Employees who are driven by an intense inner pressure to work may be more likely to disengage from their moral values, increasing the risk of ethical silence in the workplace, a new study suggests.
Researchers from Aston University, in Birmingham, England, and Germany’s University of Leipzig found that workaholism can lead to moral disengagement, making employees less likely to challenge unethical behaviour.
The study, published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior, examined workplace behaviour among employees in the UK and Italy. The findings suggest that workaholism interferes with moral self-regulation, reducing employees’ willingness to speak up about ethical concerns.
Drawing on psychologist Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory of morality, which connects moral behaviour with personal standards and social norms, the researchers identified moral disengagement as a key factor. Workaholics, focused on task completion and personal achievement, were more likely to justify staying silent when they encountered unethical practices.
The role of workplace culture
The study also found that organisational culture plays a crucial role in amplifying these effects. In workplaces where self-interest is prioritised over collective values, workaholics were even more likely to disengage morally, further diminishing their likelihood of addressing ethical concerns.
Professor Roberta Fida of Aston University, who co-led the research, cautioned against viewing workaholism as mere dedication. “We often think of workaholism as a personal struggle or even a badge of dedication, but our research shows it has far-reaching consequences,” she said.
“Workaholics, focused intensely on task completion and personal achievement, tend to disengage from their moral standards.”
Professor Fida added that workaholics then tended “to rationalise silence in the face of unethical practices, which can preserve behaviours and practices that are potentially damaging to organisations and society at large”.
She said the study’s findings showed a “critical need for organisations to rethink their workplace cultures, particularly in sectors where bottom-line mentalities dominate. When workaholism and a self-interested culture converge, the result isn’t just burnout; it’s a systemic erosion of ethical standards”.
Rethinking workplace priorities
Dr Michael Knoll of the University of Leipzig stressed that excessive working should not be mistaken for commitment.
“Workaholics justify withholding their voice by convincing themselves that their silence is harmless or justified as they need to prioritise finishing their tasks,” he said.
“But by doing so, they fail to address pressing organisational issues such as safety risks, unethical leadership, or inefficiencies that affect their colleagues and stakeholders.”
Dr Knoll said that when organisations normalise silence and don’t pay attention to ethical issues, they risk harming their employees, stakeholders and people in wider society. “It’s not just about individual wellbeing — it’s about organisational sustainability,” he said.
He added that companies should “move beyond seeing long hours and over-dedication as signs of commitment. Instead, they should foster an organisational culture that rewards ethical behaviour, encourages moral voice and reduces pressures that lead to excessive working.”
