Purpose Based on the tenets of self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 2000), the current study examines workaholism from a diverging lens. We hypothesized a parallel mediation model in which psychological meaningfulness and three needs (need for autonomy, need for competence, and need for relatedness) mediate the relationship of workaholism on employees' job performance and eustress. Design/methodology/approach We collected two-sourced, multi-wave, temporally separated data (n = 305) from the service sector of Islamabad, Pakistan. Findings Our study's results indicate that workaholism can be instrumental in creating higher job performance and eustress through the activation of psychological meaningfulness and the fulfillment of the three needs. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on workaholism by unraveling the unique mechanisms through which workaholism can be constructive. Our research disentangles the underlying motivations and pathways, elucidating how working hard can lead to adaptive outcomes.
Naseer et al. (2026) studied this question.