An employee at a welfare office is so concerned with paperwork that he does not have time to administer to the needs of the poor, hungry, and homeless individuals who seek assistance. According to Merton’s theory, this welfare worker would be a (an):

An innovator

Explanation: accordito Merton's, an innovator is somebody agrees to societial or culture goals but uses any other means of necessary of his own accord to acheive the goals without using the normal or approved way. It is a deviant behavior because the individual uses means that is not in line with the approved or legitimate means(ways).