LONG REPORT DRAFT

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Good Example of Long ReportFigure 11-

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Content:

• Provides specific title
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report.

• States the name and
title of reader—
person who
authorized report.

• Includes the name
and title of person
and/or organization
that prepared report.
Including address is
a matter of
preference and
company
requirements.

• Includes date report
was submitted for
later reference.

EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUE OF ELECTRONIC
MONITORING OF EMPLOYEES

Prepared for

Courtney Hardin-Burns
Chief Information Officer
Federated Underwriters

Dallas, Texas

Prepared by

Justine Houston, Research Assistant
James Barnes, Research Assistant

Amanda Keene, Research Assistant

April 1, 2007

Format:

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Graphic Design to Enhance Appearance and Effec tiveness:
• Uses all capital letters and boldface, large font size to emphasize title.
• Uses different font for remaining items to add interest and to distinguish them from title.
• Uses double border to add professional flair.

TO: Courtney Hardin-Burns, Chief Information Officer
FROM: Justine Houston, Research Assistant

James Barnes, Research Assistant
Amanda Keene, Research Assistant

DATE: April 1, 2007
SUBJECT: Report on Electronic Monitoring of Employee Activity

Here is the report on electronic monitoring of employees that you authorized on
February 15.

The report presents the case both for and against electronic monitoring and makes rec-
ommendations about its use to the company. Current business literature was examined to
form a conceptual basis for the study. A survey was conducted of 98 business managers
representing various segments of the business community; results revealed how and why
firms are using electronic monitoring.

Electronic monitoring offers advantages for objective performance appraisal but must be
used with caution. Issues related to employee privacy, staff morale, and information
access and dissemination must be addressed.

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to participate in this worthwhile study. We
are confident that this report will aid you in making appropriate decisions about the use
of electronic monitoring, and we will be happy to discuss its findings with you.

asl

Attachment

B u s i n e s s C o m m u n i c a t i o n , 1 5 t h E d i t i o n b y L e h m a n a n d D u F r e n e C o p y r i g h t 2 0 0 8 S o u t h – W e s t e r n

(continued)

Content:

• Uses informal,
natural tone that
involves reader. Note
personal pronouns.

• Presents the report
and reminds reader
that she authorized
it.

• Discusses the
methods used
(secondary and
primary data) to
solve the problem.

• Summarizes major
conclusions;
expresses willingness
to discuss the
results.

Format:
• Uses an acceptable memorandum format for a report submitted to someone inside the

company.
• Adds enclosure notation to indicate report is included.
• Center page number in small Roman numerals at bottom of page; may omit number but

count as a page.

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• Omits the outline
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margin; minor ones
indented).

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heading exactly as it
appears in the
report.

• Prepares the
contents after
completing the
report; allows word
processing software
to generate contents
so it can be updated
quickly with each
draft of the report.

• Omits the word
“table” or “list,” an
obvious fact.

CONTENTS
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Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1

Purpose of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Methods and Procedures Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Background of Electronic Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Frequency of Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …. . . . . . 2
Advantages and Disadvantages of Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Legal and Ethical Considerations in Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3

Guidelines for the Use of Electronic Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5

Survey of Businesses Concerning Electronic Monitoring . . . . . . . . 7
Reported Uses of Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Employee Access to Monitoring Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .

14

FIGURES
1 How the Results of Electronic Monitoring Are Used . . . . .. . . . . 7
2 Extent to which Employees Are Informed of Monitoring . . . . . . 8
3 Who Sees the Results of Electronic Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4 Types of Businesses Surveyed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Format:
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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Federated Underwriters, a large, full-service insurance company, maintains offices
throughout the 48 contiguous states. Courtney Hardin-Burns, chief information officer,
oversees the management information systems mainframe functions as well as end-user
computing. In her efforts to improve productivity and increase efficiency of information
control and dissemination, electronic monitoring of employees has been considered.
Current capabilities of the mainframe and network systems would allow electronic log-
ging of user identification, file usage, file manipulation, on-line user time, and so on. In
essence, the computer user leaves an “electronic fingerprint” that could be traced and
analyzed in a number of ways. Hardin-Burns authorized a study to examine issues
related to the electronic monitoring of employee computer activities.

Research was conducted in two ways: (1) Current business literature was examined, and
(2) 98 business managers were surveyed concerning the use of electronic monitoring in
their work settings.

