Loving and Hating Hubrists: Demonstrating Innovativeness While Belittling Others

ABSTRACT Knowing who employees are and understanding their tendencies are critical to human resource development effectiveness. A lack of understanding about employees may result in misplaced human resources. The “Age of Hubris” suggests hubris as a prevalent personality in today's world. Hubrists are often considered liabilities in the workplace owing to their excessive self‐pride, self‐confidence, and self‐aggrandizement. However, we contend that they can also be assets by contributing to organizational development. The results of a survey and an experiment suggest that hubrists engage in innovative behavior due to elevated hope for success while also taking credit from and passing blame to other members due to increased psychological entitlement. These findings are more pronounced when they perceive stronger than weaker intrateam competition. Our research highlights the presence of hubrists as a double‐edged sword to organizational functioning, providing suggestions for organizations to make the best use of hubrists while preserving the well‐being of those around them.