Leader–employee perfectionism (in)congruence and role clarity: a role theory approach to employee workplace well-being

Purpose Integrating role theory with perfectionism literature, this study examines how the (in)congruence between leader perfectionism toward employees and employee self-oriented perfectionism influences employee workplace well-being. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 308 employees in Southern China. Polynomial regression and response surface analysis were used to test hypotheses. Findings The higher the congruence between leader perfectionism toward employees and employee self-oriented perfectionism, the higher the employee role clarity; employee role clarity was higher when the two were congruent at a high level rather than when at a low level; employee role clarity was higher when leader perfectionism toward employees was lower than employee self-oriented perfectionism rather than when leader perfectionism toward employees was higher than employee self-oriented perfectionism; employee role clarity mediated the relationship between perfectionism congruence and workplace well-being. Practical implications This study suggests that leaders should consider the matching between their perfectionist tendencies and those of employees to facilitate employees’ role clarity and subsequent workplace well-being. Originality/value This study reveals the crucial role of leader–employee congruence in understanding the impact of perfectionism on employee well-being from the perspective of role theory.