2016 AUTUMN
Homework 2
Main ideas of setting up
an electronic monitoring
system in organization
This.pdf file was created on 21 October 2016
Content
Content
Content ..................................................................................................................................2
Kadri Cahani ..........................................................................................................................3
Huyen Nguyen .......................................................................................................................4
Luke Picken............................................................................................................................5
Taavi Kupper ..........................................................................................................................6
Luke Picken............................................................................................................................7
Taavi Kupper ..........................................................................................................................8
Pubudini Gayanjalie Dissanayake ..........................................................................................9
Heleen Maibak .....................................................................................................................10
Berj Dekramanjian ................................................................................................................12
Kyle Mokma .........................................................................................................................13
Ceren Hancı .........................................................................................................................14
R.A.Örge Hünkar Edgü.........................................................................................................15
Main ideas of setting up an electronic monitoring system in organization
2
Kadri Cahani
Kadri Cahani
When a company decides to set up a monitoring system for its employees there are a lot of
aspects to be taken into consideration. There are a lot of ways for and one of them is electronic
systems. This is because these aspects might influence in the way the employees will behave
towards each other, the job, the company and maybe also to itself. Also these new approaches
influence in the performance and there should be taken into account also the ethical issues
,cost for the implementation and the feedback.
Starting monitoring brings a new atmosphere in and out work environment. If there are video
cameras in the workplace employees will be under pressure that they are being monitored all
the time. This might influence in a deteriorated performance caused by distraction. The fact
that they are surveyed might indicate to them that the management is not contented with their
operation. Also if employee's location is being monitored they will not feel free wherever they
go. This will lead to anxiety and therefore not a happy life. They might want to go to competitors
especially if he/ she feels that this is not the right thing and is facing it for the first time. There
is no reason for the tracking system to be active out of the working hours but if so, they will
feel like their private life will be "threatened" by the company itself. This will bring out a lot of
ethical and privacy issues.
To avoid such problems there are some steps that can be taken. For example, employees
should be given word that by implementing an monitoring service the company wants to avoid
frauds and stealing from the company's assets. Also in this way they will distinguish those who
spend a lot of time out of their workplace. Beside that they might say that they want to see
want can be changed in the workplace so they can improve it.
Employees will not feel safe, if there is no consent required to them for using these methods
and if there are no laws protecting them from in these cases. This might lead to conflicts if the
common language is not found. For example if an employee is not notified priory that their emails are checked and he/ she finds it out he might have the right to sent the case in court for
privacy right violation depended in the country where they live. Even though there might be
some important cases when employee can be monitored legally. For instance when he/she is
not available in the company, when this is required by law agencies, to prevent the employee
to use the company's assets for his/her personal needs, to protect important data from
unauthorized individuals or data leakage.
In conclusion I would say that implementing electronic monitoring systems in organisation is a
process that requires a lot of preparation, the results should be predicted with caution and if
implemented should be compared to the feedback. There should be thought about ethical,
legal and privacy issues. If company fails to meet its employees needs they might leave to
competitors and this might affect the company's activity.
Main ideas of setting up an electronic monitoring system in organization
3
Huyen Nguyen
Huyen Nguyen
Introduction
Technology makes it possible to monitor employees during their working time. Electronic
monitoring (EM)includes acts such as keep an eye on Internet history, e-mails and storage of
files. EM systems are used to allow employers to monitor the performance of their employees.
Moreover, it manages productivity and minimizes litigation and other risks. However, these
information technologies lead to privacy issues. What can be recorded and what should not be
allowed to be seen by an employer? This essay describes the main ideas of setting up an
electronic monitoring system in an organization.
E-mail and Internet
According to the ‘2007 Electronic Monitoring & Surveillance Survey’ by the American
Management Association (AMA) 28% of employers have fired employees for misusing e-mail
during their worktime. Examples are using inappropriate language and excessive personal use
in e-mails. Moreover, employers are concerned about inappropriate use of the Internet. Around
66% of companies monitors the internet connection and 65% have software which blocks
websites.
