RESUMO
Existing evidence suggests that perfectionism is related to depressive symptoms, burnout, and clinical disorders and that socially prescribed, rather than self-oriented, perfectionism is the most maladaptive. Thus, social expectations of perfection can have detrimental effects on workers that may result in negative organizational outcomes. Using a sample of 176 Arizona attorneys, this two-wave longitudinal study examined whether psychosocial safety climate (PSC) may reduce perfectionist ideals and, in turn, improve employee well-being. Expectedly, PSC negatively influenced physical and psychological distress 2 months later directly and indirectly via socially prescribed perfectionism, suggesting that the beneficial impacts of positive PSCs may manifest over a relatively short period of time. Contrarily, self-oriented perfectionism was not related to PSC, suggesting a demand-resource mismatch, and positively related to physical symptoms only. These results suggest a more complex relationship between self-oriented perfectionism and employee well-being, perhaps depending on other variables.