Lesson 3.3
Greed, Entitlement & “I Deserve It”
Estimated time: 8 minutes
Not every dishonest act comes from desperation.
Sometimes a person simply wants more.
More money.
More benefits.
More stock.
More advantage.
More than they are entitled to receive.
That is where greed can become an integrity problem.
Greed Can Sound Reasonable in Your Own Head
It may sound like:
“They have plenty.”
“Nobody will miss it.”
“After everything I do for this company, I deserve this.”
“My salary is not enough for the work I do.”
“The owner wastes money anyway.”
“Everyone takes something.”
“It is only one.”
“I have access, so why not?”
These thoughts can become rationalizations—ways of making a wrong action feel acceptable.
Scenario — The Trusted Employee
An employee is responsible for buying supplies.
The approved cost is ₦80,000.
He negotiates the supplier down to ₦70,000.
Instead of reporting the true price and returning the ₦10,000 difference, he keeps it.
He tells himself:
“I was the one who negotiated the discount, so the ₦10,000 is mine.”
Is it?
No—unless the employer had previously agreed that negotiated savings belonged to the employee.
The employee was acting on behalf of the business.
Greed Is Not Only Cash Theft
It can appear as:
- secretly adding money to a customer’s price
- demanding personal payment for something already included in the service
- using privileged discounts for resale
- keeping customer change
- claiming expenses that were never incurred
- taking more stock because “one isn’t enough”
- using workplace materials to run a private business
- demanding a share of someone else’s dishonest scheme
- accepting improper benefits because “why should I miss my own?”
Important
Wanting more money is not itself wrong.
Employees can:
- negotiate compensation
- request raises
- seek promotions
- build lawful side businesses where permitted
- change jobs
- pursue better opportunities
Integrity is about how you pursue those things.
More Workplace Examples
Supplier Discount
A supplier gives a 10% discount on a bulk order. The employee pays the full price from company funds and keeps the difference.
The discount belonged to the business that made the purchase.
BETTER BEHAVIOR
Office — “The Company Can Afford It”
An employee adds a meal and extra fuel to a travel expense claim because “the company makes plenty of money.”
The company’s ability to pay does not make a false claim true.
BETTER BEHAVIOR
Salon — “I Deserve More”
A stylist who feels underpaid takes hair products home each week without permission.
Feeling underpaid is a reason to
BETTER BEHAVIOR
not permission to take stock.
Wanting more, feeling underpaid, believing the owner has plenty of money, or seeing an opportunity does not create permission to take business money or property.
Remember
Wanting more does not give you permission to take more.