Is your job the most important activity in your life? Does your work feature mood swings that range from excitement to sadness, to serenity? Do you feel compelled to gradually and progressively increase the amount of time spent on work activities? When you cannot work, do you entertain negative thoughts? Do you blame yourself for being unable to “switch off” from your job? If so, you have probably developed an addiction to work. Some personality and environmental characteristics contribute to work addiction, but organizational climates and novel technologies also play a role in developing and maintaining workaholism. This book provides an overview of this increasingly common addiction and provides guidance to both workers and organizations seeking to prevent and limit the phenomenon.

Cristian Balducci teaches Work and Organizational Psychology at the University of Bologna.

Paola Spagnoli teaches Work and Organizational Psychology at Luigi Vanvitelli University of Campania in Caserta.