Deciphering the paradox: the role of organizational identification in workaholism versus burnout

This study explores the complex relationship between organizational identification, workaholism, and burnout. Organizational identification, denoting individuals' psychological connection to their workplace, significantly influences their work-related attitudes and behaviors. While it often correlates with workaholic tendencies characterized by excessive work engagement, it does not directly cause burnout - a state of emotional exhaustion due to chronic work-related stress. Utilizing a qualitative grounded theory approach, we conducted a comprehensive literature review using Scopus, analyzing 141 articles to identify the antecedents of workaholism, burnout, and organizational identification. Our findings reveal that organizationrelated factors, such as job demands, social support, job autonomy, and organizational culture, significantly impact both organizational identification and burnout. Conversely, workaholism is primarily driven by personal factors like perfectionism, low self-esteem, and family background. These insights suggest that fostering positive organizational factors can enhance organizational identification and mitigate burnout, while addressing personal factors is crucial in managing workaholism. This research contributes to the economic understanding by highlighting the role of organizational culture and job design in employee well-being, which can impact productivity and organizational performance. The study underscores the importance of developing interventions that balance organizational identification with healthy work habits to promote a resilient and productive workforce. Future research should focus on empirical tests to better understand the influence of organizational and personal factors on these constructs, paving the way for more effective strategies to foster employee well-being.