Remote Control: Predictors of Electronic Monitoring Intensity and Secrecy

Abstract

Electronic monitoring research has focused predominantly on the reactions of monitored employees and less attention has been paid to the processes that trigger managers' decisions to electronically monitor subordinates. Employing a distributed virtual team simulation, this study examined the effects of dependence, future performance expectations, and propensity to trust on team leaders' decisions to electronically monitor their subordinates. Results indicate that team leaders electronically monitor subordinates more intensely when dependence on subordinates is high or future performance expectations are low. Moreover, team leaders are more likely to monitor in secret when dependence is high or propensity to trust is low. Although team leaders increased their level of electronic monitoring over time, this tendency was stronger when the leader had consistently low performance expectations.

Monitoring Online Training Behaviors: Awareness of Electronic Surveillance Hinders E‐Learners1

“…First, classroom trainees typically know what is being measured and when. Online surveillance is less obtrusive, and e‐learners are not always privy to the status of monitoring activities (Alge, Ballinger, & Green, 2004; Stanton & Barnes‐Farrell, 1996; Wells, Moorman, & Werner, 2007). Second, the amount of information collected in the classroom pales in comparison to the range and volume of data that can be gathered online.…”

Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethical Leadership, and Trust Propensity: A Multi-Experience Model of Perceived Ethical Climate

“…When information about the trustworthiness of a trustee is inadequate, as is frequently the case with executive leaders, trust propensity can enhance the effect of trustworthiness factors such that it takes on a moderating effect (Mayer et al 1995;Lord and Maher 1993). Recent empirical support for the moderating effect of trust propensity can be found in the justice literature (Colquitt et al 2006) and prior research suggesting that individuals who have a strong tendency to readily trust others are more likely to sincere rather than insincere motives (Alge et al 2004). We propose that individuals high in trust propensity may tend to perceive motives for CSR activity as sincere, and thus are more likely to believe that CSR activity is due to the ethicality of top management leaders:…”

Ethical implications of internet monitoring: A comparative study

“…Low performance expectations and a low level of trust also resulted in increased monitoring of employees by managers in their study (Alge et al 2004). They report that problems with past and future performance trigger monitoring of employees and 95% of managers interviewed identified lack of productivity, abuse of the system and failing trust as cause to monitor.…”

“…They report that problems with past and future performance trigger monitoring of employees and 95% of managers interviewed identified lack of productivity, abuse of the system and failing trust as cause to monitor. Their study also found that the more important the employee is to a critical task or project the greater the likelihood of monitoring (Alge et al 2004). The employer has an unchallenged right to monitor the workplace, but the issue of monitoring the home for telecommuters poses a different concern of invasion of privacy.…”