Reframing Perilaku Penyalahgunaan Aset dalam Kacamata Fraud Triangle: Sebuah Studi Fenomenologis

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33395/owner.v10i2.3180

Abstract

This study examines a case of asset misappropriation that occurred in a subsidiary of a state-owned enterprise in West Java by exploring behavioral factors as the basis of motives, the perpetrators’ modus operandi, and the resulting losses. A qualitative method with a phenomenological approach is employed to understand the phenomenon of asset misappropriation from the perspective of organizational actors’ lived experiences. This study was conducted in a subsidiary of a state-owned enterprise, referred to as PT Aman Sejahtera (pseudonym), employing interviews and observations within a phenomenological approach. This study contributes by extending fraud theory through a phenomenological lens that emphasizes behavioral memory and motivation as central mechanisms of asset misappropriation. The findings indicate that asset misappropriation at PT. Aman Sejahtera cannot be understood merely as a consequence of procedural weaknesses or deficiencies in internal control, but rather as a behavioral phenomenon shaped by cognitive processes, individual experiences, and motivations within the organization. Employees’ perceptions of deviant behavior are influenced by organizational culture, prior experiences, and social interactions, which subsequently shape judgment and decision-making processes involving ethical considerations, personal risk, and structural relations. Internalized experiences and knowledge form behavioral memories that may either normalize or prevent asset misappropriation, while individual motivation serves as a key link between knowledge and action. These findings emphasize that preventing asset misappropriation requires not only the strengthening of systems and procedures, but also the development of ethical awareness, a healthy organizational culture, and a more humanistic, behavior-oriented accounting approach.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

        Plum-X Analityc

References

Agnihotri, A., & Bhattacharya, S. (2020). Impact of female executives’ fraudulent behaviour on other women employees: A contingency framework of stigma by association. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 28(4), 793–815. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-06-2019-1785

Akkeren, J. van, & Buckby, S. (2017). Perceptions on the causes of individual and fraudulent co-offending: Views of forensic accountants. Journal of Business Ethics, 146(2), 383–404.

Alazzabi, W. Y. E., Mustafa, H., & Karage, A. I. (2023). Risk management, top management support, internal audit activities, and fraud mitigation. Journal of Financial Crime, 30(2), 569–582. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-11-2019-0147

Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. (2024). Occupational fraud 2024: A report to the nations. https://www.acfe.com/report-to-the-nations/2024/

Baten, M. A. (2020). Basic understanding of fraudulent activities in corporate organisation. Review of Business, Accounting, and Finance, 1(1), 1–13.

Çollaku, L., Ramushi, A. S., & Aliu, M. (2024). Fraud intention and the relationship with selfishness: The mediating role of moral justification in the accounting profession. International Journal of Ethics and Systems. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOES-10-2023-0220

Cressey, D. R. (1953). Other people’s money: A study in the social psychology of embezzlement. The Free Press.

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2020). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Dorminey, J., Fleming, A. S., Kranacher, M.-J., & Riley, R. A., Jr. (2012). The evolution of fraud theory. Issues in Accounting Education, 27(2), 555–579.

Goldstraw-White, J. (2012). White-collar crime: Accounts of offending behaviour. Palgrave Macmillan.

Hollinger, R. C., Slora, K. B., & Terris, W. (1992). Deviance in the fast-food restaurant: Correlates of employee theft, altruism, and counterproductivity. Deviant Behavior, 13(2), 155–184.

Hu, H., Deng, X., & Mahmoudi, A. (2021). A cognitive model for understanding fraudulent behavior in construction industry. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-08-2021-0703

Indonesia Corruption Watch. (2025). Laporan hasil pemantauan tren korupsi tahun 2024. https://antikorupsi.org

Kamayanti, A. (2021). Metodologi Penelitian Kualitatif Akuntansi: Pengantar Religiositas Keilmuan (Edisi Revisi). Malang: Yayasan Rumah Peneleh.

