Time banditry behavior in China: Dimension exploration and scale development

• Published in: European management journal Vol. 43; no. 3; pp. 527 - 537
• Main Authors: Niu, Xiaoyue, Yu, Guilan, Cao, Weihang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2025
• Subjects: Chinese context; Scale development; Structural dimensions; Time banditry behavior; Time banditry behavior; Chinese context; Scale development; Structural dimensions
• ISSN: 0263-2373
• DOI: 10.1016/j.emj.2025.04.002

Time banditry behavior (TBB) refers to employees participating in nonwork-related activities during work hours while still being compensated by the company for that time. Although there are existing scales to measure this behavior, their relevance in the Chinese context is constrained by the cultural and workplace differences between China and Western countries. Understanding employees’ TBB in China can help Chinese and global cross-cultural managers (e.g., European expatriate managers in China) achieve a more inclusive and efficient management style. Therefore, the researchers investigate the Chinese context’s structural dimensions and measurement of TBB. Study 1 used a qualitative approach to analyze primary data and identify four structural dimensions of TBB in China: Relaxation, Socialization, Private Affairs, and Self-Improvement. Study 2 developed and tested a four-dimensional scale of TBB using a quantitative method and five empirical samples, including one sample of subject matter experts and four samples of employed adults. This study provides evidence of reliability, content, convergent, and discriminant validity with constructs in TBB’s nomological network and incremental predictive ability of expected outcomes. This paper discusses the implications of the findings for both theoretical and practical applications.