A-players or B-players?

15 Pages Posted: 1 Apr 2019

See all articles by Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries

Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries

INSEAD - Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise

Date Written: April 1, 2019

Abstract

Opening with a case study, this article discusses the phenomenon whereby talented people are more likely to hire other talented people, while the less talented are reluctant to do so. Some of the psychodynamic interplays that contribute to hiring less competent people are discussed, such as psychological insecurity and envy. The kinds of Machiavellian maneuvers that come to the fore in influencing the hiring process are also explored. The suggestion is made that some B-players—depending on their level of inner security—may fail to hire the best people. The idea that anyone could surpass (or even replace) them is too threatening. Consciously or unconsciously, they hire people who are not as competent. Furthermore, some of them, intimidated by these high potentials, may even go so far as to stifle their ambitions. However, looking at organizational life as a zero-sum-game—a place with only winners and losers—doesn’t make for a high-performance workplace. On the contrary, it can set the stage for organizational decline.

In this article, the positives and negatives of having too many A-players in an organization are also highlighted. Furthermore, it is noted that many B-players provide a level of stability in the organizations they work for. The suggestion is made that some B- and even C-players might thrive in alternative positions or different organizations. The article ends with a number of propositions about ways to improve the hiring process in organizations and the safeguards that need to be put into place to ensure a good organizational fit.

Keywords: A-players, B-players, C-players, Inner security, Self-esteem, Envy, Psychodynamics, Unconscious biases, Machiavellian, Hiring, Assessment, Safeguards

Suggested Citation

Kets de Vries, Manfred F.R., A-players or B-players? (April 1, 2019). INSEAD Working Paper No. 2019/13/EFE, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3363477

Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries (Contact Author)

INSEAD - Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise ( email )

Fontainebleau Cedex, F-77305
France

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
48
Abstract Views
222
PlumX Metrics