Anomia and fraudulent behavior by retail customers : a study among employees

Abstract

Anomia describes the individual's lack of integration in social life. The construct has been linked to various types of activities and concepts but no research appears to have been undertaken linking it to fraudulent behavior. The literature on anomia and fraudulent behavior are examined, measurement instruments are identified and a survey is carried out among employees of a large retail chain. The psychometric properties of the instruments are confirmed and evidence of a link between “valuelessness” in anomia and “proactively benefiting” dimension in retail employee behavior is provided. The results have implications both for retail and personnel managers as well as for theory development. Limitations are noted and directions for future research are indicated.