Pros and Cons of Work Passion: Work-Family Conflict and Insomnia in Academics During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Academic employment has shifted from focusing primarily on teaching and research to including broader institutional responsibilities. This expansion of roles has impacted academics’ overall well-being, with additional challenges arising from the integration of new technologies. In demanding professional contexts like academia, work passion, intended as an enduring love for a meaningful activity, plays a critical role in shaping motivation, well-being, and work-life balance. This study is grounded in the dualistic model of passion, which distinguishes between two different facets: harmonious passion, internalized and aligned with personal goals, and obsessive passion, driven by compulsive, external factors. This research involved 1,119 Italian academics across 11 universities during the COVID-19 lockdown, investigating the interplay between the two facets of work passion—harmonious and obsessive—and work-family conflict and insomnia, through a multigroup structural equation model. Results revealed that harmonious passion was associated with reduced work-family conflict and insomnia, while the opposite was true for obsessive passion. Moreover, work-family conflict mediated the relationship between passion and insomnia. Notably, female academics reported higher levels of work-family conflict and insomnia compared to their male counterparts. These findings underscored the protective role of harmonious passion in fostering work-family balance and mitigating sleep-related issues, contrasting with the potential adverse outcomes associated with obsessive passion. The implications suggest the need for governmental and organizational efforts to address factors contributing to obsessive behaviors in academia. Moreover, creating a supportive environment that facilitates the positive integration of work passion with other life domains is crucial.