Managerial Isolation = Fraud Opportunities

There’s been a lot of research conducted, Dilbert cartoons drawn and articles written about the isolating effects of the cubicle culture in business.  This conversation has expanded lately to include increasing awareness of and concerns about the growing trend toward group management — managing people as a group rather than as individuals.

Proponents of this style suggest that supervising people as a group is a more contemporary, efficient way to allocate time and money.  Communication is primarily done via emails, memos, texts, social media, conference calls and meetings.  The thinking behind this concept is that people will become more independent with less oversight.

The premise that employees will step up and become more responsible through limited leadership or leaderless teams is actually an old one, which has been tried with limited or no success.  The idea that people are just waiting for and will happily seize the opportunity to be honestly self-determining is flawed, because it ignores basic human nature.

Isolating managers from employees doesn’t take into account that, depending on the study, 75% — 85% of people say that given the right circumstance they have or would commit occupational fraud.  That they have in the past and/or would in the future steal time, money and property from their employer, even one they like working for.

Occupational fraud is something most businesses have had, are having or will have.  Involved, aware and reasonable management is the first and best line of defense in making sure the right circumstances (motive, means and opportunity) don’t occur.  Good management requires knowing your people, a well thought-out and monitored security plan, and consistent checks and balances.

It’s common for employees to talk about how they “would do things better” if they had more power, don’t be fooled by it.  Only 34% (CareerBuilder, 2014) want to be bosses, and many of them aren’t doing anything to make it happen.  The reality is that most people want to do their jobs without increased responsibility for themselves, just for others. 

Nicole Abbott is a writer and psycho-therapist with over 20 years of experience in the fields of mental health and addiction.  She’s an educator, consultant, lecturer, trainer and facilitator, who’s conducted over 200 workshops, trainings, presentations, college classes and seminars.