The above clip is from Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times, a 1936 comedy starring and written, directed, produced, and party scored by our friend with the mustache. The film takes a slap-stick satirical approach to many aspects of "modern" (1930's) life as Chaplin's misfit character has [relatively] silent adventures through factories, dance halls, jail, and the world of his imagination.A little bit of research showed me that Chaplin was himself a socialist; big surprise, coming from something we watched in C&E (perhaps we should call the class "communism and ethics"?) While I do not plan to address Mr. Chaplin's political views any further, I do want to talk about something from the factory sequence of his movie, pictured above.
In the factory of Modern Times, there is a highly detailed distribution of labor typical of 20th-century factory work; each person only has a small and repetitive task to perform, and production is overseen by a heirarchy of seemingly lazy managers and company executives. The big guy in the suit seen on-screen above (ala Big Brother) is in charge of the entire factory and can appear at will on giant TV screens to monitor and yell at unproductive employees. He also tells a bare-chested worker we might call the Lever Operator when to crank up conveyor belt speeds to increase output. In short, Big Brother knows exactly what you're doing, how you're doing it, and whether you ought to be doing it faster.
I hope that this situation does not sound far-fetched to you, the reader. According to Sara Baase, the leading CS professor of San Diego State University, computers have allowed the intensive monitoring of employees to extend far beyond factory work and into white-collar (professional) jobs. Many employers now feel free to read emails, listen in on phone calls, and even remotely monitor the computer screens of employees in the name of increased productivity. Some employers even do the unthinkable by secretly keylogging their workers. This means that any password used on a company computer may then be stored and saved in the records of that company which, thanks to exponentially increasing data storage capabilities, may be held indefinitely. Talk about invasion of privacy - yikes!
Many contend that these practices, while implemented to ensure productivity, may actually hurt it more often than not. According to Baase, the effect of automatic monitoring in fields such as phone-based customer support may be to lower employee effectiveness by placing quanitity of above quality of service. More generally, surveillance of employees tends to lower their morale, commitment to doing a good job, and overall effectiveness. It is thus held by some that restrictions on employee monitoring may simply be good business and eventually win out in many cases whether or not any proposed worker privacy legislation is actually passed.
Even so, those finding new jobs in a white-collar work environment would do well to investigate their employers' policies and track record on employee monitoring. Google isn't the only one laying claim to your personal life.
I agree that monitoring may have some detrimental effects. Specifically, I think that such an emphasis on quantity is quashing customer service, and I think that companies should remember that without their customers, they wouldn’t exist. I also think that scripting calls may make a phone job repetitive. But I have to defend some monitoring. I’m not at all shocked or dismayed by the thought that companies may monitor employees’ email. Employees that are being paid by the hour are basically stealing company money when they tend to personal business on company time. It is unprofessional to check personal emails, make personal calls, or web-surf while one is supposed to be working. Furthermore, it is in the company’s interest to protect itself. What if an employee is downloading child pornography onto company computers? What if they are sending inappropriate emails or stalking someone? The company may well be presented with a lawsuit. Extreme monitoring may stifle customer service and creativity, but I think that in the end, companies are entitled to as much monitoring as they want, as long as they present their monitoring policies to employees.
ReplyDeleteI really agree that computer and technology monitoring has gone to a new sickening level. In some cases the company has gone too far by having key strokes logged, which is a huge invasion of privacy. I’m probably even sure they listen in on phone calls to see if they are business related. Even though all this is done to keep the workers from doing anything other than work related tasks, I feel that these action really hurts the worker. First the worker feels insecure at work, like someone is always watching over his shoulder. This lack of trust may make the worker uncomfortable and thus may not be able to perform at the highest level. Also, the companies should let the workers roam the internet at times if they want. This can help distress and clear the mind of the worker and possibly increase productivity, instead having the worker mindlessly stare at a computer screen for eight hours doing work. Thus, I feel the work place should loosen up and this could possibly help them in the long run.
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