Exploring the unethical implications of wasted time perceptions: anxiety, time pressure and time theft

Purpose Time has become an increasingly critical resource in contemporary organizations, yet employees frequently experience situations in which their working time is consumed by inefficient processes or low-value activities. This research examines why and when employees may respond to wasted time perceptions through time theft. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, we develop a model explaining how wasted time perceptions trigger workplace anxiety and subsequently motivate compensatory resource-recovery behaviors. Using a three-wave field study of 527 employees in China, we examined the relationships among wasted time perceptions, workplace anxiety, time theft, and time pressure. A scenario-based experiment was also conducted as supplementary evidence. Findings Results showed that wasted time perceptions increased time theft through workplace anxiety. Time pressure strengthened the relationship between wasted time perceptions and workplace anxiety, thereby amplifying the indirect effect on time theft. Originality/value This research develops a temporal resource perspective on workplace deviance by showing that time theft may emerge as an ethically problematic attempt to recover perceived losses of time-related resources.