You have to work more than men to succeed! Gender differences in workaholism among Italian academics

Journal title SOCIOLOGIA DEL LAVORO
Author/s Giulia Tattarini, Renzo Carriero, Cristina Solera
Publishing Year 2024 Issue 2024/168
Language English Pages 22 P. 28-49 File size 271 KB
DOI 10.3280/SL2024-168002
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation click here

Below, you can see the article first page

If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits

Article preview

FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.

Over the last decades, Italian university reforms have put increased pressure on academics and researchers towards greater productivity and accountability. These changes have generated an ‘overtime culture’, which is one of the main determinants of workaholism, over-commitment, and presenteeism among academics. The consequences of such changes are not gender-neutral: women – more often disadvantaged in academic careers than men – might be more affected by increased work pressure and more likely to work excessively to avoid career penalties. By using an original web-survey of about 1300 academics from four Italian universities, this article investigates gender differences in workaholic behaviours (i.e., working at night, on Sundays, etc.), and their link with the way researchers perceive the recruitment processes and gender disparities. The authors found that women are more workaholic than men, and this is explained by perceptions of gender equality in their working environment.

Keywords: Gender inequality, Academia, Workaholism, Well-being

  1. Abramo, G., D’Angelo, C. A. (2015). The Relationship between the Number of Authors of a Publication, Its Citations and the Impact Factor of the Publishing Journal: Evidence from Italy. Journal of Informetrics, 9 (4): 746–61.
  2. Andreassen, C. S., Griffiths, M. D., Hetland, J. and Pallesen, S. (2012). Development of a work addiction scale. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 53: 265–272.
  3. Andreassen, C. S. (2014). Workaholism: An Overview and Current Status of the Research. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 3 (1): 1–11. DOI: 10.1556/JBA.2.2013.017
  4. Barnett, A., Mewburn, I., and Schroter, S. (2019). Working 9 to 5, not the way to make an academic living: observational analysis of manuscript and peer review submissions over time. Bmj, 367.
  5. Barnes, G. M. (1990). Impact of the family on adolescent drinking patterns. In Collins, R. L., Leonard, K. E., Miller, B. A. and Searles, J. S. (eds.), Alcohol and the family: Research and clinical perspectives. New York: Guilford Press.
  6. Bartczak M., Ogińska-Bulik N. (2012). Workaholism and Mental Health Among Polish Academic Workers. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 18(1): 3-13, DOI: 10.1080/10803548.2012.1107691
  7. Bozzon, R., Murgia, A. and Poggio, B. (2018). Gender and precarious careers in academia and research: Macro, meso and micro perspectives. In Murgia, A., and Poggio, B (eds) Gender and precarious research careers. London: Routledge: 15-49.
  8. Burgess, Z., Burke, R. J. and Oberklaid, F. (2006). Workaholism among Australian Psychologists: Gender Differences. Equal Opportunities International, 25 (1): 48–59. DOI: 10.1108/0261015061064596
  9. Burke, R. J. (1999). Workaholism in organisations: Gender differences. Sex roles, 41(5-6), 333-345. DOI: 10.1023/A:101881873192
  10. Carriero, R. (2015). Appendice metodologica, in Scamuzzi, S., Tipaldo, G. (eds.) Apriti scienza. Il presente e il futuro della comunicazione della scienza in Italia tra vincoli e nuove sfide, Bologna: il Mulino: 279-286.
  11. Carriero R., Solera C., Tattarini G. (2023). Criteri di reclutamento, uguaglianza di genere e politiche di parità: le opinioni del personale accademico. In Naldini, M. and Poggio, B (eds.) Genere e Accademia. Carriere, culture e politiche in Italia, Bologna: il Mulino: 87-112
  12. Carriero, R., Todesco, L. (2016) Indaffarate e soddisfatte. Donne, uomini e lavoro familiare in Italia, Roma: Carocci.
  13. Castaneda, Maria, and Kirsten Isgro. 2013. Mothers in Academia. Columbia University Press.
  14. De Kleijn M., Jayabalasingham B., Falk-Krzesinski HJ., Collins T., Kuiper-Hoyng L., Cingolani I., Zhang J., Roberge G., et al (2020). The Researcher Journey Through a Gender Lens: An Examination of Research Participation, Career Progression and Perceptions Across the Globe (Elsevier, March 2020). -- Retrieved from www.elsevier.com/gender-report
  15. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission). 2021. She Figures 2021: Gender in Research and Innovation : Statistics and Indicators. LU: Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/06090.
