Employee perfectionism and its impact on mental health and well-being: Evidence from Hungary
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DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ppm.24(1).2026.41
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Article InfoVolume 24 2026, Issue #1, pp. 620-631
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Type of the article: Research Article
Abstract
This study examines how two forms of perfectionism – self-doubt-driven and purpose-driven – affect employees’ mental health and well-being. Our study distinguishes between maladaptive and adaptive perfectionism and examines their relationships with burnout and job satisfaction. A quantitative online survey was conducted in Hungary with 478 participants (67% women, with a mean age of 29) via social media. The survey covered the staff of both Hungarian and foreign-owned companies, which were of different sizes. Participants were employed adults selected to obtain a varied sample across regions, education levels, and job positions. Data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, factor analysis, and K-means clustering in SPSS to evaluate three hypotheses regarding the relationships between perfectionism and gender, job role, company ownership, burnout, and life satisfaction. Results showed that self-doubt-driven perfectionism strongly correlated with a higher burnout rate, whereas purpose-driven perfectionism was linked to greater life satisfaction. Contrary to assumptions, demographic factors such as gender, role, or company ownership did not consistently predict perfectionism levels. Two main perfectionism patterns – demanding perfection and doubt-driven – were identified, each producing different psychological outcomes.
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JEL Classification (Paper profile tab)D23, M19, M54
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References42
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Tables7
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Figures0
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- Table 1. Structure of the questionnaire: Demographics, perfectionism, and burnout measures
- Table 2. Respondent characteristics by demographic and organizational factors (N = 478)
- Table 3. Comparison of the private aspects of perfectionism across demographic and organizational factors (t-test, ANOVA, p = 0.05)
- Table 4. Factor analysis results for perfectionism dimensions
- Table 5. Cluster analysis of perfectionism dimensions
- Table 6. The number of respondents in each cluster
- Table 7. Summary of hypothesis testing
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