Why do organizations want to monitor the performance of their employees? It is not because
they are not trustworthy, but it is probably to protect their own company, their assets, according
to different companies in the ‘2007 Electronic Monitoring & Surveillance Survey’. The idea is
that monitoring gives an overview about productivity. However, this monitoring influences the
productivity, work culture and motivation of employees. Employees do not feel trusted when
there is a high level of workplace surveillance. Electronic monitoring within the organizations
should be communicated properly. Employees should know what will be monitored and what
not. Nowadays it is unclear for employees what is monitored. Sometimes there are too many
things that are monitored and not needed. This leads to resistance and disagreement of the
employees.
There are different tools for electronic computer monitoring. An EM system can track content
and time spent on the computer. Furthermore EM systems enable analyzing saved files or
social network activities. It is possible to read and review e-mail. However, which content can
we monitor and which not? In my opinion, it is allowed to control work e-mail, because it is part
of the work performance. Private e-mails should not be sent through work e-mail. In addition,
internet history is very personal data. Internet history should be monitored, but only the
websites and the time spent, not the specific link. If you are doing something for your work, it
is your work performance and managers should have the right to take a look on it. However,
after working time, companies should not monitor your work anymore. After work begins your
private life and things you do on their devices should be private. Personal data shall not be
gathered after work hours.
Conclusion
Electronic monitoring makes it possible for employers to control the performance and
productivity of workers during their work hours. However, this should not be done after working
hours and it is still questionable which things should be monitored. Electronic monitoring can
be done by keystroke counting, the internet history and e-mail readings, listening to phone
calls etc. The most important aspect about implementing an electronic monitoring system is to
communicate within the organization what will be done and what not. Employees should be
aware about their privacy rights and about the things the employer will know. At the end, it is
communication which makes the difference. Electronic monitoring is legal, but create
awareness among the employees!
Main ideas of setting up an electronic monitoring system in organization
4
Luke Picken
Luke Picken
When setting up an EPM in an organization there are few factors to be considered. You must
assess the need for EPM depending on what kind of organization it is being implemented upon.
If it is to being introduced into a factory setting it could help increase worker productivity, help
control the workers and minimise disobedience and help protect the workers by helping to
improve health and safety in the workplace. However it can cause a number of negative effects,
like increased stress levels, workers can feel restricted and have less personal freedom. The
employees may lack company loyalty and trust in the organization as they feel like the
employers do not trust them in the first place.
If EPM is used fairly, it is introduced to the workforce in a positive manner and all the employees
are given a thorough explanation, then it is often well received and functions efficiently.
Commonly organizations have used EPM to help provide thorough feedback allowing workers
to improve themselves, which is also received positively if implemented correctly.
EPM can be introduced to a company to help minimise ‘cyber loafing’ in a general office setting.
With the use of clear policies to ensure all legalities are followed EPM can assist the company
in restricting unauthorised or unproductive internet use and ensure all emails or work
exchanges are in line with company guidelines. EPM in these situations can help greatly with
security concerns. But organizations must explain to all the employees what is and what is not
allowed upfront. It has also been advised that workers are allowed the use of the facilities,
such as the Internet, during break times and when not ‘on the clock’.
There’s a strong case for smaller companies to not implement EPM. If smaller organizations
incorporate a sort of Social Exchange Model (SEM) workers may feel more inclined to work
harder for the company and are more motivated and loyal to the organization. They may take
the stance of ‘if you are not monitoring me, you must trust me, therefore I will work harder as I
feel valued.’ In many cases, as control increases over the workforce trust, in turn, decreases.
Overall I would say for business owners, technology makes things both easier and harder.
Every company has to ensure that its electronic resources are used properly and not abused
by employees. The more that you as an employer know about computers and the Internet, the
better off, and safer, your company will be.
Main ideas of setting up an electronic monitoring system in organization
5
Taavi Kupper
Taavi Kupper
Like we all know our everyday lives are very tightly connected with technology. The connection
are very much personal but nobody can avoid that connection forever. Our personal life
activities are made so easy by technology that we use. Personal technology solutions are more
or less managed by user itself. Security and reliability issues are not so relevant among most
our lives. Security and privacy is strongly our private issue.
In organisations management we can’t speak private and individual things. Organisation is
huge system and everybody is connected through some digital connection portal or gateway.
Information security is very important because in organisations there are lots on sensitive
information. Is it related workers or workers personal data like names, addresses and
telephone number or organisation development and management information that is needed
to keep secret from other organisations. That’s why organisations usually need much more
security in every level.