  16. Drew E., Canavan S. (2020). The gender-sensitive university: a contradiction in terms? Taylor & Francis. DOI: 10.4324/978100300134
  17. Donina D., Hasanefendic S. (2019). Higher Education Institutional Governance Reforms in the Netherlands, Portugal and Italy: A Policy Translation Perspective Addressing the Homogeneous/Heterogeneous Dilemma. Higher Education Quarterly, 73(1): 29–44.
  18. Eurostat. 2023. “EU Workers: 7% Worked Long Hours in 2022 - Products Eurostat News - Eurostat.” 2023. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/EDN-20230501-1 Accessed: 2023-09-09 13:28:23
  19. Fontinha, R., Easton S., and Van Laar, D. (2019). Overtime and Quality of Working Life in Academics and Nonacademics: The Role of Perceived Work-Life Balance. International Journal of Stress Management, 26: 173–83.
  20. Frandell, A., Feeney, M.K., Johnson, T.P., Welch, E.W., Michalegko, L. and Jung, H. (2021). The effects of electronic alert letters for internet surveys of academic scientists, Scientometrics, 126: 7167–7181.
  21. Gaiaschi C., Musumeci R. (2020). “Just a Matter of Time? Women’s Career Advancement in Neo-Liberal Academia. An Analysis of Recruitment Trends in Italian Universities”. Social Sciences, 9(163): 1-19.
  22. Gaiaschi C. (2021a). Università e cultura dell’eccellenza: più meritocratica per chi? Aporie di genere nell’accademia italiana. (University and culture of exellence: more meritocratic for whom? Gender aporias in the Italian academy). Etnografia e ricerca Qualitativa, 2: 348-371. DOI: 10.3240/10157
  23. Gaiaschi C. (2021b) The academic profession in neoliberal times: A gendered view. Professions and Professionalism, 11(1): 1-22.
  24. Grünenfelder J. (2014). Balancing work life and home life: The “overwork” challenge and its implications for academic gender equality practice. Paper presented at the 8th European Conference on Gender Equality in Higher Education (3-5 September, Wien).
  25. Guidetti G., Viotti S., and Converso D. (2020). The interplay between work engagement, workaholism, emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction in academics: A person‐centred approach to the study of occupational wellbeing and its relations with job hindrances and job challenges in an Italian university. Higher Education Quarterly, 74(3): 224-239.
  26. Hamermesh, Daniel S., and Joel Slemrod. 2005. “The Economics of Workaholism: We Should Not Have Worked on This Paper.” Working Paper. Working Paper Series. National Bureau of Economic Research.
  27. Hamilton J. E. (2019). Cash or Kudos: Addressing the Effort-Reward Imbalance for Academic Employees. International Journal of Stress Management, 26: 193–203.
  28. Heijstra T. M., Steinthorsdóttir F., S. and Einarsdóttir T. (2017). Academic Career Making and the Double-Edged Role of Academic Housework. Gender and Education, 29 (6): 764–80. DOI: 10.1080/09540253.2016.1171825
  29. Hirschman E. C. (1992). The Consciousness of Addiction: Toward a General Theory of Compulsive Consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 19(2): 155. DOI: 10.1086/209294
  30. Lyness K. S., Gornick, J. C., Stone, P., and Grotto, A. R. (2012). It’s All about Control: Worker Control over Schedule and Hours in Cross-National Context. American Sociological Review, 77 (6): 1023–1049. DOI: 10.1177/0003122412465331
  31. Matuska K. M. (2010). Workaholism, Life Balance, and Well‐being: A Comparative Analysis. Journal of Occupational Science, 17 (2): 104–11. DOI: 10.1080/14427591.2010.968668
  32. Mazzetti G., Schaufeli W. B., and Guglielmi D. (2014). Are Workaholics Born or Made? Relations of Workaholism with Person Characteristics and Overwork Climate. International Journal of Stress Management, 21 (3): 227–54.
  33. McAuliffe W. E., Gordon R. A. (1980). Reinforcement and the combination of effects: Summary of a theory of opiate addiction. In Lettieri, D. J., Sayers, M. and Wallenstein-Pearson, H. (eds.), Theories on drug abuse: Selected contemporary perspectives (DHHS Publication No. ADM 84-967), Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
  34. Minello A. (2021). The double-lock. Academic women’s motherhood and career paths, Cambio. Rivista sulle trasformazioni sociali, OpenLab on Covid-19.
  35. Minello A., Russo, C. (2021). Dentro Lo Schema. Accademiche Italiane Tra Ricerca e Didattica. Sociologia del lavoro, 160 (August): 88–109. DOI: 10.3280/SL2021-160005
  36. Musumeci R., Anzivino M. and Pisu D. (2023). Aprire la «porta di cristallo»: le difficoltà di accesso alla carriera accademica. In: Naldini, M. and Poggio, B (eds) Genere e Accademia. Carriere, culture e politiche in Italia, Bologna, il Mulino: 125-150.
