Author: John Taylor and Prof Adrian Furnham
ISBN No: 1 904863 03 5
Review date: 11/12/2025
No of pages: 48
Publisher: Social Affairs Unit
Year of publication: 11/09/2012
Brief:
Dishonesty at Work is a little book to set you thinking.
Sub-titled ‘Myths and uncomfortable truths’, the authors, consultant John Taylor and psychologist Prof Adrian Furnham go on a 48-page spree; ideal reading if you have a free hour on a train and could do with intellectual stimulation. The authors are dogmatic: dishonesty and deceit is increasing in the workplace; computers make it easier to cheat; we are all dishonest at work. You may disagree, and indeed the authors do not offer evidence. I’d disagree with their assertion that whistle-blowers are often given hero status: was Dr David Kelly? or whistle-blowers in HM Prison Service, or the NHS? And what of their statement: “CCTV in the workplace encourages disloyalty, and is therefore counter-productive?” Their thinking: CCTV inside the office shows managers don’t trust staff, and can undermine staff loyalty. The book races through individual psychology, and the ‘dysfunctional organisation’. It’s cheap to praise people, so why do staff surveys show staff feel unappreciated? If staff are too pressured, or not challenged enough and bored, they may begin to bad-mouth; pilfer; do frauds; sabotage; blow the whistle to outsiders. The few pages devoted to physical and other security measures (such as searches of staff) are sound. At induction, security people talking to new staff should be approachable, the authors suggest; don’t come over as defensive, or threatening. The book concludes: “Loyalty is a two-way street.” That is, some organisations – with hypocritical, or hurtful managers – may harbour, even encourage resentment and bad time keeping (not necessarily a security manager’s problem), and fraud (which is). A thought-provoking read. What for instance makes one disillusioned employee merely do personal photo-copying at work, another write a poison pen letter, and a third simply leave? Arguably the book’s best insight is a page titled ‘Exit’: we all will leave our employer one day, the authors point out. If organisations treat leavers wrong, those leavers may turn on the former employer – and all those staying may feel less loyal, or revengeful.
