A Note on the Romance of Misfit: Maverickism

Jon Billsberry (), Danielle L. Talbot and Brenda M. Hollyoak
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Jon Billsberry: La Trobe University
Danielle L. Talbot: Anglia Ruskin University
Brenda M. Hollyoak: Coventry University

A chapter in Employee Misfit, 2025, pp 65-76 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This research note examines the romanticised notion of misfit as a positive workplace identity. While misfit is typically understood as a negative, distressing experience of poor person–organisation alignment, a small subset of individuals describe their misalignment in celebratory terms, embracing labels such as “misfit” and “maverick” to signal creativity, rule-breaking, and a rejection of bureaucratic norms. Drawing on nine netnographic accounts extracted from a broader study of online narratives about misfit, this paper explores how self-identified mavericks conceptualise and articulate their experience. The findings reveal a consistent portrayal of maverickism as a form of proud nonconformity grounded in high self-esteem, confidence, and disdain for conventional work structures. Rather than reflecting situational misalignment, these narratives suggest a fixed personality orientation that views most organisations as stifling. The romantic language, inflated self-perceptions, and references to aspirational figures raise questions about whether maverickism is a genuine form of fit misalignment or a self-constructed coping mechanism. The paper concludes by advocating for greater definitional clarity between social misfit and maverickism, and calls for future research to explore whether maverickism reflects an interactional dynamic or a dispositional stance. This distinction has implications for recruitment, organisational inclusion, and the valorisation of deviance at work.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/978-981-96-8208-9_4

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