We must understand that usually organisations use one main “pipe” and through that goes all
organisations outside network activity. This activity is like organisations face that everybody
can see and same time it is the security issue because somebody can make unauthorized
access to organisations inner web or intranet through that channel.
If the organisation is very large and contains many different workers there are physical access
management needed. Usually it is based on levels that are given in organisation. If you don’t
have knowledge based need to access then it’s not provided or your work is not related with
that area in that organisation. Of course this system is monitored 24/7 by security and workers
movement is logged.
More critical corners are covered by security cameras that saves all movement and displays
real time situation in that place.
These methods are very common and people are used to that. But vat about computer system
monitoring and organisation sale phones and ordinary phones. Are they monitor these systems
as well? I think that we can say that yes, some organisations log and monitoring everything
about their workers.
Organisations main servers are configured to add different certificates between you and your
internet connection to scan the material you send and receive. This is because organisation
wants to secure sensitive data and prevent any leakage. If they found that somebody leaking
information through sending out lots of amount sensitive data then organisation can react and
execute some measures to decrease probable negative outcome. Other reason is to protect
the public face of organisation. Nobody wants that their workers doing something illegal in
organisations network. Because the organisation is responsible all the action that is going
through that internet portal. Same applies to the phones. Electronic monitoring systems brings
down data leakage and impropriate internet usage that can cause serious consequences.
In every organisations there are strongly needed electronic monitoring system to ensure the
safety, proper worktime usage and locating the misuse of organisation systems. That helps to
educate the people, found out the weaknesses and manage information technology and printer
supplies costs in the organisation. Companies and organisations don’t want to pay more than
they have to, to ensure best results and they don’t want untrustworthy personnel.
How all this monitoring reacts with workers privacy? I am more than sure that there may be
some effects to privacy and usually they are not good. That’s why is very important that work
hardware, software and environment are used only to achieve work goals and private matter
are solved with private device through private service provider. Otherwise you will share your
“dirty underwear” or strongly private information with your company. Is it deeply bad or good
can decide only the (dumb) user. But we never know how organisation uses our private data
that has been collected.
Main ideas of setting up an electronic monitoring system in organization
6
Luke Picken
Luke Picken
When setting up an EPM in an organization there are few factors to be considered. You must
assess the need for EPM depending on what kind of organization it is being implemented upon.
If it is to being introduced into a factory setting it could help increase worker productivity, help
control the workers and minimise disobedience and help protect the workers by helping to
improve health and safety in the workplace. However it can cause a number of negative effects,
like increased stress levels, workers can feel restricted and have less personal freedom. The
employees may lack company loyalty and trust in the organization as they feel like the
employers do not trust them in the first place.
If EPM is used fairly, it is introduced to the workforce in a positive manner and all the employees
are given a thorough explanation, then it is often well received and functions efficiently.
Commonly organizations have used EPM to help provide thorough feedback allowing workers
to improve themselves, which is also received positively if implemented correctly.
EPM can be introduced to a company to help minimise ‘cyber loafing’ in a general office setting.
With the use of clear policies to ensure all legalities are followed EPM can assist the company
in restricting unauthorised or unproductive internet use and ensure all emails or work
exchanges are in line with company guidelines. EPM in these situations can help greatly with
security concerns. But organizations must explain to all the employees what is and what is not
allowed upfront. It has also been advised that workers are allowed the use of the facilities,
such as the Internet, during break times and when not ‘on the clock’.
There’s a strong case for smaller companies to not implement EPM. If smaller organizations
incorporate a sort of Social Exchange Model (SEM) workers may feel more inclined to work
harder for the company and are more motivated and loyal to the organization. They may take
the stance of ‘if you are not monitoring me, you must trust me, therefore I will work harder as I
feel valued.’ In many cases, as control increases over the workforce trust, in turn, decreases.
Overall I would say for business owners, technology makes things both easier and harder.
Every company has to ensure that its electronic resources are used properly and not abused
by employees. The more that you as an employer know about computers and the Internet, the
better off, and safer, your company will be.
Main ideas of setting up an electronic monitoring system in organization
7
Taavi Kupper
Taavi Kupper
Like we all know our everyday lives are very tightly connected with technology. The connection
are very much personal but nobody can avoid that connection forever. Our personal life
activities are made so easy by technology that we use. Personal technology solutions are more
or less managed by user itself. Security and reliability issues are not so relevant among most
our lives. Security and privacy is strongly our private issue.
