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Time bandits: How they are created, why they are tolerated, and what can be done about them

Author

Listed:
  • Ketchen Jr., David J.
  • Craighead, Christopher W.
  • Buckley, M. Ronald

Abstract

Organizations today own little slack, and they must very carefully manage their resources. In this article, we describe an omnipresent, yet often ignored resource utilization problem whereby some workers abandon certain responsibilities and use the freed-up time to pursue personal interests such as hobbies and side businesses. In essence, these "time bandits" work part-time in exchange for full-time pay. While bandits are a minority among workers, their negative effects are significant and widespread. Specifically, banditry undermines an organization's mission, morale, and productivity, as well as putting stakeholder support at risk. In an effort to address this problem, we offer insights in three areas. First, we identify key causes of banditry, including supervisors not enforcing performance standards, poorly constructed reward systems, and the failure to recognize individual differences when designing jobs. Second, we describe reasons why banditry is tolerated within organizations, such as supervisors' desire to avoid conflict and their fear of being labeled as hypocrites. Most importantly, we offer a set of techniques that can prevent and reverse banditry. These include carefully defining expectations, intervening quickly when the symptoms of banditry appear, reducing bandits' compensation over time, and designing jobs that capitalize on individuals' varied skills and motivation.

Suggested Citation

  • Ketchen Jr., David J. & Craighead, Christopher W. & Buckley, M. Ronald, 2008. "Time bandits: How they are created, why they are tolerated, and what can be done about them," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 51(2), pages 141-149.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:51:y:2008:i:2:p:141-149
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yi Li & Yunhan Lin, 2023. "Too Defeated to Work? The Effects of Dispatched Employees’ Upward Social Comparison on Time Theft," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-16, September.
    2. Harris, Lloyd C. & Ogbonna, Emmanuel, 2009. "Service sabotage: The dark side of service dynamics," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 52(4), pages 325-335, July.
    3. Bingqian Liang & Lingyu Jin & Weiwei Huo & Yi Shi, 2026. "How to Reduce Time Theft Behavior in Telework: A Moral Self‐Regulation Perspective," Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(2), pages 678-692, April.
    4. Ketchen Jr., David J. & Buckley, M. Ronald, 2010. "Divas at work: Dealing with drama kings and queens in organizations," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 53(6), pages 599-606, November.
    5. Biyun Hu & Crystal M. Harold & Dayoung Kim, 2023. "Stealing Time on the Company’s Dime: Examining the Indirect Effect of Laissez-Faire Leadership on Employee Time Theft," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 183(2), pages 475-493, March.

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