Time theft is a prevalent issue, with numerous employees acknowledging that they waste 25% or more of their workday. As just one of many counterproductive work behaviors that negatively impact organizations, time theft has received surprisingly little attention in academic research. This article aims to change that, as well as provide a solution for how organizations can combat time theft.
THE RESEARCH STUDY
In two studies, the author (Sinclair, 2024) examined how social norms may influence people to commit time theft, as well as attitudes toward coworkers who engage in time theft. The results showed that when organizations established a clear social norm by suggesting that time theft is a rare occurrence, it decreases employee intentions to engage in this behavior at work. On the other hand, telling employees that time theft is rare did not lead employees to have more negative reactions toward their offending coworkers.
ORGANIZATIONAL TAKEAWAYS
The authors’ findings suggest that time theft may be reduced when the organizational culture suggests that time theft is rare. To build such a culture with an emphasis on ethical behavior, the researcher recommends the following steps:
- Organizations should communicate to new hires that time theft is rare at their place of work. This helps set initial expectations and discourages employees from engaging in this costly behavior.
- Organizations should clearly define their policies and norms about how to work. When individuals are uncertain about appropriate behavior, they may seek to emulate others. If employees witness time theft and are unclear about its acceptability, they are likely to follow the herd. It is important for organizations to counter this natural tendency by defining expected behavior.
Sinclair, S. (2024). Does it matter whether others are working hard or hardly working? Effects of descriptive norms on attitudes to time theft at work. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 32(1), 12–21.
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