Behavioural Finance in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Behavioural Finance in Business - Essay Example Tapping telephone calls, monitoring computer and internet usage, and screening e-mails are some of the common employee surveillance practices. This paper will critically discuss the influence of workplace surveillance on managing people at work from the perspectives of both employers and employees. The paper will particularly focus on three relevant issues such as performance management, employee privacy, and use of information technology. Performance management Productive performance management is the ultimate goal of workplace surveillance programs. In order to effectively manage workplace or employee performance, it is necessary to measure employee performance levels frequently. Management professionals claim that surveys or other studies may not be an effective way to measure employees’ work performance and productivity. Furthermore, workplace surveillance is the only potential mechanism in today’s business environment as it is an impossible task for line managers a nd other executives to monitor each employee separately. Therefore, a vast majority of management experts strongly support the use of electronic surveillance techniques in the workplace. According to the 2007 Electronic Monitoring & Surveillance Survey conducted by the American Management Association (AMA 2007), nearly 45% of business organizations monitor their employees’ computer, internet, and phone usage. The survey also indicates that a notable percent of employees were terminated for offensive language; excessive personal use of company properties; viewing, downloading, uploading offensive content; and breach of the firm’s confidential rules (ibid). These survey results support the top managements’ argument that workplace surveillance must be in operation to improve value chain efficiency and overall organizational productivity. From an employer’s perspective, the workplace surveillance system would put a moral check on employees and hence they may become more productive. In addition, if there is a workplace system in operation, employees would be conscious of future consequences in case of any workplace misconduct.