The relentless pursuit of perfectionism: A review of perfectionism in the workplace and an agenda for future research

Summary The pursuit of perfectionism resonates with many individuals across workplaces resulting in a recent flurry of research on the topic. Although extant research has examined the costs and benefits of perfectionism at work, these efforts are scattered across multiple disciplines and utilize var...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of organizational behavior 2020-02, Vol.41 (2), p.144-168
Main Authors: Ocampo, Anna Carmella G., Wang, Lu, Kiazad, Kohyar, Restubog, Simon Lloyd D., Ashkanasy, Neal M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
integrative review
Job performance
multilevel
Organizational behavior
Organizational change
Perfectionism
Understanding
work
Workplaces
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Summary:Summary The pursuit of perfectionism resonates with many individuals across workplaces resulting in a recent flurry of research on the topic. Although extant research has examined the costs and benefits of perfectionism at work, these efforts are scattered across multiple disciplines and utilize varying conceptualizations. As a result, we lack a coherent understanding of how perfectionism influences work behavior. To address this issue, we integrate the nascent but fragmented perfectionism at work literature, including both empirical findings and theoretical perspectives. We introduce and discuss a future research agenda that addresses not only the need to broaden understanding of perfectionism's antecedents, processes, and boundary conditions but also its multilevel applications and methodological limitations. Our review will enable organizational scholars to develop a deeper understanding of how perfectionism renders its influence in the workplace.
ISSN:0894-3796
1099-1379
DOI:10.1002/job.2400