The international work addiction scale (IWAS) : A screening tool for clinical and organizational applications validated in 85 cultures from six continents

Edyta Charzynska; Aleksandra Buzniak; Stanislaw K. Czerwinski; Natalia Woropay-Hordziejewicz; Zuzanna Schneider; Toivo Aavik; Mladen Adamowic; Byron G. Adams; Sami M. Al-Mahjoob; Saad A. S. Almoshawah; Stephen Asatsa; Stephanie Austin; Shahnaz Aziz; Arnold B. Bakker; Cristian Balducci; Eduardo Barros; Diana Boer; Avner Caspi; Trawin Chaleeraktrakoon; Connie I. M. Chan; Chung-Jen Chien; Hoon-Seok Choi; Rajneesh Choubisa; Marilyn Clark; Dorde Cekrlija; Zsolt Demetrovics; Eglantina Dervishi; Piyanjali de Zoysa; Alejandra del Carmen Dominguez Espinosa; Sonya Dragova-Koleva; Vasiliki Efstathiou; Maria Eugenia Fernandez; Claude Fernet; Hesham F. Gadelrab; Vladimer Gamsakhurdia; Ragna Benedikta Garoarsdottir; Luis Eduardo Garrido; Nicolas Gillet; Sonia P. Goncalves; Mark D. Griffiths; Naira Rafik Hakobyan; Fatimah Wati Halim; Michel Hansenne; Bashar Banwan Hasan; Mari Herttalampi; Clifford K. Hlatywayo; Ivana Hromatko; Eric Raymond Igou; Dzintra Ilisko; Ulker Isayeva; Hussein Nabil Ismail; Dorthe Hoj Jensen; Paul Kakupa; Shanmukh Kamble; Ahmed Kerriche; Bettina Kubicek; Nuworza Kugbey; Bernadette Kun; J. Hannah Lee; Elena Lisa; Yanina Lisun; Maria Laura Lupano Perugini; Francesco Marcatto; Biljana Maslovaric; Koorosh Massoudi; Tracy A. Mcfarlane; Samson John Mgaiwa; Seyyed Taha Moosavi Jahanabad; Rodrigo Moreta-Herrera; Hang Thi Minh Nguyen; Yohsuke Ohtsubo; Tugba Oezsoy; Kjell Ivar Overgard; Stale Pallesen; Jane Parker; Nejc Plohl; Halley M. Pontes; Rachael Potter; Alan Roe; Adil Samekin; Marion K. Schulmeyer; Telman Z. Seisembekov; Maria Jose Serrano-Fernandez; Ghada Shahrour; Jelena Sladojevic Matic; Rosita Sobhie; Paola Spagnoli; Joana Story; Mark J. M. Sullman; Liliya Sultanova; Ruimei Sun; Angela Oktavia Suryani; Steve Sussman; Mendiola Teng-Calleja; Julio Torales; Germano Vera Cruz; Anise M. S. Wu; Xue Yang; Katerina Zabrodska; Arunas Ziedelis

doi:10.1556/2006.2025.00005

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The international work addiction scale (IWAS) : A screening tool for clinical and organizational applications validated in 85 cultures from six continents

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The international work addiction scale (IWAS) : A screening tool for clinical and organizational applications validated in 85 cultures from six continents

Edyta Charzynska, Aleksandra Buzniak, Stanislaw K. Czerwinski, Natalia Woropay-Hordziejewicz, Zuzanna Schneider, Toivo Aavik, Mladen Adamowic, Byron G. Adams, Sami M. Al-Mahjoob, Saad A. S. Almoshawah, …

Journal of behavioral addictions, Vol.14(1), pp.220-245

28/03/2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2025.00005

Handle:

https://hdl.handle.net/10210/514872

PMID: 39998574

Abstract

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Science & Technology

Psychiatry

Background and aims: Despite the last decade's significant development in the scientific study of work addiction/workaholism, this area of research is still facing a fundamental challenge, namely the need for a valid and reliable measurement tool that shows cross-cultural invariance and, as such, allows for worldwide studies on this phenomenon. Methods: An initial 16-item questionnaire, developed within an addiction framework, was administered alongside job stress, job satisfaction, and self-esteem measures in a total sample of 31,352 employees from six continents and 85 cultures (63.5% females, mean age of 39.24 years). Results: Based on theoretical premises and psychometric testing, the International Work Addiction Scale (IWAS) was developed as a short measure representing essential features of work addiction. The seven-item version (IWAS-7), covering all seven components of work addiction, showed partial scalar invariance across 81 cultures, while the five-item version (IWAS-5) showed it across all 85 cultures. Higher levels of work addiction on both versions were associated with higher job stress, lower job satisfaction, and lower self-esteem across cultures. The optimal cut-offs for the IWAS-7 (24 points) and IWAS-5 (18 points) were established with an overall accuracy of 96% for both versions. Discussion and conclusions: The IWAS is a valid, reliable, and short screening scale that can be used in different cultures and languages, providing comparative and generalizable results. The scale can be used globally in clinical and organizational settings, with the IWAS-5 being recommended for most practical and clinical situations. This is the first study to provide data supporting the hypothesis that work addiction is a universal phenomenon worldwide.

