Work intensity, work hours, satisfactions, and psychological well‐being among Egyptian managers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship of measures of work intensity and work hours on potential antecedents and work and well‐being consequences. Design/methodology/approach – Data are collected from 242 male and female managers and professionals working in a variety of organizations in Egypt using anonymously completed questionnaires, with a 48 percent response rate. Findings – Work intensity is significantly correlated with work hours, but weakly. Work hours and work intensity share only one common personal demographic and work situation predictor (level of education) but it has opposite relationships with the work hours and work intensity measures. Work hours and work intensity also share one common stable personality predictor, non‐required work, and a workaholic job behavior. This measure however likely reflectes the requirements of managerial jobs more than the addictive and negative aspects of workaholism. Work intensity is more strongly and consistently related to both work and well‐being outcomes. Interestingly, work intensity is positively related to work outcomes and negatively related to indicators of psychological well‐being. Research limitations/implications – The sample is likely non‐representative of Egyptian managers and data are collected at one point in time making it difficult to determine causality. Practical implications – The results suggest that work intensity may be more important than work hours as factors in employee work experiences. Originality/value – The paper fills a gap in understanding of human resource management practices and experiences in Egypt.