Chapter VI: Beyond Privacy and Fairness Concerns--Examining Psychological Boundary Violations as a Consequence of Electronic Performance Monitoring

David Zweig
University of Toronto at Scarborough, Canada

Abstract

This chapter explores the possibility that electronic performance monitoring violates the basic psychological boundary between the employer and employee. Once this boundary has been violated, a host of negative implications are likely, ranging from dissatisfaction and stress to resistance and deviance . This chapter outlines research investigating the implications of electronic performance monitoring and discusses the potential consequences if organizations continue to opt for electronic methods of monitoring to maximize employee performance. Furthermore, it offers suggestions for future research and the practice of electronic performance monitoring in an effort to define the boundaries around its use and limit the negative consequences experienced by electronically monitored employees in organizations.

^[1] Preparation of this chapter was supported by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. I would like to thank an anonymous electronically monitored call centre employee for sharing her insights and experiences with me. I would also like to thank Kristyn Scott and Agnes Zdaniuk for their comments on earlier drafts.