESULTS: The results showed a 10-items (2 filler) and 2-factor solution: 1) Workaholism and 2) Work Engagement; moreover, the WI-10 has good internal reliability, convergent and divergent validity. CONCLUSIONS: We found good psychometric properties for the WI-10. We also proposed the cut-off scores for the screening of the four kinds of workers proposed by Loscalzo and Giannini (2017): disengaged workaholics, engaged workaholics, engaged workers, and detached workers. The WI-10 will be useful for both research and preventive and clinical purposes.