The report addressed the following questions: (1) What is the frequency of electronic
monitoring within organizations? (2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of
monitoring? (3) What are the legal and ethical issues related to monitoring? (4) What
factors are related to successful electronic monitoring? (5) Should Federated Under-
writers institute an electronic monitoring procedure? Legal, ethical, and productivity
issues were examined, and guidelines were developed for the effective use of elec-
tronic monitoring.

The study concluded that electronic monitoring does offer some advantages that justify
its use by Federated Underwriters. Certain safeguards should be applied to its use,
however, including the protection of employee privacy, development of policies for
access and dissemination of information, and maintenance of staff morale.

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Content:

• Uses Executive
Summary, the term
commonly used in
business rather than
“Abstract,” the term
APA recommends.

• Provides needed
background and
explains problems
leading to need for
the study. Presents
purpose of study and
identifies person
authorizing it.

• Describes method
used to solve the
problem.

• Synthesizes major
findings focusing on
specific findings
needed to support
conclusions that
follow.

• Highlights the
conclusions and
recommendations
based on analysis of
the findings.

Format:
• Centers heading in all capital letters using a larger, boldface font for emphasis.

1 1/2”

B u s i n e s s C o m m u n i c a t i o n , 1 5 t h E d i t i o n b y L e h m a n a n d D u F r e n e C o p y r i g h t 2 0 0 8 S o u t h – W e s t e r n
(continued)
Content:

• Gives specific
purpose of study.
Provides methods
and procedures and
sources of
information used to
add credibility.

• Refers reader to
Appendix figure
listing types of
businesses surveyed.

Coherence:

• Uses side heading to
move reader from
one minor division
of the introduction
to another.

• Uses centered
heading to move
reader from
introduction to first
major division.
Follows with a lead-
in paragraph that
previews the
information to be
presented and
separates a major
and a minor heading
(text must separate
two headings).

EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUE OF ELECTRONIC
MONITORING OF EMPLOYEES

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Introduction

Monitoring of worker activities is not new. Nearly a century ago, Frederick Taylor used
detailed worker monitoring through time and motion studies to find the most efficient
methods of carrying out tasks. Today’s technology provides employers with the means to
gather information about employees’ work activities in unprecedented detail
(Ottensmeyer & Heroux, 1991). Mainframe and network capabilities allow electronic
logging of data, such as user identification, file usage, file manipulation, and online user
time. In essence, the computer user leaves an “electronic fingerprint” that can be traced
and analyzed in a number of ways.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study was to determine whether Federated
Underwriters should implement electronic monitoring of employees.
Answers were sought to the following questions:

1. What is the frequency of electronic monitoring within organizations?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of electronic monitoring?
3. What legal and ethical issues are raised by the use of computer monitoring?
4. What factors are related to successful electronic monitoring?
5. Should Federated Underwriters institute electronic monitoring?

Methods and Procedures Used

Secondary research was conducted through traditional and electronic searches of
periodicals, books, and government documents. Interviews were conducted with 98
conveniently selected business managers from throughout Texas. The sample represented
a cross section of business types (see Appendix, Figure 4). Interviewees were asked

1

Format:
• Sinks first page to 11/2 inches for added appeal.
• Centers title in all capital letters; overrides APA format (upper and lowercase) as directed in

company style manual. Uses larger, boldface font for emphasis.
• Formats centered and side headings in boldface font. Note capitalization style for each level.
• Centers Arabic numeral 1 inch from bottom of page.

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a set of questions dealing with the application of electronic monitoring in their respec-
tive companies.

Background of Electronic Monitoring
While monitoring of employees is common, widespread disagreement exists over its
scope and effectiveness.

Frequency of Monitoring
Determining the extent to which electronic monitoring is occurring is difficult because
workers, in many cases, may not be aware of it. A study conducted by the National
Association of Working Women examined data processing, word processing, and
customer-service operations in 110 work sites and found that 98 percent used computers
to track the movements of workers (Computer monitoring , 1988). According to an
American Civil Liberties Union study of the workplace, more than 20 million workers
have their e-mail computer files and/or voice mail searched by the employers (Dichter &
Burkhardt, 1996). The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health estimates
that two thirds of users of visual display terminals are monitored (Bible, 1990); and in
industries such telecommunications, insurance and banking, it is estimated that eighty
percent of employees are subject to monitoring (Dichter & Burkhardt, 1996).

