Running Head: ALLOWING INTERNET ACCESS IN THE WORKPLACE
Allowing Internet Access in the Workplace
Angelica Villanueva
California State University, San Bernardino
Introduction
How is the topic “Allowing Internet Access in the Workplace” related to mobile devices? Simply put the internet is the most widely used platform in which to download (or upload) data and reach the maximum number of learners. Without it there are few, and ineffective, teaching modules that can be used. Many will come from the vendor and will not need to compete with others and so will lack any meaningful design or learning content. Restricting access to such an important learning tool hinders companies and its employees. Limiting the platform on which huge amounts of material are available limits the individual’s ability to learn. I have been in a training program that made use of material only found on the internet and created by another company and when it came time to begin the actual assignment I found that I was no longer able to access that information because of restrictions on internet use.
The use of the internet in everyday lives has expounded considerably since its advent. Its uses are too numerous to list and its potential, over time, increases without restraint. The internet has become so ingrained into our lives, people use it to manage household finances, research a myriad of subjects (some educational, many not), and to communicate instantaneously with people down the street or across the world. So why then do employers, from non-profit government entities to for-profit fortune 500 companies, restrict internet access to some if not all employees? Why is it that companies (and other public entities) across the world severely limit or restrict internet access? Is it a matter of trust? Or is it financially limiting? Maybe it’s the belief that if you allow internet access productivity and other work product will suffer.
Cost and Productivity
Point
“Personal internet use at work is presented as a problematic behaviour that is especially prevalent among lower-status employees” (Garrett 287). In many companies the internet is limited for just these types of employees yet internet usage continues unabated. The use of the internet during work hours is not limited to the type of employee; in fact, research has suggested that “cyberslacking” is more in the domain of employees with higher work status. These tend to be college educated, highly paid and valued members of the company.
The reduced cost and incrеаsеd cаpаbilitiеs of cоmputеr tеchnоlоgy have triggеrеd drаmаtic incrеаsеs in various forms of cоmputеr-dеlivеrеd instruction, including cоmputеr-bаsеd trаining, Wеb-bаsеd training, multimеdiа lеаrning еnvirоnmеnts, and е-lеаrning. Yet internet access remains a contentious issue, it is not merely a platform in which to train and inform individuals but a necessary part of life and living. The idea that unrestricted access will damage a company’s bottom line and allow employees to forsake their work is unfounded. The truth lies in a more simple thought: employees routinely use the internet to engage in creative and flexible thinking in order to focus on work. “Nonwork computing could positively influence productivity and workplace learning” (Garrett 287) much like short naps or other mental exercises meant to stimulate the individual.
Companies routinely use e-mail, an intranet and an in-house search engine that allows the employee to research whatever information the company has on specific issues, this in no way mimics the internet experience since information is limited to what the company has created and approved as viable subject matter. These same companies regularly control internet access; many do so by picking and choosing the features of the internet that is conducive to the business but stop short from allowing internet access for fear that the employee will spend countless hours online, and work product will suffer.
The use and information present online enables employees to better manage their workload. Allowing an employee to use the internet to check on a family issue or use it for other nonwork related activity will allow the employee to be more attentive and alleviates the need to miss work entirely. This is useful for both the individual and the company.
Counterpoint
Many employers have an understandable fear when it comes to allowing unrestricted internet access to its employees, they fear as a result employees will access inappropriate material or commit other violations that leave the company open to litigation. As a defensive mechanism it is much easier to limit or restrict access and effectively stop the threats to the bottom line. As a result of employee misconduct “8.3% of organizations have battled sexual harassment and/or sexual discrimination claims stemming from employee e-mail and/or internet use” (Operation E-Workplace). Not only does this damage the financial standing of the company but affects other employees when stricter policies are implemented as a result; worker productivity and morale stagnates.
Cyberslacking is often conceived as a work avoidance strategy, employees use this to express workplace grievances. According to Mark Griffiths “office workers who spend 1 hour a day at work on various nonwork activities…could be costing businesses as much as $35 million a year. In many companies the fear of workers using the internet for personal use is on par with another employee issue: stealing office supplies. Although the costs of stealing office supplies is easily calculated the loss of productivity and work product is a lot more difficult to determine.
“Internet usage in the US workplace is increasing at a phenomenal rate” (Anandarajan 69), this means that more resources are being used for purposes other than for the profitability and status of the company. The cost of allowing unrestricted internet usage does not merely take into account the cost of the service or computers capable of handling multiple platforms it also accounts for the cost associated with the loss in productivity or the decrease in high-quality work product.
Conclusion
The need for access to the internet varies from company to company and by sector. The real task in understanding the benefits and disadvantages of internet usage and how to provide an employee access without hindering the company lies in the individual and his employer. “The leadership challenge is to harness the tremendous potential of the internet, working to control and improve inefficiencies while not discouraging internet usage” (Anandarajan 69). The question is: Should cyberslacking be controlled or accommodated in the workplace?
Anandarajan, M., Simmers, C., & Igbaria, M. (2000, January). An exploratory investigation of the antecedents and impact of internet usage: an individual perspective. Behaviour & Information Technology, 19(1), 69-85.
Garrett, R., & Danziger, J. (2008, June). On Cyberslacking: Workplace Status and Personal Internet Use at Work. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(3), 287-292.
Griffiths, M. (2003, June). Internet abuse in the workplace: issues and concerns for employers and employment counselors. Journal of Employment Counseling, 40(2), 87-96.
Operation E-Workplace Protection. (2002, March). Information Management Journal
