Abstract
This study examines the impacts of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism on the perceived task performance of employees and explores the moderating role of perceived organizational support (POS) in those relationships. By integrating the trait activation theory and the job demand-resources model (JD-R), we investigate whether POS as an organizational resource facilitates or constrains the effects of perfectionism traits on task performance. The data were gathered from 347 white-collar, full-time employees working in different sectors in Türkiye. The results of the moderated regression reveal only a significant interaction effect of POS with maladaptive perfectionism on task performance. In line with our predictions, when employees perceive higher levels of POS, the negative association between maladaptive perfectionism and task performance diminishes. However, the results did not support the interactive effects of adaptive perfectionism and POS on performance. The current study adds to a growing body of perfectionism literature and provides further support that POS plays a crucial role in mitigating the negative consequences of maladaptive perfectionism on employee task performance.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
The data sets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
References
Aksoy, E., & Bayazit, M. (2022). Trait activation in commitment to difficult goals: The role of achievement striving and situational cues. Applied Psychology, 71(4), 1465–1492. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12368
Aycan, Z., Kanungo, R., Mendonca, M., Yu, K., Deller, J., Stahl, G., & Kurshid, A. (2000). Impact of culture on human resource management practices: A 10-country comparison. Applied Psychology, 49(1), 192–221. https://doi.org/10.1111/1464-0597.00010
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2017). Job demands–resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(3), 273–287. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000056
Barbier, M., Hansez, I., Chmiel, N., & Demerouti, E. (2013). Performance expectations, personal resources, and job resources: How do they predict work engagement? European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 22, 750–762. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2012.704675
Blickle, G., Schütte, N., & Genau, H. A. (2018). Manager psychopathy, trait activation, and job performance: A multi-source study. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 27(4), 450–461. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2012.704675
Borman, W. C., & Motowidlo, S. J. (1997). Task performance and contextual performance: The meaning for personnel selection research. Human Performance, 10(2), 99–109. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327043hup1002_3
Burgess, A. M., Frost, R. O., & DiBartolo, P. M. (2016). Development and validation of the frost multidimensional perfectionism scale–brief. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 34(7), 620–633. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282916651359
Cao, C., & Zhang, J. (2022). Chinese University Faculty’s Occupational Well-Being: Applying and extending the job demands–resources Model. Journal of Career Development, 49(6), 1283–1300. https://doi.org/10.1177/08948453211037005
Chang, H. T., Chou, Y. J., Liou, J. W., & Tu, Y. T. (2016). The effects of perfectionism on innovative behavior and job burnout: Team workplace friendship as a moderator. Personality and Individual Differences, 96, 260–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.02.088
Chester, D. S., Merwin, L. M., & DeWall, C. N. (2015). Maladaptive perfectionism’s link to aggression and self-harm: Emotion regulation as a mechanism. Aggressive Behavior, 41(5), 443–454. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21578
Childs, J. H., & Stoeber, J. (2012). Do you want me to be perfect? Two longitudinal studies on socially prescribed perfectionism, stress and burnout in the workplace. Work & Stress, 26(4), 347–364.
Chufar, B. M., & Pettijohn, I. I., T. F (2013). Meeting high standards: The effect of perfectionism on task performance, self-esteem, and self-efficacy in college students. Psychological Behavioural Sciences, 2, 117–123. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20130203.16
Coleman, G., Furnham, A., & Treglown, L. (2022). Exploring the dark side of conscientiousness. The relationship between conscientiousness and its potential derailers: Perfectionism and narcissism. Current Psychology, 1–14.
Debusscher, J., Hofmans, J., & De Fruyt, F. (2016). The effect of state core self-evaluations on task performance, organizational citizenship behavior, and counterproductive work behavior. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 25(2), 301–315. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2015.1063486
Deelstra, J. T. (2003). The Downside of Social Support: About the Negative Effects of Receiving Social Support at Work. Unpublished thesis, Utrecht University (NL).
Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The job demands-resources model of burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 499–512. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.499
Dunkley, D. M., Blankstein, K. R., Halsall, J., Williams, M., & Winkworth, G. (2000). The relation between perfectionism and distress: Hassles, coping, and perceived social support as mediators and moderators. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 47(4), 437–453. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.47.4.437
Eisenberger, R., Huntington, R., Hutchison, S., & Sowa, D. (1986). Perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(3), 500. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.71.3.500
Frost, R. O., Marten, P., Lahart, C., & Rosenblate, R. (1990). The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14, 449–468.
Giray, M. D., & Sahin, D. N. (2012). Algilanan örgütsel, yönetici ve çalisma arkadaslari destegi ölçekleri: geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalismasi. Turk Psikoloji Yazilari, 15(30), 1–9.
Han, C., Li, F., Lian, B., Vencúrik, T., & Liang, W. (2022). Relationships between Perfectionism, Extra Training and academic performance in Chinese Collegiate athletes: Mediating role of achievement motivation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17), 10764. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710764
Harari, D., Swider, B. W., Steed, L. B., & Breidenthal, A. P. (2018). Is perfect good? A meta-analysis of perfectionism in the workplace. Journal of Applied Psychology, 103(10), 1121–1144.
Hayes, A. F. (2018). Partial, conditional, and moderated mediation: Quantification, inference, and interpretation. Communication Monographs, 85(1), 4–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2017.1352100
Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1991). Dimensions of perfectionism in unipolar depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 98–101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.100.1.98
Hochwarter, W. A., Witt, L. A., Treadway, D. C., & Ferris, G. R. (2006). The interaction of social skill and organizational support on job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(2), 482–489. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.91.2.482
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s recent consequences: Using dimension scores in theory and research. International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management, 1(1), 11–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/147059580111002
Hrabluik, C., Latham, G. P., & McCarthy, J. M. (2012). Does goal setting have a dark side? The relationship between perfectionism and maximum versus typical employee performance. International Public Management Journal, 15(1), 5–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/10967494.2012.684010
Judge, T. A., & Zapata, C. P. (2015). The person–situation debate revisited: Effect of situation strength and trait activation on the validity of the big five personality traits in predicting job performance. Academy of Management Journal, 58(4), 1149–1179. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.0837
Kaçar-Başaran, S., Gökdağ, C., Erdoğan-Yıldırım, Z., & Yorulmaz, O. (2022). A different view to perfectionism: An investigation of the psychometric properties of the big three perfectionism scale in a Turkish community sample. Current Psychology, 41(9), 6511–6521. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-01131-2
Kamdar, D., & Van Dyne, L. (2007). The joint effects of personality and workplace social exchange relationships in predicting task performance and citizenship performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(5), 1286–1298. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.5.1286
Kumar, N., Liu, Z., & Jin, Y. (2022). Evaluation of employee empowerment on taking charge behavior: An application of perceived organizational support as a moderator. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 1055–1066. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S355326
Lo, A., & Abbott, M. J. (2013). Review of the theoretical, empirical, and clinical status of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism. Behavior Change, 30(2), 96–116.
Mateus, C., Campis, R., Aguaded, I., Parody, A., & Ruiz, F. (2021). Analysis of personality traits and academic performance in higher education at a Colombian university. Heliyon, 7(5), e06998. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06998
Nathan, B. R., & Alexander, R. A. (1988). A comparison of criteria for test validation: A meta-analytic investigation. Personnel Psychology, 41(3), 517–535.
Ocampo, A. C. G., Wang, L., Kiazad, K., Restubog, S. L. D., & Ashkanasy, N. M. (2020). The relentless pursuit of perfectionism: A review of perfectionism in the workplace and an agenda for future research. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 41(2), 144–168. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2400
Ozbilir, T., Day, A., & Catano, V. M. (2015). Perfectionism at work: An investigation of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in the workplace among Canadian and Turkish employees. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 64, 252–280. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12032
Pagda, Z., Bayraktar, S., & Jimenez, A. (2021). Exploring culture and leadership after 23 years: A replication of GLOBE project in Turkey. Journal of International Management, 27(1), 100822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2021.100822
Philip, J. (2023). A multi-study approach to examine the interplay of proactive personality and political skill in job crafting. Journal of Management & Organization, 29(2), 207–226. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2021.1
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879
Rhoades, L., & Eisenberger, R. (2002). Perceived organizational support: A review of the literature. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4), 698–714. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.4.698
Rice, K. G., Ashby, J. S., & Slaney, R. B. (2007). Perfectionism and the five-factor model of personality. Assessment, 14(4), 385–398. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191107303217
Ruggeri, A. (2018). The dangerous downsides of perfectionism. BBC.
