Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Is 'Workaholism' an addiction?

It is, as stated in the book "Managing The Unknown" in chapter 11 by Roger Harrison who writes under the bias for action as an addiction, "After years of observation, I have become convinced that the frenetic action and local problem solving that goes on organizations today is only partially driven by rational work considerations, and is largely part of the addictive syndrome that has been called 'workaholism'.

It seems it is the addictive quality of action and problem solving that makes them so difficult to change.

The author does not imply that hard work, high energy and dedication to task are in themselves negative or unhealthy, either in organizations or individuals. It is the meaning and purpose of these patterns that needs to be questioned and confronted, not its existence.

I'm not sure how much I agree with these findings, but will leave this post for future reflection and thought.

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