A shortcut to success or a detour out of habit?

Sammanfattning: This paper explores the professional experiences of junior analysts at nine different investment banks in Stockholm to study the causes of overwork within the investment banking sector. Through the use of a qualitative research method where ten junior analysts were interviewed, we discover that implicit rules embedded in the environment of the investment banks inform the perception of overwork as a short-term sacrifice operating as an effective tool in achieving long-term professional and financial success. Employing the Bourdieusian concept of habitus to conceptualize the process of internalizing overwork as the norm, and drawing from Michel's (2014) use of embodied habitus to track established norms reenacted across different fields and contexts, we further identify the possibility of norms of overwork being imported into the investment banking sector. Moreover, the findings of this study suggest a re-framing of the influence of monetary rewards on the motivation to overwork as we find that they mainly function as a validator of the overwork performed, rather than an incentive.