Ronald J. BURKE, Wang JENG, Mustafa KOYUNCU, Lisa FIKSENBAUM

Workaholic job behaviors among hotel managers in Beijing China: Potential antecedents and consequences

This research examined the relationship of two workaholic job behaviors proposed by Mudrack (2007) and potential antecedents and consequences. The two workaholic job behaviors were Non-required work and Control of others. Data were collected from 309 male and female managers working in 3, 4 and 5 star hotels in Beijing China using anonymously completed questionnaires, a 90% response rate. The two workaholic job behaviors were significantly and positively correlated (r=.63, p<.001) Managers scoring higher on the two workaholic job behaviors were at higher organizational levels, worked in more intense jobs and worked more hours per week. Managers scoring higher on the two workaholic job behaviors were also more perfectionistic and delegated less often. Contrary to predictions, however, workaholic job behaviors had few relationships with work and career satisfaction, work-family and family –work conflict and indicators of psychological well-being. Mudrack’s two workaholic job behaviors seemed to be measures of characteristics of high level jobs than actual workaholic behaviors.

Keywords:

Workaholic job behaviors , psychological well-being, Hotel managers,

PDF

___

Ambler, T., Witzel, M., & Xi, C. (2008) Doing business in China. London: Routledge.
Barling, J., Keloway, E. K., & Frone, M. R. (2005) Handbook of work stress. Thou- sand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Burke, R. J. (2000) Workaholism in organiza- tions: Concepts, results and future rese- arch directions. International Journal of Management Reviews, 2, 1-16.
Burke, R. J., (1991) Early work and career ex- periences of female and male managers and professionals: Reasons for opti- mism? Canadian Journal of Adminis- trative Sciences, 8, 224-230.
Carlson, D., Kacmar, J., & Williams, L. (2000) Construction and initial validation of a multi-dimensional measure of work- family conflict. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 56, 249-278.
Cooke, F. L (2004) Women in management in China. In M. J. Davidson & R. J. Burke (eds.) Women in management worldwide: Facts, figures and analysis. Hants, UK: Ashgate Publishing.
Cook, D. (1989) China’s hotels still playing catch up. The Cornell Hotel and Res- taurant Administratin Quarterly, 39, 64- 71.
Diener, E., Emmons, R., A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985) The Satisfaction with Life Scale. Journal of Personality As- sessment, 49, 71-75.
Fassel, D. (1990) Working ourselves to death”: The high costs of workaholism, the rewards of recovery. San Francisco: CA: Harper Collins.
Fenci, W., & Masarech, M. A. (2008) Increase employee engagement at your com- pany. Workspan, June, 30-34.
Frank, E. J., (2001) Chinese students’ percep- tions of women in management: Will it be easier? Women in Management Re- view, 16, 316-324.
Gartner, C,. & Shen, J. (1992) the impact of Tiananmen Square on China’s tourism image. Journal of Travel Research, 30, 2- 9.
Greenhaus, J. H., Parasuraman, S., & Worm- ley, W. (1990) Organizational experien- ces and career success of black and white managers. Academy of Manage- ment Journal, 33, 64-86.
Gu, Z. (2003) The Chinese lodging industry: Problems and solutions. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 15, 386-392.
Hai-yan, K., & Baum, T. (2006) skills and work in the hospitality sector: The case of hotel front office employees in China. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 18, 509-518.
Heung, V. C. S., Zhang, H., & Jiang, C. (2007) International franchising: Opportuni- ties for China’s state-owned hotels? In- ternational Journal of Hospitality Management, 27, 368-380.
Hewlett, S. A., & Luce, C. B. (2006) Extreme jobs: The dangerous allure of the 70- hour work week. Harvard Business Re- view, December, 49-59.
Hofstede, G. (1980) Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-rela- ted values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Pub- lications.
Killinger, B. (1991) Workaholics: The respec- table addicts. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Kofodimos, J. (1993) Balancing act. San Fran- cisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kulesa, P (2008) Employee engagement in Asia Pacific: The tie to career develop- ment. Workspan, June, 46-51.
Lew, A. A. (2007) China’s growing wander- lust. Far Easter Economic Review, 170, 60-64.
Lew, A. A., Yu, L., Ap, J., & Guangrui, Z. (2002) Tourism in China. Binghampton, NY: Haworth Press.
