Positively Deviant: New Evidence for the Beneficial Capital of Maverickism to Organizations

Abstract

Workplace mavericks are seen as highly disruptive, engaging in unconventional behavior and showing apparent disregard for organizational norms, policies, and procedures. Despite this, some organizational leaders successfully leverage maverick behaviors to progress and achieve higher order organizational agendas. This paper challenges the former view by investigating the positive value maverickism provides organizations. Guided by the conceptualization of mavericks’ non-conformity as a form of positive deviance, two studies were conducted. Study 1 analyzed secondary data sources within the scientific research field to determine organizational performance requirements and expectations. Study 2 interviewed 28 mavericks and 27 leaders of mavericks in the same field. Data collection and analysis was guided by Bourdieu’s (1990) theoretical and methodological constructs—field, capital, and habitus. Results highlight that, while mavericks challenge and often ignore many organizational norms, their disruption is driven by the desire to achieve higher order goals benefitting their organizations and communities. Operating within boundaries set by these higher order values, mavericks not only embody traditional cultural capitals expected in their field but also offer valuable capitals traditionally possessed by those more senior in the field. This powerful combination of capitals produces additional symbolic capital which allows them to influence organizational decision-making despite not conforming to lower order organizational norms. At an applied level, valuable capitals associated with maverickism can be leveraged by leaders to support transformational change. To do this, organizational leaders need to recognize mavericks’ strengths through allowing them, as positive deviants, to challenge the status quo and to find alternative pathways to achieve organizational goals.