CHAPTER 10
Responsible Business Debate: Is Technology Healthy for Society?
Issue: What are the benefits and drawbacks of technology to social interaction? While technology has brought advancements, conveniences, and efficiencies to our lives, some critics wonder if the benefits outweigh the costs, especially those that are transforming the ways we communicate, connect with other people, solve problems, and generally interact as human beings. In other words, are we losing the relationships that have made the United States a great place to live and work? In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville visited the United States on behalf of the French government. He set out to study the prison system, but ended up writing a grand treatise, Democracy in America. In his book, de Tocqueville noted how Americans were dedicated to social cohesion, equality, common purpose, and concern for both individuals and the community. Years later, writers on the topic of social capital, mentioned in Chapter 2, drew from de Tocqueville’s work to describe the American approach to community service, active neighborhood associations, and other types of civic engagement. Recent studies, however, indicate civic engagement is declining. Is technology part of the problem? Consider these daily occurrences: Students do not talk to classmate after class, as they are quick to begin texting people they already know. People on the subway rarely acknowledge the riders they see every day, because they are busy checking their personal digital assistants (PDAs) and getting a jumpstart on the day. Co-workers send each other e-mails, rather than walk thirty steps to the next office for a brief conversation. Finally, handwriting is so passé that a handwritten envelope will be opened much sooner than any other piece of mail.
There Are Two Sides to Every Issue:
1. Defend the changes that technology has brought to society’s communication patterns, such as the expediency of e-mail and texting, reduced costs and access to people around the world.
Answer: Technology broadens communities of thought. Obscure thinkers that you had to be introduced to, who published highly original work sporadically and in hard to find places, now have Web pages and post their papers alongside everyone else's. But it also serves as a master of distraction, it seems to be further reducing our collective attention span from the depths to which television had brought it. Important issues fade from focus fast, and while many of humanity's challenges get more complicated, society's ability to pay attention to complex arguments dwindles. Love it or hate it, but free information will transform the world.
2. Defend the need for society to rely less on technology and more on traditional communication patterns, such as face-to-face meetings, verbal conversations and handwritten correspondence.
Answer: The cost is great, but the problem is that much of it is invisible. People today, especially the kids, have no idea of how to interact and actually read someone's face because you can't do that on Facebook. They think nothing of ripping someone in an email or blogging with little or no idea of the consequences. People say things over the internet that would get them punched out in person.

What Would You Do?
James Kitling thought about his conversation with Ira Romero earlier that day. He was not really surprised that the human resources (HR) department was concerned about the time employees were spending on personal issues during the workday. Several departments were known for their rather loose management approach. Internet access for personal tracks, like shopping, using Instant Messaging services, and answering nonwork e-mails, had been a concern several months. Recent news reports had indicated that more than 50 percent of large companies now filter or monitor e-mail. Companies are also monitoring Web browsing, file downloads, chat room use and group postings. A survey published in the media reported that workers spend an average of eight hours a week looking at non work Internet sites.
As the director of information technology, James was very dedicated to the effective use of technology to enhance business productivity. Although he was knowledgeable about technology, James was equally attuned to the ways in which technology can be abused in a work setting. He knew that some employees were probably using too much Internet time on personal tasks. On the other hand, his company mainly employed professionals, administrative staff, and customer service personnel. All 310 employees were expected to use the computer a great deal throughout the day. At present, the company had a skeleton code of ethics and policy on the use of company resources, including the Internet. A couple of managers and now HR had spoken with James about the prospects of monitoring employee computer and Internet use. Ira’s inquiry about the software, however, was a bit more serious. An employee had recently been formally reprimanded for downloading and printing non work documents from the Internet. These documents were designed to help the employee’s spouse in a new business venture. Although the employee did most of the searching and downloading during lunch, the supervisor felt this was an improper use of company resources. Other employees had been informally spoken with about their use of the Internet for personal matters. Ira believed this was a growing problem that definitely affected productivity. He had read of the news reports and believed that monitoring software was becoming a necessary tool in today’s workplace. So far, James had been hesitant to purchase and implement one of these systems. The employee Internet management software was somewhat expensive, running approximately $25 per computer. He felt that this software could cause employee trust to sharply decline, resulting in even greater problems than currently existed. After all, employees engage in some personal tasks during work hours, including making telephone calls home, getting coffee, chatting with co-workers, going to the doctor, and so forth. James wondered if the Internet was that much different from other personal activities. He recalled a discussion in a management class in his MBA program, where they learned that employees in the early 1900s were only allowed to use the telephone to call the police. Thus, the telephone was once thought of a great distracter, much like the Internet today.
Ira and a few other managers were pretty firm in their beliefs about the Internet monitoring system. James was still not convinced that it was the best route to curbing the problem. In his role, however, he was expected to provide leadership in developing a solution. What would you do?
Answer: It should go without saying that employee monitoring ought to be just one small component in a comprehensive strategy to protect your business and maintain productivity. Once you've made the choice to monitor, you should follow the general guidelines to ensure your success.