Advantages and Disadvantages of Monitoring
Electronic monitoring can count the number of keystrokes per hour and indicate how
often an employee does certain activities or uses a terminal. Keeping tabs on the quality
of service, enhancing productivity, and detecting dishonesty are the most common reasons
employers monitor. Some workers are pleased that their work is being observed because
they want to be rewarded for their efforts. When monitoring is used to evaluate work, the
machine can be fairer than a person because machines are color-blind and do not recog-
nize gender. Electronic monitoring can make data about performance available more
quickly and more frequently, thereby increasing employee awareness of personal pro-
ductivity (Bible, 1990).

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numbers required for
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• Uses side heading to
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minor division of the
major division
started on previous
page.

• Uses centered
heading to denote
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division. Follows
with transition
sentence that
introduces the
information to be
presented and
separates a major
and a minor
heading.

Format:
• Numbers page 2 and remaining pages with an Arabic numeral at the top right margin 1 inch

from the top (or default top margin of the word processing software used).
• Uses consistent format for centered and side headings.
• Single-spaces final copy of report for space efficiency; APA style requires double-spacing.

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Content:

• Uses in-text
citations to indicate
ideas paraphrased
from secondary
sources. Provides
page number for
direct quotation.

• Summarizes major
section before
moving to the next
one.

Coherence:

• Uses centered
heading to move
reader from one
major division to the
next. Follows with
transition sentence
that previews the
information to be
presented.

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Monitoring may, however, be counterproductive, given the animosity and stress that it
prompts in employees. Judging by complaints from employees and unions, the general
feeling among workers is that monitoring threatens their privacy, intrudes on their personal
work in progress, and leads to their being evaluated on criteria that they do not under-
stand. Workers tend to feel that “Big Brother” is always watching, and the fact that
everyone is subject to the same scrutiny does little to relieve that sense of exposure
(Ottensmeyer & Heroux, 1991). Some companies have implemented monitoring and
then stopped because they discovered how counterproductive it could be (Bible, 1990).

Employees frequently find ways to counter attempts at monitoring. When keystrokes are
monitored, for example, a key can be held down continuously to make the count go up
(although some software programs can detect this deception). Some employees, offended
by what they perceive as a sudden lack of trust, reduce their work efforts to the bare
minimum needed to get by. Middle managers foil monitoring attempts by filling in their
electronic schedules with meetings because employers may tend to think managers are
productive if they are in meetings (Bible, 1990).

Legal and Ethical Considerations in Monitoring
Courts and legislatures have historically allowed employers broad rights of observa-
tion and record keeping when monitoring workers. These rights are based on employer
ownership of the premises at which the work is done and on the basic right of man-
agement to control the work process (U.S. Congress, 1987). Currently, no federal laws
ban or restrict electronic monitoring of work performance. One law that vaguely relates
to the issue of electronic monitoring is the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets
Act of 1968, which was designed to protect the privacy of wire and oral communica-
tions. Advances in technology have rendered the wording of the act obsolete and thus

4
inapplicable to electronic monitoring (Cooney, 1991). Presently, in the absence of any
policy to the contrary, users should assume that they have no privacy in workplace envi-
ronments. Courts have upheld the right of the employer to monitor any and all employee
communications over the employer’s computer system regardless of implied or explicit
statements regarding employee message privacy (Computer Professionals, 1996).

Congress is considering legislation that would have considerable effect on the future of
monitoring. This legislation, the Privacy for Consumers and Workers Act, would limit
the use of electronic devices in monitoring employees’ activities. The act would require
employers to provide employees with prior written notice of electronic monitoring and
to signal them orally or visually when monitoring is being performed. Furthermore, it
would require that employees be informed of the forms of electronic monitoring to be
used, the personal data to be collected, the frequency of monitoring, and the use of the
data (Smith, 1993). In addition to action pending at the federal level, many states,
including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island,
New Mexico, and New York, are developing their own comprehensive monitoring bills
(Nussbaum, 1989).

In the absence of existing legislation related to electronic monitoring, the Department of
Justice in Washington has ruled it legal. The Justice Department, however, strongly
advises system administrators to inform users of monitoring. If keystroke monitoring is
used—even for purposes of detecting intruders, they should “ensure that all system users,
authorized and unauthorized, are notified that such monitoring may be undertaken”
(Smith, 1993, p. 204).