In organisations management we can’t speak private and individual things. Organisation is
huge system and everybody is connected through some digital connection portal or gateway.
Information security is very important because in organisations there are lots on sensitive
information. Is it related workers or workers personal data like names, addresses and
telephone number or organisation development and management information that is needed
to keep secret from other organisations. That’s why organisations usually need much more
security in every level.
We must understand that usually organisations use one main “pipe” and through that goes all
organisations outside network activity. This activity is like organisations face that everybody
can see and same time it is the security issue because somebody can make unauthorized
access to organisations inner web or intranet through that channel.
If the organisation is very large and contains many different workers there are physical access
management needed. Usually it is based on levels that are given in organisation. If you don’t
have knowledge based need to access then it’s not provided or your work is not related with
that area in that organisation. Of course this system is monitored 24/7 by security and workers
movement is logged.
More critical corners are covered by security cameras that saves all movement and displays
real time situation in that place.
These methods are very common and people are used to that. But vat about computer system
monitoring and organisation sale phones and ordinary phones. Are they monitor these systems
as well? I think that we can say that yes, some organisations log and monitoring everything
about their workers.
Organisations main servers are configured to add different certificates between you and your
internet connection to scan the material you send and receive. This is because organisation
wants to secure sensitive dada and prevent any leakage. If they found that somebody leaking
information through sending out lots of amount sensitive data then organisation can react and
execute some measures to decrease probable negative outcome. Other reason is to protect
the public face of organisation. Nobody wants that their workers doing something illegal in
organisations network. Because the organisation is responsible all the action that is going
through that internet portal. Same applies to the phones. Electronic monitoring systems brings
down data leakage and impropriate internet usage that can cause serious consequences.
In every organisations there are strongly needed electronic monitoring system to ensure the
safety, proper worktime usage and locating the misuse of organisation systems. That helps to
educate the people, found out the weaknesses and manage information technology and printer
supplies costs in the organisation. Companies and organisations don’t want to pay more than
they have to, to ensure best results and they don’t want untrustworthy personnel.
How all this monitoring reacts with workers privacy? I am more than sure that there may be
some effects to privacy and usually they are not good. That’s why is very important that work
hardware, software and environment are used only to achieve work goals and private matter
are solved with private device through private service provider. Otherwise you will share your
“dirty underwear” or strongly private information with your company. Is it deeply bad or good
can decide only the (dumb) user. But we never know how organisation uses our private data
that has been collected.
Main ideas of setting up an electronic monitoring system in organization
8
Pubudini Gayanjalie Dissanayake
Pubudini Gayanjalie Dissanayake
Technical innovations have make people’s privacy more strong and weak at the same time in
different perspectives. There are unidealistic and legal issues in electronic monitoring in
organizations. Electronic monitoring is a common norm in organizations as companies are
more concerned about their data leakages and they are strict on the productivity of the
organization. Telephone, video, email, computer monitoring are the main methods used to
monitor organizations.
There are lot of motives behind setting up an electronic monitoring system in organization. An
employer could say that monitoring should be done in order to know what is happening in the
organization, to prevent inappropriate activities, to know that workers are efficient, to make
people not use company machines to watch pornography and at the same time to know that
outsiders are not accessing their systems. Also this could help an organization to decide and
identify who are really keen on work, people who are dedicated to work without taking decisions
with some managers’ wrong impression. So that an employee’s evaluation and promotions will
be cleared as it will not interfere a superior’s opinions or their false evaluations. Phone
conversation recording via electronic devices have been a must in call centers in order to
ensure the quality of the service they are giving to the customers. Email monitoring has been
important in order to know whether internal employees are sending confidential details to
external parties or people are using company emails for illegitimate activities. Some companies
set electronic monitoring via CCTV not to check what people are doing, but as a measure of
providing the flexibility for the employees to come to work at any time and go after completing
the required working time. Flexi-hours have been popular among communities as people like
to work with flexible hours rather than getting restricted to a certain time.