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Title: The international work addiction scale (IWAS) : A screening tool for clinical and organizational applications validated in 85 cultures from six continents
Creators - without role: Edyta Charzynska - University of Silesia in Katowice
Aleksandra Buzniak - University of Gdańsk
Stanislaw K. Czerwinski - Univ Gdansk, Inst Psychol, Fac Social Sci, Gdansk, Poland
Natalia Woropay-Hordziejewicz - University of Gdańsk
Zuzanna Schneider - University of Silesia in Katowice
Toivo Aavik - University of Tartu
Mladen Adamowic - Supreme Council Of Health
Byron G. Adams - University of Amsterdam
Sami M. Al-Mahjoob - University of Bahrain
Saad A. S. Almoshawah - Saudi Aramco, Ctr Res & Dev, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Stephen Asatsa - Catholic University of Eastern Africa
Stephanie Austin - Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Shahnaz Aziz - East Carolina University
Arnold B. Bakker - Erasmus University Rotterdam
Cristian Balducci - University of Chieti-Pescara
Eduardo Barros - Adolfo Ibáñez University
Diana Boer - Koblenz University of Applied Sciences
Avner Caspi - Open University of Israel
Trawin Chaleeraktrakoon - Thammasat University
Connie I. M. Chan - University of Macau
Chung-Jen Chien - Yuan Ze University
Hoon-Seok Choi - Sungkyunkwan University
Rajneesh Choubisa - Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani
Marilyn Clark - University of Malta
Dorde Cekrlija - University of Banja Luka
Zsolt Demetrovics - Flinders University
Eglantina Dervishi - University of Tirana
Piyanjali de Zoysa - University of Colombo
Alejandra del Carmen Dominguez Espinosa - Ibero Amer Univ, Psychol Dept, Mexico City 01219, Mexico
Sonya Dragova-Koleva - New Bulgarian University
Vasiliki Efstathiou - National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Maria Eugenia Fernandez - Universidad Católica del Uruguay
Claude Fernet - Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Hesham F. Gadelrab - Kuwait University
Vladimer Gamsakhurdia - Tbilisi State University
Ragna Benedikta Garoarsdottir - University of Iceland
Luis Eduardo Garrido - Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra
Nicolas Gillet - Université de Tours
Sonia P. Goncalves - Instituto Superior de Educação e Ciências
Mark D. Griffiths - Nottingham Trent University
Naira Rafik Hakobyan - National Academy of Sciences of Armenia
Fatimah Wati Halim - National University of Malaysia
Michel Hansenne - University of Liège
Bashar Banwan Hasan - University of Wasit
Mari Herttalampi - University of Jyväskylä
Clifford K. Hlatywayo - University of Namibia
Ivana Hromatko - University of Zagreb
Eric Raymond Igou - University of Limerick
Dzintra Ilisko - Daugavpils University
Ulker Isayeva - Khazar University
Hussein Nabil Ismail - Lebanese American University
Dorthe Hoj Jensen
Paul Kakupa - University of Zambia
Shanmukh Kamble - Karnatak University
Ahmed Kerriche - University of Blida
Bettina Kubicek - University of Graz
Nuworza Kugbey - University of Environment and Sustainable Development
Bernadette Kun - Eötvös Loránd University
J. Hannah Lee - Indiana University Northwest
Elena Lisa - Comenius University Bratislava
Yanina Lisun - State University of Trade and Economics
Maria Laura Lupano Perugini
Francesco Marcatto - University of Trieste
Biljana Maslovaric - University of Montenegro
Koorosh Massoudi - University of Lausanne
Tracy A. Mcfarlane - University of the West Indies System
Samson John Mgaiwa
Seyyed Taha Moosavi Jahanabad
Rodrigo Moreta-Herrera
Hang Thi Minh Nguyen
Yohsuke Ohtsubo - The University of Tokyo
Tugba Oezsoy
Kjell Ivar Overgard
Stale Pallesen - University of Bergen
Jane Parker - Massey University
Nejc Plohl - University of Maribor
Halley M. Pontes - Birkbeck, University of London
Rachael Potter - University of South Australia
Alan Roe - University of Leeds
Adil Samekin
Marion K. Schulmeyer - Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Telman Z. Seisembekov
Maria Jose Serrano-Fernandez - Universidad Rovira i Virgili
Ghada Shahrour - Jordan University of Science and Technology
Jelena Sladojevic Matic - Singidunum University
Rosita Sobhie - Anton de Kom University of Suriname
Paola Spagnoli - University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli"
Joana Story
Mark J. M. Sullman - University of Nicosia
Liliya Sultanova - Tashkent State University of Economics
Ruimei Sun - University of Macau
Angela Oktavia Suryani - Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia
Steve Sussman - University of Southern California
Mendiola Teng-Calleja - Ateneo de Manila University
Julio Torales - Universidad Nacional de Asunción
Germano Vera Cruz
Anise M. S. Wu - University of Macau
Xue Yang - Chinese University of Hong Kong
Katerina Zabrodska - Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Psychology
Arunas Ziedelis - Vilnius University
Publication Details: Journal of behavioral addictions, Vol.14(1), pp.220-245
Publisher: Akademiai Kiado Zrt
Number of pages: 26
Grant note: FK134807 / Hungarian National Research, Development, and Innovation Office; National Research, Development & Innovation Office (NRDIO) - Hungary Bolyai Janos Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Hungarian Academy of Sciences 25RG-5A025 / Science Committee of the Republic of Armenia LX22NPO5101 / NPO "Systemic Risk Institute" - European Union-Next Generation EU (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, NPO: EXCELES) 2020/39/D/HS6/00198 / National Science Centre, Poland
Identifiers: 9954304907691
Publication Details: 2062-5871
Academic Unit: University of Johannesburg
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article