Undergraduate Student’s Awareness of Misappropriation of Assets at the University

Abstract

The primary categories of occupational fraud are misappropriation of assets, corruption and financial statement fraud, which detrimentally affect the economy. The majority of internal fraud schemes involve the misappropriation of assets and include the misuse of organisational assets. Past research discovered that the misappropriation of assets occurs when an individual uses official vehicles, internet connections, computers, stationery, and other organisational facilities for personal benefit. The misappropriation of assets also includes theft or abuse of inventory, equipment, supplies, information, and securities. The issue of misappropriation of assets has been increasing and is considered the most common among other types of fraud. If left untreated, the issue will become an incurable disease that will cause major leakages to organisations. Thus, this research aimed to investigate the misappropriation of assets awareness among undergraduate university students. The primary data was collected through a questionnaire survey distributed to 167 respondents comprising undergraduate students. The findings revealed that the incidence of misappropriation of assets occurred when the undergraduate students used the hostel's utilities, library equipment, classroom utilities, and university facilities for personal interest. The research discovered that a significant positive relationship exists between the misappropriation of assets, namely, hostel utilities, library equipment, classroom utilities, and university facilities, and the awareness of undergraduate students. This research provides students with a better understanding and helps increase the awareness level of the misappropriation of university assets.

Keywords: Fraud, Integrity, Misappropriation of Assets, Undergraduate Students