Organizations that represent employees have expressed strong reservations about the use of
electronic monitoring. The 1987 AFL-CIO Convention adopted the following resolution on
the issue:

Electronic surveillance invades workers’ privacy, erodes their sense of
dignity, and frustrates their efforts to do high-quality work, by placing
a single-minded emphasis on speed and other purely quantitative

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Format:
• Indents quotation from both margins for emphasis.
• Ensures the page does not end or begin with a single line of a paragraph (applies to all

pages in a report).

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Coherence:

• Uses centered
heading to move
reader from one
major division to the
next. Follows with a
lead-in paragraph
that previews the
information to be
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measurements. Numerous studies have shown that monitoring creates
high levels of workplace stress that results in a variety of adverse
health conditions (Lund, 1991, p. 197).

In general, opponents of monitoring argue that it undermines customer service, teamwork,
and the quality of work life (Grant & Christopher, 1989).

As surely as workers need to be protected against abuses in electronic monitoring,
business has the legal right to ensure that it provides a safe working environment.
Proponents of monitoring point out that businesses need it to investigate criminal activity
and misuse of company property; therefore, the right to unobstructed monitoring is
essential to business security. Under current law, monitoring that serves a legitimate
business purpose could be vigorously and probably successfully defended. However,
possible new legal developments should be carefully watched.

Electronic monitoring of employees is, for at least some purposes, legal. A more difficult
question is whether it is desirable; and if so, under what conditions? Impressive gains in
productivity must be carefully weighed against potential damage to quality of work life.

Guidelines for the Use of Electronic Monitoring
Research into work environments where electronic monitoring is used reveals interesting
information about worker acceptance of the procedure. The following guidelines help
ensure cooperation:

• Reasonable work. Work standards must be perceived by employees as reasonable
and attainable. This feature is essential to a perception of fairness in the process.
Furthermore, time spans must be set for measurement performance (Angel, 1989).

• Relevant tasks. Only relevant tasks should be included in an electronic monitoring
system. Overwhelming insignificant data does not usefully serve employees or
employers. Further, excessive monitoring can increase the cost of employee
performance appraisal while providing few additional benefits (Henriques, 1986).

Format:
• Uses bullets to emphasize the guidelines; would use numbers if the sequence were

important.

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• Timely intervals. Evaluation intervals should be appropriate. Production of

continuous reports is not only resource consuming but rarely necessary
(Henriques, 1986).

• Employee access. Employers should have access to their computer-monitored
records, which can be used for improving performance and eliminating errors
(Henriques, 1986).

• Specified standards. Specific, well-defined standards should be set for each
monitored task. Under such conditions, workers know exactly what is expected of
them (Angel, 1989).

• Measurable tasks. Chosen tasks must be measurable and definitive (Angel, 1989).
• Results-oriented output. Output from the system should be results oriented. The

important element is the measuring of output, not the means of achieving it
(Angel, 1989).

• Congruent pay. The monitoring system should include a pay schedule congruent
with different performance levels. This requirement ensures that those who consis-
tently perform above predetermined standards are appropriately compensated
(Angel, 1989).

• Mutual goals. Computerized monitoring is an effective aid only if benefits to
employer and employees are explicitly stated. Procedures that appear to advance
only the employer’s best interest will not be successful (Angel, 1989).

• Effective supervision. Grant and Christopher (1991) found that supervisors played
a critical role in determining whether monitoring would be stressful and whether
data feedback would undermine or promote employee satisfaction.

Thus, when safeguards are incorporated into the electronic appraisal process, the result
can be better satisfied and more efficient workers. Employees will experience less work-
related anxiety, will be more gratified and content, will be objectively evaluated for work
performed, and will be properly compensated for output produced. Positive impact on
employers will include low-cost, effective and meaningful evaluation

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(continued)
Format:

• Uses centered
heading to move
reader from one
major division to the
next. Follows with a
leadin paragraph
that previews the
information to be
presented and
separates a major
and a minor
heading.

• Uses side heading to
divide the major
section into minor
divisions.

Content:

• Includes survey
data not depicted in
a graph or table.

