小人此一概念最早出現於先秦時代，原本泛指相對於統治者的一般民眾。
經過先秦儒者的借用與轉化，以小人作為相對於君子的道德他者。自漢代獨尊 儒術的政策推行後，儒家的用語也充分融入於漢語的日常使用中，小人一詞也 因此成為漢語社會中重要的道德相關詞彙，然而我們對於當代社會中小人一詞 的運用了解甚少，特別是在職場工作中的小人行徑。
透過質性研究方法，我的論文試圖更深入了解與職場小人有關的道德標準， 特別是職場小人的不道德行為表現類型。研究結果提出六種不同的小人行為(巧 取豪奪、虛有其表、含沙射影、結黨營私、獨善其身、推諉卸責)，我更進一步 提出以上小人行為違反的儒家道德標準:圖利、失禮與不仁。本研究的結果協 助我們了解小人在當代職場的不道德行為表現。

The expression of xiaoren (小人)can be traced back to the pre-Qin period. The original meaning refers to the common people, as a contrasting idea to the rulers. The Confucians borrowed this expression and gave it a ethical connotation, also as a contrast to the ethical idea of junzi (君子). The Han Dynasty's policy of exclusively reverenced Confucianism allowed the expression of xiaoren to be fully integrated into the everyday Han-language. The expression of xiaoren, thus, serves as a foundational vocabulary of Confucian ethics. However, our understanding of this expression and the ethical connotation has not been systematically examined nowadays, which is particularly true in the workplaces.
In a qualitative research examining the moral standards associating with workplace xiaoren, I identify a total of six behaviors of xiaoren (taking advantages from others, creating a false impression, aspersing others, coalition, disregarding others and shirking responsibility). These types of xiaoren behaviors can further classified into three unethical categories, namely abused, misused and underused. This study extends our understanding of the ethical standards and their behavioral manifestations. in the contemporary workplaces.

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