The case of the disappearing teaspoons: longitudinal cohort study of the displacement of teaspoons in an Australian research institute

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7531.1498

BMJ 2005;331:1498-1500 (24 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7531.1498

On the case

The case of the disappearing teaspoons: longitudinal cohort study of the displacement of teaspoons in an Australian research institute

Megan S C Lim, research assistant¹, Margaret E Hellard, director¹, Campbell K Aitken, senior research officer¹

¹ Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Research, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, GPO box 2284, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia

Correspondence to: C K Aitken aitken{at}burnet.edu.au

Abstract

Objectives To determine the overall rate of loss of workplaceteaspoons and whether attrition and displacement are correlatedwith the relative value of the teaspoons or type of tearoom.

Design Longitudinal cohort study.

Setting Research institute employing about 140 people.

Subjects 70 discreetly numbered teaspoons placed in tearoomsaround the institute and observed weekly over five months.

Main outcome measures Incidence of teaspoon loss per 100 teaspoonyears and teaspoon half life.

Results 56 (80%) of the 70 teaspoons disappeared during thestudy. The half life of the teaspoons was 81 days. The halflife of teaspoons in communal tearooms (42 days) was significantlyshorter than for those in rooms associated with particular researchgroups (77 days). The rate of loss was not influenced by theteaspoons' value. The incidence of teaspoon loss over the periodof observation was 360.62 per 100 teaspoon years. At this rate,an estimated 250 teaspoons would need to be purchased annuallyto maintain a practical institute-wide population of 70 teaspoons.

Conclusions The loss of workplace teaspoons was rapid, showingthat their availability, and hence office culture in general,is constantly threatened.

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