Schmitt, M. C., Prestele, E., & Reis, D. (2021). Perfectionistic cognitions as antecedents of Work Engagement: Personal resources, Personal demands, or both? Collabra: Psychology, 7(1), 25912.
Sears, G. J., & Han, Y. (2021). Do employee responses to organizational support depend on their personality? The joint moderating role of conscientiousness and emotional stability. Employee Relations, 43(5), 1130–1146. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-06-2020-0267
Stoeber, J., & Damian, L. E. (2016). Perfectionism in employees: Work engagement, workaholism, and burnout. In F. M. Sirois, & D. S. Molnar (Eds.), Perfectionism, health, and well-being (pp. 265–283). Springer.
Stoeber, J., Chesterman, D., & Tarn, T. A. (2010). Perfectionism and task performance: Time on task mediates the perfectionistic strivings–performance relationship. Personality and Individual Differences, 48(4), 458–462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.11.021
Tett, R. P., & Burnett, D. D. (2003). A personality trait-based interactionist model of job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(3), 500–517. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.3.500
Tett, R. P., Toich, M. J., & Ozkum, S. B. (2021). Trait activation theory: A review of the literature and applications to five lines of personality dynamics research. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 8, 199–233. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012420-062228
Tomczak, M. T., & Kulikowski, K. (2023). Toward an understanding of occupational burnout among employees with autism–the job demands-resources theory perspective. Current Psychology, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04428-0
Tziner, A., & Tanami, M. (2013). Examining the links between attachment, perfectionism, and job motivation potential with job engagement and workaholism. Revista De Psicología Del Trabajo Y De las Organizaciones, 29(2), 65–74. https://doi.org/10.5093/tr2013a10
van Zyl, L. E., Van Vuuren, H. A., Roll, L. C., & Stander, M. W. (2022). Person-environment fit and task performance: Exploring the role (s) of grit as a personal resource. Current Psychology, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03461-9
Williams, L. J., & Anderson, S. E. (1991). Job satisfaction and organizational commitment as predictors of organizational citizenship and in-role behaviors. Journal of Management, 17(3), 601–617.
Xanthopoulou, D., Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2007). The role of personal resources in the job demands-resources model. International Journal of Stress Management, 14(2), 121–141. https://doi.org/10.1037/1072-5245.14.2.121
Xanthopoulou, D., Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2009). Reciprocal relationships between job resources, personal resources, and work engagement. Journal of Vocational behavior, 74(3), 235–244.
Zeijen, M. E., Brenninkmeijer, V., Peeters, M. C., & Mastenbroek, N. J. (2021). Exploring the role of personal demands in the health-impairment process of the job demands-resources model: A study among master students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 632. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020632
Zhang, Y., Wang, F., Cui, G., Qu, J., & Cheng, Y. (2022). When and why proactive employees get promoted: A trait activation perspective. Current Psychology, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-04142-3
Zhou, X., Zhu, H., Zhang, B., & Cai, T. (2013). Perceived social support as moderator of perfectionism, depression, and anxiety in college students. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 41(7), 1141–1152. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2013.41.7.1141
Acknowledgements
This paper is derived from the first author’s unpublished master’s thesis conducted at Hacettepe University under the direction of the second author.
Funding
This research was not supported by any external funding.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical standards
All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The questionnaire and methodology for this study were approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of Hacettepe University (Ethics approval number: E35853172-300-00001430818).
Informed consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Gunyakti Akdeniz, H., Bayhan Karapinar, P., Metin Camgoz, S. et al. Seeking the balance in perceived task performance: the interaction of perfectionism and perceived organizational support. Curr Psychol 43, 14712–14724 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05473-5
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05473-5