In John Grisham’s novel The firm, an experienced lawyer advises
a young associate to bill clients for each minute spent even thinking
about a case (Grisham, 1991). Such unethical billing practices
occur well beyond fictional realms and constitute a pervasive problem
in law firms across the country (Altman, 1998). Overstatement
of performance or effort represents an even broader epidemic in
organizations, where employees routinely exaggerate business expenses,
applicants doctor resumes, and wage-based workers overreport
hours on timesheets.