Employee Lateness Behavior: The Role of Lateness Climate and Individual Lateness Attitude

The authors investigated the joint influence of contextual factors and individual attitudes on employee lateness in a field setting. Hierarchical regression analyses based on objective lateness data revealed that perceived lateness climate moderated the relationship between individual lateness attitudes and lateness behaviors. Specifically, as hypothesized, individual attitudes toward lateness were stronger predictors of actual lateness frequency in lenient climates. This moderating effect was observed when controlling for key attitudes such as job satisfaction, job involvement, and affective commitment. Thus, climate displayed a unique effect on employee lateness, constraining the influence of individual attitudes in strict climates and allowing more influence in lenient climates. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.