Does perfect pay off? A mixed methods approach to understanding the relationship between perfectionism and task performance

Prior research examining the effect of perfectionism on task performance has yielded mixed findings, possibly due to the complex nature of this personality trait and how it shapes employees’ performance. This dissertation research employed a mixed methods approach to investigate how perfectionism influences employees’ performance. In Study 1, semi-structured interviews with working perfectionists (n = 22) revealed five themes about how perfectionism was perceived to support and hinder performance. These themes informed the design of Study 2, which investigated a moderated-mediation model of perfectionism, regulatory foci (mediators), challenge-hindrance stressors (moderators), and self-rated task performance. Using a diverse sample of workers (n = 451), findings suggested that perfectionistic strivings positively affected task performance, whereas perfectionistic concerns had a negative effect. Promotion focus mediated the relationship between perfectionistic strivings and task performance; however, no hypothesized moderated mediations were supported. Study 3 aimed to replicate the effects of perfectionism dimensions on supervisor-rated task performance and identify mechanisms in these relationships by integrating stress appraisal theory. Findings were constrained by a small sample size of supervisor-subordinate dyads (n = 100) at a Canadian university and perfectionism dimensions did not significantly predict supervisor-rated performance. Across these studies, the effect of perfectionism on performance was demonstrated to differ depending on how performance is assessed. Overall, this research provided novel insight into how employees’ perfectionism impacts their task performance. ; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada