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When anything less than perfect isn’t good enough: How parental and supervisor perfectionistic expectations determine fear of failure and employee creativity

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  • Lin, Shen-Yang
  • Hirst, Giles
  • Wu, Chia-Huei
  • Lee, Cynthia
  • Wu, Wen
  • Chang, Chia-Chi

Abstract

In the quest to get the best from those for whom they are responsible, some parents and managers seek or demand perfection. But do such expectations benefit the targets, in terms of their capacity for creativity? The present research examines how perfectionistic parental and supervisor expectations influence employees’ fear of failure and creativity; in particular, the authors propose that perfectionistic parental expectations promote a fear of failure, which undermines employee creativity later in life. In line with social cognitive theory, when perfectionistic supervisor expectations repeat and reinforce these early life experiences, the negative mechanism may be strengthened. Tests of the hypotheses rely on two time-lagged field studies in different cultures (214 U.S. employees, 276 supervisor–employee–parent triads from a Chinese organization) and show that the indirect effect of parents’ perfectionistic expectations on creativity, through fear of failure, is stronger when perfectionistic supervisor expectations are high. This study thus offers unique insights into how familial and work experiences can jointly affect a person’s fear of failure and further creativity at work.

Suggested Citation

  • Lin, Shen-Yang & Hirst, Giles & Wu, Chia-Huei & Lee, Cynthia & Wu, Wen & Chang, Chia-Chi, 2023. "When anything less than perfect isn’t good enough: How parental and supervisor perfectionistic expectations determine fear of failure and employee creativity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:154:y:2023:i:c:s0148296322008062
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113341
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wu, Chia-Huei & Liu, Jun & Kwong Kwan, Ho & Lee, Cynthia, 2016. "Why and when workplace ostracism inhibits organizational citizenship behaviors: an organizational identification perspective," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 64006, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Giles Hirst & Fred Walumbwa & Samuel Aryee & Ivan Butarbutar & Chin Jeffery Hui Chen, 2016. "A Multi-level Investigation of Authentic Leadership as an Antecedent of Helping Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 139(3), pages 485-499, December.
    3. Bandura, Albert, 1991. "Social cognitive theory of self-regulation," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 248-287, December.
    4. repec:cup:judgdm:v:5:y:2010:i:5:p:411-419 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Huang, Lei & Krasikova, Dina V. & Liu, Dong, 2016. "I can do it, so can you: The role of leader creative self-efficacy in facilitating follower creativity," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 49-62.
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