I am an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Baltimore, and I am researching the personal use of computers at work. I have developed an anonymous survey that takes about 15 minutes to complete. If you are interested, please visit the following site:
All participants can arrange to have the results of the survey mailed or faxed to them when the study is completed.
I would be interested in related thoughts, stories, or comments related to this topic. You can email me or keep this thread going so we can build the discussion.
I must say I’m fairly mystified by the management mentality that provides e-mail and more-or-less full internet access to employees, and is then shocked when the employees use them for non-business purposes.
Would a business put a TV on everyone’s desk with full satellite dish service (500+ channels) and then admonish them that it was to be used “only for business purposes”?
“What? People are watching ESPN? Why, that’s like stealing from us!”
While Professor Mastrangelo’s survey asks whether the respondent’s job requires them to use a computer, it doesn’t ask whether it requires them to have access to the internet. I suspect that a very small percentage of those currently with access actually have any business need for it.
Many employees, myself included, probably find workplace internet access to be useful (for shopping, administrative/banking activities, etc.) as well as entertaining. Both of these things may help enhance employees’ job satisfaction, and simply make their lives easier or more tolerable. For employers to pretend, however, that everyone should have internet access, but only for business purposes, is the height of Dilbertian idiocy.