There is a tendency to trivialise this intellectual theft, which leads a victim to doubt whether it actually is an issue worth raising one’s voice againstPlagiarism has impacts on both ends. In addition to subjecting the victim to mental distress, it might even have legal and financial repercussions. It might prevent employers from identifying and rewarding actual talent. Those who engage in plagiarism demonstrate a lack of work ethic and disrespect to the effort of the real owner of the work -- such dynamics have a negative impact on the standing and reputation of the organisation or company as a whole. Let’s face it: Even if you don’t get caught, the victim knows and is likely going to tell others about the act of plagiarism through informal channels.Is it all bleak? There are certainly some ways to deal with this. Taking precautionary measures is always the first choice: Document your drafts, put your name in the digital file, share your work carefully, perhaps even include a warning clause in it. If the plagiarist still succeeds, you might want to talk it out and resolve it. If that too doesn’t work, find out if your office has any anti-plagiarism policies. Document your proofs and logically present your case. If not, your office should still be open to accepting legitimate complaints. As for the role of workplaces, enforcing anti-plagiarism policies is imperative. Employment contracts should include clauses about plagiarism and mechanisms through which concerns about plagiarism can be addressed. An experience of plagiarism can wear away the dedication and motivation of a gifted employee and therefore, can result in lesser productivity and gains for the firm in the long run. Preventing plagiarism will encourage good ideas, and elevate the overall motivation of the employees. We condemn all sorts of dishonesty in professional life. Isn’t it high time we address plagiarism in workplaces?Erina Mahmud is a student of Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE) at Asian University for Women (AUW).
The act of stealing someone’s work and passing it off as one’s own without acknowledging the source is plagiarism.
Considered as the most unethical behaviour in academia, many argue that plagiarism is less prevalent in the professional arena.
To prove the claim, facts and figures can be presented accordingly, but that is where we miss the actual point -- cases of plagiarism in workplaces often go unreported.
Lack of awareness about different forms of plagiarism is one reason why victims fail to report this unethical behaviour. Plagiarism may manifest itself in many forms: A colleague may “borrow” an idea from a feature you had written; your boss may publish in his or her name a report you wrote; you may see your boss patting your colleague’s back for the brilliance of a project that you had casually shared with him/her over the lunch; or you may find a marketing brochure that is surprisingly similar to the one you created except for the colour.
Our lack of awareness about plagiarism is one of the main reasons why we fall victim to it.
But the question arises: Even when we are well aware of plagiarism, do we always report? The answer is “no,” and reasons are manifold.Why plagiarists get awayAbsence or insufficiency of anti-plagiarism policies in workplaces work as the primary impediment to filing an official complaint.
There should be policies protecting intellectual property rights so that plagiarism doesn’t take place in the first place.
In Bangladesh, very few sectors, such as advertising and marketing, see copyright infringement as a serious issue, although plenty of violations can be observed there too.
Research organisations and think-tanks are highly susceptible to plagiarism as producing original work is imperative to their existence and relevance. It is a good practice for organisations to put anti-plagiarism policies in place to address such unethical issues effectively.
Even with anti-plagiarism policies in workplaces, victims very often cannot take actions against the plagiarist due to the hierarchical power relationship.
Due to concerns about career prospects, a victim might not feel comfortable to confront a supervisor or a senior colleague. Fear of receiving bad evaluations and recommendations from the boss often stops one from claiming the right.
Dealing with an aggressive plagiarist in a leadership position can also bring in job insecurity. Even when one decides just to ask for the rightful acknowledgement, the usual answer heard is “no.” Victims may also decide not to confront co-workers in similar positions about plagiarism for the sake of collegiality.
There is therefore a tendency to trivialise or normalise this intellectual theft, which leads a victim to doubt whether it actually is an issue worth raising one’s voice against.
The “letting it go” attitude of a victim works as an encouragement to the perpetrator.
By extension, few are willing to take up such cases in more public arenas such as judicial courts.