Kassem, R. (2024). Police crime: Investigating insider fraud in UK policing. Deviant Behavior, 45(2), 226–246. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2023.2244116

Koomson, T., Owusu, G., & Bekoe, R. (2020). Determinants of asset misappropriation at the workplace: The moderating role of perceived strength of internal controls. Journal of Financial Crime, 27(4), 1191–1211.

Kumar, S., Sureka, R., & Pandey, N. (2020). Forty-five years of the International Journal of Social Economics (IJSE): A bibliometric overview. International Journal of Social Economics, 47(7), 831–849.

Maulidi, A. (2020). When and why (honest) people commit fraudulent behaviours? Extending the fraud triangle as a predictor of fraudulent behaviours. Journal of Financial Crime, 27(2), 541–559.

Maulidiyah, D. N. (2024). Consensus on the role of culture in restraining financial crime: A systematic literature review. Journal of Financial Crime, 31(4), 883–897. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-05-2023-0103

Onesti, G., & Palumbo, R. (2023). Tone at the top for sustainable corporate governance to prevent fraud. Sustainability, 15(3), 2198. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032198

Oliveira, M., de Kobayashi, D., Onome, J., Slomski, V., Reginato, L., & Geni, I. (2022). How do internal control environments connect to sustainable development to curb fraud in Brazil? Sustainability, 14(9), 5593. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095593

Ovcharuk, B. (2023). Kojève and Arendt’s cosmopolitan phenomenologies of human rights as a response to Schmitt. Journal of International Political Theory. https://doi.org/10.1177/17550882231197720

PwC. (2018). Global economic crime and fraud survey. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Pruysers, S., Blais, J., & Chen, P. G. (2019). Who makes a good citizen? The role of personality. Personality and Individual Differences, 146, 99–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2019.04.007

Rahman, M. J., Jiaying, H., Hossain, M. M., Biswas, S., Tanha, M., & Rana, T. (2023). Financial statement fraud: US and Chinese case studies. International Journal of Managerial and Financial Accounting, 15(4), 413–441.

Serrano, J. J., Rodríguez, M. J. D., Iglesias, I. R., Perez, R. M. L. (2024). Crime of misappropriation of assets in the business context: A systematic review. Accounting Research Journal, 38(1), 122–140. https://doi.org/10.1108/ARJ-06-2024-0237

Serrano, J. J., Rodríguez, M. J. D., Iglesias, I. R., & Perez, R. M. L. (2025). Misappropriation of assets: A quantitative and qualitative analysis of occupational fraud management in organizations. Journal of Financial Crime, 32(5), 994–1013. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-01-2025-0016

Setiawan, N., Tarjo, T., & Haryadi, B. (2022). Asset misappropriation employee fraud: A case study on an automotive company in Indonesia. Jurnal Ilmiah Akuntansi Dan Bisnis, 17(2), 214–228. https://doi.org/10.24843/JIAB.2022.v17.i02.p03

Taherdoost, H. (2021). A review on risk management in information systems: Risk policy, control and fraud detection. Electronics, 10(24), 3065. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics10243065

Vousinas, G. L. (2019). Advancing theory of fraud: The S.C.O.R.E. model. Journal of Financial Crime, 26(1), 372–381. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-12-2017-0128

Wimbush, J. C., & Dalton, D. R. (1997). Base rate for employee theft: Convergence of multiple methods. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82(5), 756–763. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.82.5.756

Wolfe, D. T., & Hermanson, D. R. (2004). The fraud diamond: Considering the four elements of fraud. The CPA Journal, 74(12), 38–42.

Downloads

Published

2026-03-31

How to Cite

Dinata, R. O., Lestari, T. U., & Said, H. S. (2026). Reframing Perilaku Penyalahgunaan Aset dalam Kacamata Fraud Triangle: Sebuah Studi Fenomenologis. Owner : Riset Dan Jurnal Akuntansi, 10(2), 1161-1174. https://doi.org/10.33395/owner.v10i2.3180