How and When Supervisor Perfectionism Leads to Graduate Students’ Work Withdrawal Behavior

Drawing on social identity theory, we explore how and when supervisor perfectionism influences graduate students’ work withdrawal behavior. Results from a three-wave survey of 358 graduate students indicated that supervisor perfectionism leads to work withdrawal behavior by reducing students’ identification with their supervisors. Moreover, supervisor competence moderates the relationship between supervisor perfectionism and students’ identification with their supervisors. Our research reveals the consequences of supervisor perfectionism and highlights the importance of supervisor competence, with valuable theoretical and practical implications discussed.