Effect on Efficiency

Hi Norly. I work at a major aerospace company. We have been granted unlimited access to the internet and are encouraged to use the company's intranet to extract information as needed to do our jobs. Your thoughts are on track that some employees will abuse this privilege. From what I have personally observed, a few people get caught up in on-line auctions and let it interfere with their work. We have had the company also come down hard on people that try to access XXX sites - they will be terminated.

It is a positive thing that the company uses its intranet to send a daily 'status/company news bulletin' out as it saves quite a bit of money.

In looking at how employees get out of control and abuse the privilege, the upper executives wish to give the employees the benefit of the doubt and trust that they will use the internet when it is needed. This is a good nurturing environment. However, then a manager or fellow employee sees that another is abusing this privilege, peers and management have the responsibility to mention this to the abuser so others' privileges will not be revoked. This seems to work well and those workers that spend too long on the internet tend not to get their work done. It is up to the manager to monitor the output of the worker and counsel that worker/employee on their productivity. From what I have seen at the company, those that spend too much time on the internet either (1) are not really needed and can be surplused; or (2) never were productive and would find some other way of wasting time.

It is truly amazing to see the increased knowledge that 'free internet' access will bring into a company. When we need to find out what the latest computer, scanner, digital camera is available, we can do it instantly. When we need to 'feel out the competition' we can do that instantly. It has been a good thing, with limited abuse.

Hope this helps.

I am currently an EdPsych-PhD-Student and researching more ways the computer can help us build expertise. Any thoughts?

Replies:

internet in the workplace, by Norly, 3/8/99

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