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Do you want me to be perfect? Two longitudinal studies on socially prescribed perfectionism, stress and burnout in the workplace

Childs, Julian H., Stoeber, Joachim (2012) Do you want me to be perfect? Two longitudinal studies on socially prescribed perfectionism, stress and burnout in the workplace. Work and Stress, 26 (4). pp. 347-364. ISSN 0267-8373. (doi:10.1080/02678373.2012.737547) (KAR id:30559)

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Abstract

Stress and burnout in the workplace have a negative impact on organizations and customers and are estimated to cost the economy billions every year. To help identify employees at high risk, it is important to know what individual differences contribute to stress and burnout. Two longitudinal studies were conducted to examine whether individual differences in socially prescribed perfectionism (individuals’ perceptions that others impose perfectionistic standards onto them) contribute to employees’ role stress and predict increases in burnout symptoms (exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy). Study 1 investigated 69 employees working in healthcare service provision over a 6-month interval, and Study 2 investigated 195 school teachers over a 3-month interval. In both studies, socially prescribed perfectionism predicted longitudinal increases in role stress and inefficacy. Moreover, in Study 2, socially prescribed perfectionism also predicted longitudinal increases in exhaustion and cynicism. The findings indicate that individual differences in socially prescribed perfectionism may be a contributing factor to stress and burnout in the workplace.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1080/02678373.2012.737547
Uncontrolled keywords: perfectionism; stress; burnout; employees; teachers; longitudinal
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research > Centre for Health Services Studies
Depositing User: Joachim Stoeber
Date Deposited: 20 Sep 2012 18:42 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:08 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/30559 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Childs, Julian H..

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Stoeber, Joachim.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6439-9917
CReDIT Contributor Roles:
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