• Summarizes major
points in the bar
chart and the table
and refers the reader
to the figures.
Provides title
specific enough to
assist readers who
skim the report.

7
tools; methods to identify unique, individual problems; procedures for providing direc-
tion and guidelines for employees; and improved training programs (Angel, 1989).

Survey of Businesses Concerning Electronic Monitoring
Of the 98 managers who participated in the current study, 66 (67%) indicated that their
companies engaged in some type of electronic monitoring of employee activities. These
respondents provided information related to the uses of monitoring and employee access
to the data collected.

Reported Uses of Monitoring
When asked about the types of computer activities that were monitored in their respec-
tive organizations, respondents indicated log-on identification, files accessed and
changed by users, user time on the system, electronic mail, and random checks of file
accuracy, as shown in Figure 1.

Format:
• Places Figure 1 immediately following its textual references.
• Labels a bar chart as figure and numbers consecutively with one numbering system.

8
Results of electronic monitoring were used in a variety of ways, with the setting of stan-
dards and comparative data analysis being the most common uses.

Employee Access to Monitoring Data
Managers in the current study were asked to what extent employees were informed of
the company’s monitoring activities. In nearly one half the cases, employees were
informed orally or perhaps orally as well as by one of the other means, such as in writ-
ing or with a message on the computer. In 18 percent of cases, employees were not
informed of the monitoring activity, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2
Extent to Which Employees Are Informed of Monitoring

Method of Informing Number Responding Percent

Orally, as to possibility 32 48
By the system during monitoring 18 27
In writing, as to possibility 14 21
Other means 8 12
Not informed 12 18

Two thirds of the companies performed continuous monitoring; one fourth used random
monitoring; and the remainder reported intermittent monitoring at set intervals.
Respondents were also asked to indicate the ways in which the data acquired through
monitoring was reported. More than one half said that group or department data was the
method of reporting; 42 percent used individual reporting, and 18 percent used company-
wide data reporting. Some businesses used a combination of the reporting methods. In a
related item, managers were asked who sees the results of the electronic monitoring.
Upper-level management is most likely to see the results of monitoring. In only one
third of the organizations surveyed do employees see their own data, as reported in
Figure 3.

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(continued)
Content:

• Summarizes major
points in the table
and refers reader to
figure. Provides
figure number and
specific title.

Format:
• Places Figure 2 immediately following its textual reference. Centers figure number and title

on separate lines separated by a double space. (Refer to Chapter 10 for specific guidelines
for formatting tables.)

• Labels the table as a figure and numbers consecutively with one numbering system.
• Places Figure 3 at top of next page.

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(continued)
Content:

• Discusses major
points in the table.
Provides figure
number and specific
title.

• Combines “Summary,
Conclusions, and
Recommendations,”
an appropriate
heading for a report
designed to solve a
problem.

• Includes a logical
lead-in to a sub-
section to avoid
stacked headings.

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Figure 3
Who Sees the Results of Electronic Monitoring

Party Who Views Data Number Responding Percent

Upper-level management 46 70
Immediate supervisor 38 58
Employee 22 33
Peers of employee 20 30
Other 14 21

While supervisors are typically the recipients of information obtained from electronic
monitoring, only one third of the responding organizations indicated that employees are
allowed to see information about the monitoring of their own work.

Analysis
Consideration of primary and secondary research has led to a thorough analysis of the
electronic monitoring issue.

Summary
Electronic performance monitoring evokes strong and often contradictory responses
among the parties concerned with its use. The potential for impressive gains in produc-
tivity must be carefully weighed against possible damage to the quality of work life.
Managers who choose to use electronic monitoring must consider effective and fair sys-
tem design carefully. They must demonstrate that the data generated through electronic
monitoring helps them see the positive as well as the negative aspects of employee per-
formance, and individual performance must be tied to salary incentives or performance
ratings.

Issues in data reporting must be considered. The need for timely system data must be
balanced against the risk that information overload will occur. Dissemination of data is
an issue; low producers find the comparison of their performance to that of coworkers
demoralizing, and even high performers can find the public display of their productiv-
ity to be undesirable.

Format:
• Places Figure 3 following its textual reference.
• Uses centered heading to indicate major division. Includes side headings to divide summary,

conclusions, and recommendations into minor divisions.

