The severity and prevalence of deviant employee activity within supermarkets

Abstract

Expert ratings were used in this study to derive severity indices for a variety of types of counterproductive employee behavior. Deviant behaviors rated as most severe included taking cash, merchandise or equipment from the employer without permission and engaging in drug use on the job. Coming to work hungover from alcohol was rated as the least severe behavior. The prevalence of severe theft and counterproductivity was then explored using the admissions of a supermarket employee sample. A variety of admissions of severe counterproductive behavior were obtained, which were grouped under the five general categories of theft, theft support, time theft, counterproductivity, and other types of deviance. Major findings revealed that 35% of supermarket employees admitted to engaging in severe theft of company cash or property within the previous six months.