Li, L., Tse, E. C-Y., & Xie, L., (2007) Hotel ge- neral manager profile in China: A case of Guangdong Province. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 19, 263-274.
Machlowitz, M. (1980) workaholics: Living with them, working with the . Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Mak, B. (2008) The future of state-owned ho- tels in China: Stay or go? International Journal of Hospitality Management, 27, 355-367.
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (1997) The truth about burnout. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass.
Maslach, C., Jackson, S. E., & Leiter, M. P. (1996). Maslach Burnout Inventory, 3rd ed. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psycho- logists Press.
McMillan, L. H. W., O’Driscoll, M. P., Marsh, N. V., & Brady, E. C. (2001) Understan- ding workaholism: Data synthesis, theoretical critique and future design strategies. International Journal of Stress Management, 8, 69-91.
Mudrack, P. E. (2007) Understanding wor- kaholism: The case for behavioral ten- dencies. In R. J. Burke (ed.) Research companion to working time and work addiction. Chichester, UK: Edward Elgar. pp. 108-128.
Munck, B. (2001) Changing a culture of face time. Harvard Business Review, No- vember, 3-8.
Oates, W. (1971) Confessions of a workaho- lic: The facts about work addiction. New York: World.
Pine, R., & Qi, P., (2004) Barriers to hotel chain development in China.: Interna- tional Journal of Contemporary Hospi- tality Management, 14, 246-260.
Poffenberger, C., & Parry, D. 2007) The new face of tourism in China. The China Bu- siness Review, 34, 12-15
Porter, G. (1996) Organizational impact of workaholism: Suggestions for researc- hing the negative outcomes of excessive work. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 1, 70-84,
Qiu, H. Z., & Lam, T. (2004) Human resour- ces issues in the development of tou- rism in China: Evidence from Heilongjiang Province. International Jo- urnal of contemporary Hospitality Ma- nagement, 156, 45-51,
Quinn, R. P., & Shepard, L. J., (1974) The 1972-73 Quality of Employment Survey. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Re- search, University of Michigan.
Robinson, B. E. (1998) Chained to the desk: a guidebook for workaholics, their part- ners and children and the clinicians who treat them. New York: New York University Press.
Schabracq, M. J., Winnubst, J. A. M., & Coo- per, C. L (2003) The handbook of work and health psychology. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley.
Schaef, A. W., & Fassel, D. (1988) The addic- tive organization. San Francisco, CA: Harper Row.
Schaufeli, W. B., Taris, T. W., & Bakker, A. B. (2007) It takes two to tango: Workaho- lism is working excessively and wor- king compulsively. In R. J. Burke & C. L. Cooper (eds) The long work hours culture: Causes, consequences, and choices. Bingley, UK: emerald Publis- hing. pp. 203-226.
Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., Gonzalez- Roma, V., & Bakker, A. B. (2002) The measurement of engagement and bur- nout: A two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happi- ness Studies, 3, 71-92.
Scott, K. S., Moore, K. s., & Miceli, M. P. (1997) an exploration of the meaning and consequences of workaholism. Human Relations, 50, 287-314.
Spence, J. T., & Robbins, A. S. (1992) Worka- holism: Definition, measurement, and preliminary results. Journal of Perso- nality Assessment. 58, 160-178.
Tindell, C., & Wen, J. (1991) Foreign tourism as an element in PR China’s economic development strategy. Tourism Mana- gement, 12, 55-67.
Tsang, N., & Qu, H. (2000) Service quality in China’s hotel industry” a perspective from tourists and hotel managers. In- ternational Journal of contemporary Hospitality Management, 112, 316-326.
Wang, Y. (2008) Tourism and hospitality ma- nagement in China. International Jour- nal of Hospitality Management, 27, 323-324.
Wang, S., & Qu, H. (2004) A comparison study of Chinese domestic tourism: China vs. the USA. International Jour- nal of contemporary Hospitality Mana- gement, 16, 108-115.
Wasti, S. A., (1998) Cultural barriers in the transferability of Japanese and Ameri- can human resources practices to deve- loping countries: The Turkish case. International Journal of Human Reso- urce Management, 9, 608-631.
Webb, S. (2004) Hoteliers head for the Far East. National Real Estate Investor, 46, 26-28.
Xiao, Q,. O’Neill, J. W., & Wang, H. (2008) International hotel development: a study of potential franchisees in China. International Journal of Hospitality Ma- nagement, 27, 325-336.
Zhao, J. (1989) Overprovision in Chinese ho- tels. Tourism Management, 10, 63-66.