10

Finally, which tasks should be monitored? Monitoring a task may confirm a belief that a
task is important while failure to include a task or behavior can be interpreted as a signal
that management does not consider that factor worth watching.

Conclusions
Based on the findings of this research, the following conclusions were drawn:

1. The most significant result of the study was the realization that companies need to
address the issue of electronic monitoring and develop a policy for its use.

2. While the current legal structure permits the use of electronic monitoring,
informing employees of its use seems advisable.

3. Each organization must examine issues of morale and productivity to determine
whether electronic monitoring will be a worthwhile means of assessment.

Recommendations
Federated Underwriters should institute an electronic monitoring program that includes
the following features:

1. A study should be undertaken to identify the activities that should be monitored.
2. All computer users should be notified in writing that their computer activities are

subject to monitoring.
3. Individual data derived from monitoring should be available to employees.
4. Data derived from monitoring should be used as only one indicator of employee

performance.

B u s i n e s s C o m m u n i c a t i o n , 1 5 t h E d i t i o n b y L e h m a n a n d D u F r e n e C o p y r i g h t 2 0 0 8 S o u t h – W e s t e r n
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11
Electronic monitoring is a controversial and complicated issue with implications for per-
formance appraisal, worker productivity, and employee privacy. A promising tool in the
managerial process, it is not without its dangers. The challenge to Federated Underwriters
is to develop acceptable procedures and guidelines for managing this electronic capability
successfully.

B u s i n e s s C o m m u n i c a t i o n , 1 5 t h E d i t i o n b y L e h m a n a n d D u F r e n e C o p y r i g h t 2 0 0 8 S o u t h – W e s t e r n

1 1/2” 12
REFERENCES

Tap Enter 1 time
Angel, F. N. (1989, November). Evaluating employees by computer. Personnel

Administrator, 34(11), 67–72.
Bible, J. D. (1990). Privacy in the Workplace. New York: Quorum Books.
Computer monitoring and other dirty tricks. (1988). New York: National Association of

Working Women.
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility. (1996, September 3) Electronic Privacy

Principles. [On-line]. Available http://cpsr.org/dox/privacy8.htm [1997, August 12].
Cooney, C. M. (1991). Who’s watching the workplace? The electronic monitoring debate

spreads to Capitol Hill, Security Management, 35(11), 26–35.
Dichter, M. S., & Burkhardt, M. S. (1996). Electronic interaction in the workplace:

Monitoring, retrieving, and storing employee communications in the Internet age.
[On-line]. American Employment Law Council, Fourth Annual Conference, Asheville,
NC, October 2–5, 1996. Available http://www.mlb.com/speech1/htm#2 [1997,
August 12].

Grant, R., & Christopher, H. (1989, Spring). Monitoring service workers via computer:
The effect on employees, productivity, and service. National Productivity Review,
101–112.

Grant, R., & Christopher, H. (1991, November). Computerized performance monitors:
Factors affecting acceptance. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management,
306–316.

Henriques, V. E. (1986, December). In defense of computer monitoring. Training, 120.
Lund, J. (1991). Computerized work performance monitoring and production standards:

A review of labor law issues. Labor Law Journal, 43(4), 195–203.

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Italicizes titles of
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Format:
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• Centers heading in all capital letters with larger, boldface font used for similar headings in

the report (title, contents, executive summary, and appendix).
• Single-spaces references to be consistent with the single spacing in the report.

B u s i n e s s C o m m u n i c a t i o n , 1 5 t h E d i t i o n b y L e h m a n a n d D u F r e n e C o p y r i g h t 2 0 0 8 S o u t h – W e s t e r n
(continued)

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Nussbaum, K. (1989). Computer monitoring: A threat to the right to privacy? Speech

delivered to the Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility Annual Meeting,
Washington, D.C., 1989. In DeJoie, R., Fowler, G., & Paradice, D. (Eds.), Ethical
issues in information systems. Boston: Boyd and Fraser, 1991.

Ottensmeyer, E., & Heroux, M. (1991). Ethics, public policy, and managing advanced
technologies: The case of electronic surveillance, The Journal of Business Ethics,
10(7), 519–526.

Smith, L. B. (1993, June 28). Electronic monitoring raises legal and societal questions,
PCWeek, 204.

U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. (1987, September). The electronic
supervisor: New technology, new tensions. (OTA-CIT-333). Washington, DC, U.S.
Government Printing Office.

