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your desk in a cubicle farm, you
are making it easy for people
to give in to the temptation
to acquire a new pair of
headphones without paying for
them.”
Christopher Paul Jones adds:
“Taking small items from work,
or from any place for that
matter, is often driven by the
need to feel safe and secure. It
can be a way to feel in control.
Particularly if someone is
going through something in
their personal life, where they
perhaps feel out of control.
“In a way, taking these items,
is not that dissimilar to when
The Psychology Behind Why People Steal people hoard things, they
in the Workplace take material possessions and surround
Psychologists Art Markman, PHD, Professor themselves with the items in order to create
of Psychology and Marketing, and Christopher a sense of security, by recognising and
Paul Jones, Harley Street Therapist have addressing this behaviour, one can put
offered an explanation as to why people might themselves back in the driver’s seat and
steal from their employer and colleagues: address the underlying emotions in order to
resolve things.”
Art Markman says:
The data from our survey shows that
“Human behaviour is focused on doing things employees stealing from their workplace
that feel right in the short term rather than and colleagues isn’t uncommon in the office.
things that feel right in the long term. If you One solution to office theft is secure office
need to eat right now, then available food will storage furniture, such as lockable pedestals,
feel good to eat, even if it is wrong to take cupboards, and employee lockers.
food from someone else.
“People also tend to do what is easy for them
to do in a particular environment. If you leave
your new noise-cancelling headphones out on www.furniture-work.co.uk
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