However electronic video monitoring, has impacted employees the most among all electronic
monitoring methods, as they know that every activity will be recorded. Most people find it
stressful because they will not have freedom and peace in mind to work and collaborate with
co-workers and enjoy their work life. Working without collaboration with coworkers will not
increase the productivity of the work, but it will be mentally harmful for each employees too as
people will be isolated. Restricted environments had lead peoples life miserable. Employee
turnover increases more when they start getting dissatisfaction about the workplace and work
life. But some organizations using the recorded media for learning purposes, secure and to
make the workplace a better one to employees, where this should be the main objective of
electronic monitoring in workplaces.
As per my idea there are different objectives in companies when they set up electronic
monitoring in their organizations. Some companies wants to improve the quality, service of the
company while providing a comfortable platform to employees, so the monitored data will only
be used in positive ways. But some companies use this to control human power and to increase
the productivity forcefully where they end up in failing as human wellbeing is the key factor for
every success of organization. The more the workers are motivated, they become productive.
As per my view electronic monitoring is not fully for employers beneficial, but sometimes its
objective is to help people grow within the organization.
Main ideas of setting up an electronic monitoring system in organization
9
Heleen Maibak
Heleen Maibak
Employers are seeking for opportunities, to verify that their working processes are optimal and
employees are using working hours just for the tasks they are given. Electronic monitoring
systems are there to fulfil these tasks. On installing this system organisation has to follow rules
and regulations, but also consider psychological effects for employees. The latter one is the
biggest challenge.
One option to follow employees’ activities is to track time spent on tasks. Different
organisations are practising two main ways; employee tracks time itself or there is used login
or chip registration based logging. First option is most common in organization where workers
are trusted and they do not have a need to manipulate on the data. Information given is used
for analysing work effort done on the tasks and to analysing processes. Using automated time
tracking is more common in organisation, where employees are not paid by pieces of the work
they have done, but company is main interest is to produce more units. Then each employee
has personal chip/card, that is identified, when work-day starts, ends, or when there is break
taken. Out of those methods, first is considered just minor additional task for employee, end it
doesn’t affect him psychologically, second options may cause anxiety, as people feel they are
followed, in addition their income is dependent on it.
With growth of the Internet and social media, there is also growth of employees spending their
working time on personal related topics. For avoiding that, some organisations are using
screen tracking, email monitoring or even cameras. All these methods are considered as
harrowing for employees, as nobody doesn’t like to be watched over. Due to feeling that they
are not trusted and that somebody is always watching, is causing stress. Stress in general
causes both mental and physical problems when it applies on long term. When the organisation
feels that they need to monitor people that intensively, shows conflict situation in an
organization.
Different case is when monitoring is used for defending people on court cases or postanalysing critical situations, e.g. emergency centres, police, security companies etc. In those
cases, monitoring is not used for tracking but as support on re-creating situations when
needed. As these job-profiles itself are taken as stressful positions, then these monitoring
systems do not have same effect as on regular office employees. They may even have
opposite effect, as workers know that there is information supporting them, if everything doesn’t
go well. Depending on work-profile there is also used tracking GPS (transport companies) for
safety, recoding phone calls (insurance, banks) for training or blocking non-organizational webpages.
Nether less the type of the monitoring, it should be considered, what is actual goal to be
achieved and what are possible side effects. In addition to the stress, monitoring
measurements may rise employee turnover, inhibit work (google or other search usage on
web-sites blocking) or they give false information, because algorithms cannot consider all
details, that people can. Managers should think about alternatives by changing organization
structure, modifying workstations locations in the room or e.g. adjusting breaks, so that they
support productivity.
When there is real need for new systems, they should be promoted early and all needed
information should be given. When monitoring is done on process improvement purpose, it
shouldn’t be used as punishment. On analysing monitoring results, special cases may need
for “human look”, as there may be a good explanation for deviation. When employees get
answers to their questions on time, they will trust the new system more, so it will not have that
big effect on them.
There are multiple monitoring opportunities in addition to the ones previously described for
organizations. Each of them should use solution that is fulfilling their goal, but that is not too
invasive for employees. Finding this balance is rather challenging, but failing on that will have
Main ideas of setting up an electronic monitoring system in organization
10
Heleen Maibak
unwanted effects. When there is too weak monitoring system introduced, it will not give needed
information, or it can be falsified, when it is too strong, employees will become stressed and
unsatisfied, which will decrease productivity. Getting good balance enables organizations to
get useful information, so they can improve service or process.
References
1.
2.
3.
4.
