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When time theft promotes performance: Measure development and validation of time theft motives
Biyun Hu1, Dizhen Lu1, Liang Meng1
1Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence for Information Behavior, Ministry of Education, Shanghai International Studies University.
The Journal of Applied Psychology
|August 8, 2024
Summary
Employee time theft may stem from positive motives like improving work efficiency, not just negative ones. Understanding these varied motives is key to addressing employee time theft constructively.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Traditional views label employee time theft as purely detrimental.
- This perspective may overlook the complex, sometimes positive, motivations behind the behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the diverse motives driving employee time theft.
- To develop and validate a reliable instrument for assessing these motives.
- To investigate how different motives predict time theft behavior.
Main Methods:
- Three mixed-methods studies were conducted.
- Qualitative methods identified 11 distinct time theft motives.
- Quantitative measures were developed and validated to assess these motives, controlling for personality and demographics.
Main Results:
- Employee time theft is driven by self-oriented, other-oriented, and work-oriented motives.
- These motives offer incremental predictive value for understanding time theft behavior.
- The developed instrument effectively measures these diverse motives.
Conclusions:
- Challenging the solely negative perception of time theft.
- Highlighting the potential for constructive motives in employee time theft.
- Providing insights for research and practical interventions regarding employee time theft.
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