NCJ Number
109048
Journal
Security World Volume: 23 Issue: 3 Dated: (March 1986) Pages: 40-44
Date Published
1986
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Attitudes toward employee theft were examined in data for about 1,000 individuals representing all levels of the workforce from blue-collar laborers to managers.
Abstract
Results indicate that 70 percent of respondents felt most people take company products and equipment, but only 10 percent felt workers would take home cash. About 50 percent felt it acceptable to make personal use of company services and time, 70 percent said they would report significant employee theft, and 70 percent felt theft by executives was dealt with less harshly than that by other employees. The type and amount of theft influenced perceived acceptability of the theft, and urban residents and the better educated were more likely to view minor internal theft as acceptable. The most common reasons for justifying theft were the company would not miss the loss, others did it, financial hardship, low pay and too much work, and low risk of being caught. Employee firing, suspension, or fine were viewed as the most effective theft deterrents. A majority felt employers did not show a strong concern for their personal security and indicated that such measures as fire and burglar alarms, parking lot and access control systems, and preemployment screening added to their sense of personal security. Dislike was expressed for such measures as security searches, armed guards, and electronic surveillance.