Examining the Relations between Job Stressors and Workaholism among School Teachers

Abstract

[Purpose]

This study examines the relations between job stressors and workaholism among Japanese elementary, junior high, and high school teachers.

[Methods]

For the purpose of this study, 78 elementary, junior-high, and high school teachers (male 24, female 53, gender unknown 1; average age 45.0, SD=8.4) answered the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire and the shorter Japanese version of the Dutch Work Addiction Scale in August 2014.

[Results]

A one-way ANOVA revealed that there was a significant difference in the mean values of psychological qualitative workloads for elementary and high school teachers. Significant differences also existed in the mean values of the element “working compulsively” (WC); the value was different for elementary and high school teachers as well as junior-high school and high school teachers. Correlation analyses also revealed that element “working excessively” (WE) was strongly and positively correlated to psychological quantitative workloads and moderately and positively correlated to psychological qualitative workloads among elementary school teachers. On the contrary, WC was moderately and positively correlated to psychological quantitative workloads and weakly and positively correlated to psychological qualitative workloads and low job control among elementary school teachers. WE was found to be moderately and positively correlated to psychological quantitative workloads among junior-high school teachers. WE was moderately and positively correlated to interpersonal conflicts among high school teachers.

[Discussion]

This study suggests that the associations between job stressors and workaholism vary depending on the school level—elementary, junior high, or high school. Further research is required to confirm this suggestion, and it is important for studies to use larger samples in order to examine the associations between job stressors and workaholism.