NCJ Number
14901
Date Published
1963
Length
343 pages
Annotation
INTENSIVE INTERVIEW SURVEY OF 88 MALE EMPLOYEES FROM A LARGE, MIDWEST ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING PLANT.
Abstract
SUBJECTS WERE CHOSEN AT RANDOM FROM A LIST OF EMPLOYEES IN FOUR SEPARATE CLASSES, REPRESENTING DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SKILL AND ACCESS TO COMPONENTS, MATERIALS, AND TOOLS. THE RESEARCH DATA IS PRESENTED IN TWO SECTIONS. THE LORE OF PILFERING DESCRIBES THE WORKERS' REPORTS OF THE ATTITUDES, CONCEPTION, AND ACTIVITIES THAT RELATE TO PILFERING IN THE PLANT. THE CORRELATES OF PILFERING ASSESSES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PILFERING AND A NUMBER OF WORK-RELATED AND NON-WORK RELATED VARIABLES, SUCH AS SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, AGE, SENIORITY, AND WORKER MORALE. THE DATA INDICATED THAT PILFERING IS A GENERALLY ACCEPTED FORM OF BEHAVIOR IN THE WORK GROUP SUBCULTURE, AND IS NOT CONSIDERED AS BEING THEFT. IT WAS FOUND THAT MOST PILFERING INVOLVES WHAT WORKERS HAVE AS DESCRIBED 'PROPERTY OF UNCERTAIN OWNERSHIP', AS OPPOSED TO COMPANY PROPERTY OR PERSONAL PROPERTY. 'PROPERTY OF UNCERTAIN OWNERSHIP' WAS DEFINED AS BEING COMPRISED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY OF COMPANY OWNED GOODS WHICH ARE SMALL, INEXPENSIVE, AND IN PLENTIFUL SUPPLY. A COPY OF THE INTERVIEW SCHEDULE IS INCLUDED IN THE APPENDIX.