L. M. Katz, “Monitoring Employee Productivity: Proceed with Caution”:
URL=https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/pages/0615-employeemonitoring.aspx, 2015, 29.09.2016
The University of St Andrews, “Managers' guide to monitoring stress”: URL
=https://www.standrews.ac.uk/staff/policy/hr/managersguidetomonitoringstress/#Common causes
of workplace stress , 2010, 29.09.2016
Mishra, Jitendra M. ; Crampton, Suzanne M. “Employee monitoring: Privacy in the
workplace?”:
URL=http://faculty.bus.olemiss.edu/breithel/final%20backup%20of%20bus620%2
0summer%202000%20from%20mba%20server/frankie_gulledge/employee_work
place_monitoring/employee_monitoring_privacy_in_the_workplace.htm , 1998,
29.09.2016
Mahmoud Moussa, “Monitoring Employee Behavior Through the Use of
Technology
and
Issues
of
Employee
Privacy
in
America”:
URL=http://sgo.sagepub.com/content/5/2/2158244015580168#sec-2
,
2015,
29.09.16
Main ideas of setting up an electronic monitoring system in organization
11
Berj Dekramanjian
Berj Dekramanjian
Pro’s:

Cost Saving: Monitoring workers output, will increase their
efficiency due to reducing their ability to slack, and also save up
on costs of middle management which are usually tasked with
the same duty.

Improve chance of training and rehabilitating: Train workers who
suffer from short attention span to focus.

Reduce Risks: of leaks of private organizational intellectual
property, or loss of information due to hardware damages, since
everything could be easily backed up

Better assess: Employees by being able to quantify their work

Improve Quality control: by being able to monitor, or turn back to
any case in case of any complaints.

Reduced Motivation: As the worker will feel pressured to finish
their tasks

Reduced Quality: As workers might want to do only what is
enough to pass monitoring measures (nothing extra)

Reduced trust: as employees will always feel that they should
doubt the management as they are being doubted

Lack of feel of citizenship to the organization

There will always be loopholes, some people will find a way t
take advantage of it.
Cons
Main ideas of setting up an electronic monitoring system in organization
12
Kyle Mokma
Kyle Mokma
Electronic monitoring systems are the topic of discussion. EMS’s bring the potential to increase
worker and organizational productivity. On the flip side of increases in productivity and with
anything there is the potential for abuse. Within the work environment and with government
security agency electronic monitoring systems allow for a great amount of power and influence
to be concentrated into the hands of a relatively few number of people. Scenarios previously
described lend themselves towards potentially being abused by the people pulling the switches
or controlling said monitoring system. For the sake of this article the discussion will discuss
privacy vs productivity within the organizational environment.
Within the work environment and increase in the use of software and techniques to monitor
workers electronic or online behavior is increasing. As mobile devices become a common
occurs amongst people young and old people are regularly using their phones across all
environments. In the classroom at home and in the work place these devices can impeded
social functioning and decrease productivity in both academic and professional arenas. In
order to combat this loss in productivity organizations are implementing interventions that
intend to provide consequences and decrease the motivation for using this devices or
engaging in non-work related online activity during working hours.
One method suggested to curb the non work related electronic activities is to provide people
with opportunities to engage in this behavior during specific break times during the work day.
It is thought that this might satiate or decrease the motivation a person has to use the device
during working times thus helping to alleviate the effect non work related electronic activity has
on work performance. Another suggested method is using an electronic monitoring system that
tracks the websites that an employee goes to while they are using work networks or work
devices. This would essentially allow a person to track the persons online activity and then
provide consequences both positive and negative in order to shape behavior to fit the
expectations, policies, and rules of the organization more closely.
n my opinion these two strategies can be grouped into to types of intervention styles.
Consequence or operant conditioning, and antecedent strategies. The consequence or
operant conditioning interventions attempt to manipulate the consequences of a behavior to
effect whether not It occurs more or less often in the future. An antecedent based strategy
would attempt to effect the motivation a person has to engaged in a specific behavior. If a
person for example is allowed to get there fill of internet or non work related electronic activity
right before work they might then be less motivated to engage in this behavior during work
time. For best results manipulating motivating operations via the antecedent based strategy
and manipulating consequences via the operant conditioning methods would have the
strongest effect essentially attacking the issue from both ends.