  37. Naldini M. and Poggio, B (2023). Genere e Accademia. Carriere, culture e politiche in Italia, Bologna, il Mulino.
  38. Naldini, M., Santero, A. and Tuselli, A. (2023). Tempi di vita in accademia: vita privata, familiare e lavorativa tra interferenze e conciliazione. In Naldini, M. and Poggio, B (eds): Genere e Accademia. Carriere, culture e politiche in Italia, Bologna: il Mulino: 177-200.
  39. Ng W. H., Kelly L. Sorensen K. L., and Feldman D. C. (2007). Dimensions, Antecedents, and Consequences of Workaholism: A Conceptual Integration and Extension. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 28(1): 111–36.
  40. Oates W. E. (1968). On being a ‘workaholic’ (A serious jest). Pastoral Psychology, 19: 16–20. DOI: 10.1007/BF0178547
  41. Oates W. (1971). Confessions of a Workaholic: The Facts about Work Addiction. New York: World Publishing Co.
  42. Reddick, Richard J, Aaron B Rochlen, Joseph R Grasso, Erin D Reilly, and Daniel D Spikes. (2012). Academic Fathers Pursuing Tenure: A Qualitative Study of Work-Family Conflict, Coping Strategies, and Departmental Culture. Psychology of Men & Masculinity Vol. 13 (No. 1): 1–15.
  43. Robinson B. E., and Post, P. (1995). Work addiction as a function of family of origin and its influence on current family functioning. The Family Journal, 3: 200–206. DOI: 10.1177/1066480795033003
  44. Ruppanner L., Huffmann M. L. (2014). Blurred Boundaries: Gender and Work–Family Interference in Cross-National Context. Work and Occupations, 41 (2): 210-236. DOI: 10.1177/0730888413500679
  45. Santero A., Bertolini S. and Piga M.C. (2023) Avanzamenti di carriera e soffitto di cristallo. In Naldini, M. and Poggio, B (eds), Genere e Accademia. Carriere, culture e politiche in Italia, Bologna: il Mulino: 151-176.
  46. Sallee M. W. (2012). The Ideal Worker or the Ideal Father: Organizational Structures and Culture in the Gendered University. Research in Higher Education, 53 (7): 782–802.
  47. Schaufeli W., B., Bakker A., B., van der Heijden, F., and Prins, J. T. (2009). Workaholism among Medical Residents: It Is the Combination of Working Excessively and Compulsively That Counts. International Journal of Stress Management, 16: 249–72.
  48. Seybold K. C., and Salomone P. R. (1994). Understanding workaholism: A review of causes and counseling approaches. Journal of Counseling and Development, 73: 4–9.
  49. Shin J. C., Jung, J. (2014). Academics job satisfaction and job stress across countries in the changing academic environments. Higher Education, 67(5): 603–620.
  50. Skinner, B. F. (1975). Beyond freedom and dignity. New York: Bantam.
  51. Smith A., L. (2011). Gender and Workaholism: A Study of New Zealand Academics. Thesis submitted to Victoria University of Wellington
  52. Spence J. T., Robbins A. S. (1992). Workaholism: Definition, measurement, and preliminary results. Journal of Personality Assessment, 58:160-178.
  53. Suitor J.J., Mecom, D. and Feld, I. S. (2001). Gender, Household Labor, and Scholarly Productivity among University Professors. Gender Issues, 19(4):50–67.
  54. Taylor Y., Lahad, K. (2018). Feeling academic in the neoliberal university: Feminist flights, fights, and failures. Springer International Publishing.
  55. Taris T. W., van Beek, I. and Schaufeli, W. B. (2012). Demographic and occupational correlates of workaholism. Psychological Reports, 110: 547–554. DOI: 10.2466/03.09.17.PR0.110.2.547-55
  56. Thombs D. L. (1994). Introduction to addictive behaviors. New York: The Guilford Press.
  57. Torp, S, L Lysfjord, and HH Midje. 2017. “Does the Work Environment Force University Academics into Workaholism and Work-Family Conflict?: Steffen Torp.” European Journal of Public Health 27 (suppl_3): ckx187.090.
  58. Torp S., Lysfjord L., and Midje H. H. (2018). Workaholism and work–family conflict among university academics. Higher Education, 76(6): 1071–1090.
  59. Tusting K., McCulloch S., Bhatt I., Hamilton M., and Barton D. (2019). Academics writing: The dynamics of knowledge creation. Routledge.
  60. Williams J. C. (2005). The glass ceiling and the maternal wall in academia. New directions for higher education, 130: 91-105.
  61. Whitley R., Gläser J. (2014). The Impact of Institutional Reforms on the Nature of Universities as Organisations. In Organizational Transformation and Scientific Change: The Impact of Institutional Restructuring on Universities and Intellectual Innovation. Research in the Sociology of Organizations. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. 42:19–49

Giulia Tattarini, Renzo Carriero, Cristina Solera, You have to work more than men to succeed! Gender differences in workaholism among Italian academics in "SOCIOLOGIA DEL LAVORO " 168/2024, pp 28-49, DOI: 10.3280/SL2024-168002