Perfectionism and performance at work: The sequential mediating effects of mistake rumination and procrastination.

This article examines how two dimensions of multidimensional perfectionism—self-oriented perfectionism (SOP), involving personal standards for perfection, and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP), involving perceived external demands for perfection—relate to self-reported work performance through the mediating effects of mistake rumination and procrastination. Using survey data from 269 adults, path analysis revealed that both SOP and SPP positively predicted mistake rumination, which increased procrastination, subsequently leading to lower work performance. When controlling for these indirect effects, SOP was found to have a positive direct relationship with work performance, whereas SPP showed no direct effect. The study highlights cognitive perseveration (mistake rumination) and self-regulatory failure (procrastination) as key mechanisms explaining the complex relationship between perfectionism and workplace performance.