The potential effectiveness of these intervention strategies should not overshadow the
potential negative effects. The potential for abusing electronic monitoring systems has been
well documents. One example is the case of the NSA National Security Administration
monitoring huge amounts of telecommunications data in the United States with the justification
that doing so is in the national security interest. In doing this however the average person
looses a significant amount of privacy, opening up the possibility that this data collection will
be used for purposes other than to counter terrorism activity for which it was originally intended.
Main ideas of setting up an electronic monitoring system in organization
13
Ceren Hancı
Ceren Hancı
Nowadays, electronic monitoring systems in organizations can be seen as a new trend for
supervision and preventing employees’ faults. Although it has significant benefits to inspect
without any motion, crucial effects on employees can not be undervalued. First of all,
employers’ having this kind of power may lead other hierchical superiority effects like in the
Zimbardo’s prison experiment. Monitoring in every second while employees are working can
affect their performance as the sense of discomfort, acting differently and abused privacy.
Social phobia, is a common disorder in most of the cultures, involves symptoms like public
speaking, avoid to eat in public and hesitate from eye contact or on the contrary need for over
eye contact. If an employee with social phobia is informed about electronic monitoring system
in workplace, this situation can cause high anxiety state which will also lead a decrease in job
performance. Moreover, in my opinion employees who don’t suffer from social phobia or any
other anxiety disorder can be adversely affected by the Big Brother effect. The main aspect is
abusing the privacy sense of individuals since they can not be aware of being monitored in
every second. Some reflex movements which every person executes after be sure about no
one is watching them, will become a stressor and also segmented concentration will derive
from this situation.
Addition to social phobia view, obsession and perversion are the new trends in human kind,
both male and female. Monitoring systems may become the technological style of sexual
harrasment in work places as an obsessive employer’s stalking attitudes towards an employee
by watching in a disturbing manner from the screen. It can be seen as a chance for the
employer to reach a self-satisfaction without any probability to get busted. Nobody knows that
behind the closed doors, Nevertheless, compared to past decades, although sexual
harrassment or mobbing become a threat for both genders, common view about defending
only the females from disturbing situations still ongoing. Female employers’ can abuse this
common view and their hierarchical level in the aspect of positive discrimination.
On the other hand, monitoring systems should be used for preventing the inappropriate
behaviors which derives from positive discrimination, hierarchical level or any other privileges.
As the best example, in a movie after female employer harasses her employee, she accuses
him with raping her because of he rejects to have an sexual intercourse. As a result because
of the positive discrimination and her position in the company, the jury agrees with the
employer. If organization is monitored 7/24, records will be more accurate prooves than eyewitnessing or narratives.
Furthermore, thievery, mobbing and shirking work are the other common problems after sexual
harassment in occupational context. Electronic monitoring will assist to create a trustworthy
concept among employer-employee relationship as the threat preventing system. Individuals
in the organization feel secure which is a significant impact on job satisfaction and also this
system can be used as a sieve to eliminate rotten apples from the work place.
As a result, electronic monitoring system should be a prevention for main problems and faults
in the company whereas it can perceive as a stressor which pushes them to make a mistake.
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R.A.Örge Hünkar Edgü
R.A.Örge Hünkar Edgü
The usage of technology and Internet is turned into an indispensable part of our life-cycle as
vital and also for the youth, it considers as taking a breath since 1950s. It seems the importance
of them increase day by day with a boom of acceleration among all parts of society. However
the work-style in organizations changes in many sectors, at all the departments on the way of
being more electronic, more automatic. It is seemed that the need of checking and measuring
of the workers performance become extremely urgent among the management level but
especially among the human resources as well as collecting data is useful and effective to
forward their future strategy. The development on the communication and media devices such
as cameras and telephones which ease to record and the software which facilitate to survey,
to listen whenever it is needed.
By the way, the improvement on media devices is supported by the software which means
programming side, even either they are described Electronic Performance Monitoring which is
named by now EPM. From my perspective I think every technologic development carries on
them how beneficial it is considered by organizations, it also has some disadvantages against
business manner.
