Chapter 6 Case Study : Monitoring Employees on Networks: Unethical or Good Business?

Question 1: Should manager monitor employee e-mail and Internet usage? Why or why not?

Yes, manager should monitor employee e-mail and Internet usage because managers worry about the loss of time when employees are more focusing on personal rather than company business.

       When employees spend a lot their time checking e-mail and the internet it will automatically give effect to the company revenue due to the less of employee productivity. Besides that, some employees may even be billing time they spend pursuing personal interests online to clients, thus overcharging them. Means that, employee did not pay attention to what customer need from the company.

     Then, if personal traffic on company is too high, it can also clog the company’s network so that legitimate business work cannot be performed. Normally employee will use the network provided by the company to complete their job but when they use it for other things that is not necessary   like watch and download video files it cause the network to slow down. Next, when employees use e-mail or the Web (including social networks) at employer facilities or with employer equipment, anything they do, including anything illegal, carries the company’s name. For example, when the employee had done anything illegal like criminal by using the social networks at the work place they will automatically affect the company’s name.

       Moreover, they use company’s equipment and properties to do it. It will gave negative look to the customer toward the company’s name. Companies also fear leakage of confidential information and trade secrets through e-mail or social networks. Normally employee will accidentally sent confidentially or potentially embarrassing company e-mail to outsiders. This will cause the bad look toward the company by the others especially the customers and automatically give benefit to the competitors.

Question 2: Describe an effective e-mail and Web use policy for a company.

Policy: US companies have the legal right to monitor employees Internet and e-mail activity while they are at work.

• This policy is an effective policy because some managers are worries the loss of time and employee productivity when employees are focusing on personal rather than company business while using the Internet. This problem will lead into lost revenue.
• When employees use e-mail or the Web at employer facilities or with employer equipment, anything they do, including anything illegal carries the company’s name. Thus, when managers are monitoring the employee’s activity anything that may be suspicious can be prevent.
• Companies also fear leakage of confidential information and trade secrets through e-mail or social networks. Among managers who fired employees for Internet misuse, the majority did so because the employees’ e-mail contained sensitive, confidential, or embarrassing information.
• The function for this policy also, is to remember that they are personally responsible for what they publish, and to refrain from discussing controversial topics that are not related.

Question 3: Should managers inform employees that their Web behavior is being monitored? Or should managers’ monitors secretly? Why or why not?

Yes, managers should inform employees that their Web behavior is being monitored. This is because as like what IBM did. IBM now has “social computing guidelines” that cover employees’ activities on sites. The guidelines urge employees not to conceal their identities, to remember that they are personally responsible for what they publish, and to refrain from discussing controversial topics that are not related to their IBM role.

This shows also that every employee should be informed about their Web behavior monitored by the employer on the grounds of safety and care of the company's confidential information. Thus, each use of the internet conducted shall be based on things which were good to the common good and the good reputation of the company.

In addition, as a company dependent on widespread information sharing, innovation, and independence could very well find that monitoring creates more problems than it solves. Extensive information resource sharing without limitations can cause much information leading cause of the spread of rumors and false sources that may lead to the sharing of information on the dangers and bad of a company. So, this should be handling by every employee in order to overcome the problem from occur.

Manager monitored their employees’ Web behavior because Manager doesn’t want their employees sending confidential files or other confidential information to people via e-mail that aren't suppose to know the information. Manager need to be concerned about their employees talking about work related information that isn't supposed to leave the office. Next, Manager doesn’t want their employee looking at any inappropriate pictures while at work. Manager also don't want their company to get into trouble for employee's sneaking around to look at pornographic images or anything else sexual. Manager also doesn’t want them to cheat the time clock. Manager doesn’t want their employee to waste company’s money by paying the employee if she or he is just surfing around on the Internet that isn't work related. Manager don't want them being distracted by talking to buddies through instant messages while working. Employees would be able to accomplish more work if they didn't chat with buddies while working. It will save manager even more money if they don't let their employees talk to buddies through Instant messages while working.