From workaholism to work performance through burnout and self-undermining

Workaholism is a widely spread phenomenon that affects the lives and work performance of thousands of employees. Based on the Job Demands-Resources and Conservation of Resources theories, this study aimed to analyze the serial mediation effect of burnout and self-undermining behaviors on the relationship between workaholism and work performance. We collected data from 175 employees who worked in different areas and tested a serial mediation model. Our results suggest that there is no direct relationship between workaholism and performance, but this relation is fully mediated. Burnout and self-undermining mediated this relationship separately as well as serially. These results show that employees need effective ways of dealing with and preventing workaholism before it can lead to burnout or self-undermining and affect their well-being and their performance at work.