EPM are used properly in organizations that are stucked, under the conditions of heightened
competition and the necessity of qualified employees as regarding to rise up the workers
satisfaction and especially their loyalty, also to reduce the cost of the employees. Nowadays
EPM almostly used as a key performance indicator(KPI) to judge the employees works, to
improve the concentration, the motivation as well as the satisfaction meanwhile it is also used
to restrict the interruption of getting socialize with the aim to increase the productivity, to
become more and more robotic employees.
EPM system is based on electronical data how efficient the employees terminates their work
tasks, how consistent to the work-hours, how much time they spend on internet and for what
they used it. Because of the increase of the competitive power none of the organizations did
not prefer their employees used theirs technologies, theirs internet, theirs email, briefly theirs
resources to make a profit mentally or economically for itself instead of being gradually
productive, more and more the energy and concentration level grown up on the way of only
working without stopping. Therefore, they used the EPM system to state precisely the worker
salary into the institution, to apply some psychological press on the way of theirs empower
process as regarding the EPM results. Furthermore, monitoring is a conservative control
approach in the business life to figure out the behavior of the employee and also it is a way to
collect data about relationships that it is the integral part of business area as well as it is also
created the trivet including organizations, employees and client side to increase of service
quality by providing to bring down the environment of organizations and client relationships.
Organizations are used the collected data to analyze the employees behavior to classify the
employees on view of loyalty and satisfaction.
On the other hand, organizations employees did not feel comfortable and happy under this
working conditions. It is acceptable that to become tightly jammed and feeling under x-Ray is
caused to be all of a jump as well as they are caused to be depressive, anxious and plenty of
stress. it is obviously clear that they feel themselves under a heavy pressure as well as the
thought of their privacy were also stolen or attacked into the employee point of view. By the
way, it is transparently clear that it caused to decrease their productivity and their enthusiasm
to work hard whether or not it is not important to promote or to have a profit such as bonus or
salary. On the other hand employees accept to be over pressed whereas their expectations
increase although it is almostly resulted with a disappointment.
Monitoring of worker is not only to define how much time the rest room is used, how many
times they were disrupted by the outside activities such as coffee break, meal. It is also meant
to be counted their work-hours during a day and how much task is done. In my point of view
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R.A.Örge Hünkar Edgü
to be monitored is a need for some kind of employees, for the youngers especially for the
people who have not able to be self-discipline and self assessment as well as the self-control
inside their own.
As I have worked for 21 years, I have an opportunity to evaluate the influences of to be
monitored and to make a stab on monitoring from both of sides ; employee and supervisor
view. I can say that I have never meet somebody who is satisfied of being analyzed in
everywhere that they go during their work-period. It is surely obvious that they need a private
comfort area to take ;-and if necessary retake-; a breath into a depressive situation. Therefore
,it is also needed to be deeply far away from all the invisible eyes, from organizational justice
in order to be more efficient, more productive as clear as to be creative and innovative, to be
able to feel more comfortable in their inside which are caused to be hardworking without any
bellyache continuously.
On my perspective, I do not believe that all the employees in organizations are needed to
survey as regarding that it depends by the ages, by the personality and by the education level
too. Surveillance pressure over the employees is precious and acceptable if it is worth in order
to elevate up and to make more money which are generally convenient for a short time as well
as to have some feedbacks in order to be motivated is more valuable than the profit. It is also
acceptable that the employees who work in organizations are human beings and as my own
experience.
Several times,I have seen that monitoring is not enough; - they can find new ways to escape
from the chaotic environment or such as long and frequently taken coffee breaks or breaks to
gossip in each other to force and to empower employee to work harder. it could be obstructive,
constructive if it is used objectively and also in balance. To make a profitable and useful
balance between the rights of employee and the rights of organization is the responsibility of
the human resource. If organizations had used to evaluate collected data to analyze the
employees behaviour how satisfied or annoyed they are, to react by giving some bonus
payment or outside cultural activities in gamification , the trustworthiness of EPM system would
have been more acceptable by the employees. Apart of them it is extremely important to accept
in organizations that EPM is not a profit-loss tool against to employee in the manner of slavery.
As a conclusion, monitoring is of course important to improve productivity, to avoid wasted
work hours, to obstruct the usage of the organization resources and to accept the results as a
KPI to promote or to punish, but it is definitely sure that Electronic Performance Monitoring
should be used in balance to construct satisfied and profitable working environment , to be
respectful to the privacy of whoever work and to feedback everyone transparently and to
evaluate objectively each employee .
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