B u s i n e s s C o m m u n i c a t i o n , 1 5 t h E d i t i o n b y L e h m a n a n d D u F r e n e C o p y r i g h t 2 0 0 8 S o u t h – W e s t e r n
14

APPENDIX

DEMOGRAPHIC DATA

Figure 4
Types of Businesses Surveyed

Number Percent
Type of Business Responding of Total
Banking/Finance 20 20.4
Manufacturing/Construction 16 16.3
Wholesale/Retail Sales 14 14.3
Miscellaneous Services 14 14.3
Agriculture/Drilling/Mining 10 10.2
Communication/Transportation/Utility 10 10.2
Insurance 8 8.2
Education/Government 4 4.1
Legal 2 2.0

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Running head: RESEARCH REPORT PROGRESS 1

RESEARCH REPORT PROGRESS 5

Research Report Progress

Joseph Joshua

Dean Horvath

Stevenson university

Research Report Progress

Industry Best Practice

The success of this business depends on the ability of the business organization to act in the best ways possible in the management of the issues that affect the running of the business. For instance, communication is one of the key areas of concern that must always be considered for the successful coordination of all the activities of the business organization. In this regard, the use of social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram has been used as the binding tool for communication and initiation of the changes within the company.

Besides that, effective marketing of the company` s products can only be effective if proper measures of marketing and promoting the products are put in place. This is also one of the most expensive exercises in ensuring that the company`s products are well known and the company achieves its goals. As a result, the use of social media platforms provides an opportunity for the company to effectively market the products of this company which creates awareness across all groups of people in the market thus making it easier to achieve the organizational goals.

The company is also able to put in place all the relevant practices through the use of social media platforms to assess its performance in the field. For instance, through monitoring the responses given by the customers on social media then the company can initiate the right measures for the advances of the company`s goals. Therefore, through training and investing in the required resources in the company as recommended by the consumers via social media platforms, the company is always in a good position to take the right actions for better performance of the company (Yip & Bocken, 2018).

Laws and Regulation

The running of the business cannot be successful without adhering to the rules and regulations of the land. All the resources must be channeled towards ensuring that the desired goals of the company to be achieved through adhering to the rules that have been put in place by the managing authorities. The advances made in technology have made it easier to run the majority of the company`s activities through the use of the internet and the use of social media platforms has even made it easier to achieve the goals of the company. However, all these advances have also come with challenges that must be managed for the company to achieve its goals. In this regard, the company has put in place all the safety precautions required to ensure that cases of social engineering practices are not successfully carried out at the company.

On the other hand, the regulations that have been put in place by the bodies governing the internet usage. In this regard, we ensure that all the reviews made online on social media platforms are done in the most effective ways that do not have negative effects on any quarter of the company. The running of the company is thus done through adherence to all set rules governing all operations of the business. This is because failure to adhere to the set rules and regulations then successful running of the company would not be possible (Mann, Y. N, & Mann, K. N. 2018).

Ethical Issues

These are critical issues that determine the success of the business. Research has shown that there are four key ethical issues that the business organization must adhere to for the desired goals to be achieved. In this regard, the forgery of records is one major issue that has often made companies suffer devastating impacts. In this regard, all the records must be set clear with the ability to account for all the decisions made. Secondly, social media platforms should also be used in a way that does not violate the ethical principles set by business organizations.

Harassment and discrimination of the employees and other stakeholders is also another third critical issue that affects business organizations. In this case, the vice ensures that some of the important individuals are discriminated against and harassed based on age, gender, race or ethnic backgrounds. Finally, the healthy and the safety of the employees and other stakeholders must also be taken into consideration to ensure that the desired goals of the company are achieved (Harris et al. 2019).

References

Harris, A. L., Lang, M., Yates, D., & Kruck, S. E. (2019). Incorporating ethics and social responsibility in IS education. Journal of Information Systems Education, 22(3), 1.

Mann, Y. N., & Mann, K. N. (2018). E-Retailing Laws and Regulations in India: E-Commerce in India–Legal Perspectives. In Internet Taxation and E-Retailing Law in the Global Context (pp. 8-20). IGI Global.

Yip, A. W., & Bocken, N. M. (2018). Sustainable business model archetypes for the banking industry. Journal of cleaner production, 174, 150-169.