The Networked Worker: Always Connected

What is a major downfall for a networked worker? For me, the answer is simple – balance! As a networked worker, or an individual with the capability to access the web at work, I struggle to find the balance between work life and home life (Madden and Jones, 2008). In a world where people can do anything at any time – where do we draw the line? 

Madden and Jones (2008) state that “questions about work-life balance, what counts as overtime work, and the extent to which personal online activity can spill into normal working hours have become more pervasive as the internet is integrated into many workplaces” (p. 1). So should we forbid access to the internet while at work? Absolutely not – and for good reason. Let’s look at the pros and cons of workers with internet access at work.

Pros:

• Access to a plethora of information which could better enable workers to complete their day-to-day tasks.
• Able to connect with individuals in the company from different parts of the world – the interconnectedness makes work more manageable in terms of teams across the company.  
• Work can be done anywhere, anytime.
• Workers are able to stay connected to home and work simultaneously through their computers, cell phones, iPad, Kindle, and other technologically savvy machines. 
• Networked workers can be more in tune with what is happening at work – between co-workers and also with managers. Communication lines may be more open.
• Networked workers trust technology – they expect to be able to use their cell phone, computer, and gadgets wherever they go. 

Cons:

• Access to many sites on the internet from online shopping to Facebook to YouTube. With all these sites available is the networked worker really working? 
• Workers may use internet to chat with friends outside the company via instant messengers, Facebook chat, Twitter, etc. While using social media – is the networked worker sharing personal information or work information? This could be a tremendous issue in healthcare with the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) – protecting patient information. I have seen firsthand healthcare workers who share patient information or information about their employer on Facebook – typically resulting in termination of the employee.
• Workers may not be able to strike the balance between their personal and professional lives leading to discontent and dissatisfied workers. Expectations must be clear for these workers to help them find balance. Madden and Jones (2008) explain that “22% of employed email users say they are expected to read and respond to work-related emails, even when they are not at work” (p. 27).
• No separation of personal life and work. Overstimulation of workers – always feeling the need to be connected to someone or something. “Americans tend to always be on or always be off” meaning people either always check their emails or they never do (Madden and Jones, 2008, p. 13).
• More connected may not mean more invested. As networked workers interact more with co-workers or managers professional lines may blur – making it more difficult to be professional on the job. 
• These tools can be misused in a way that violates trust. Friedman (2007) explains “when terrorists take instruments from our daily lives – the car, the airplane, the tennis shoe, the cell phone – and turn them into weapons of indiscriminate violence, they reduce trust” (p. 557). This does not just include terrorists from outside our own countries – this also includes those we work with, go to the gym with, and are friends with – Friedman (2007) writes about cell phones not being allowed at the gym because people abused their use by taking nude photographs of people in the locker room and sharing them on the internet (p. 534).

 

The free use of internet at work can pose challenges for both the networked worker and management at the organization. Friedman (2007) writes “whatever the innovation, people will find a way to use it and abuse it” (p. 534). The opportunity then, is to deter abuse of the free use of internet in the workplace. Challenges present opportunities for organizations to flourish or falter. What opportunities do the above challenges (cons) present?

Social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter can be utilized to help advertise for a business or organization. If used in a way that is respectful to the organization networked workers can share good information with the world. For example, a Facebook status such as: I love my job! Starbucks is such a great place to work – my customers are amazing! would promote the company’s image. Customers would see this status and think good thoughts about Starbucks. If, on the other hand, customers saw this status: I hate that place! The customers at Starbucks are all spoiled and rude – I can’t wait to quit! would likely elicit an entirely different set of feelings. 

Instant messaging presents an opportunity in that an organization can utilize it for communication within the organization.  A person who works on the tenth floor can send an instant message rather than walking down several flights of stairs. Instant messaging, for some, can seem more personal than emailing or even talking on the phone. 

If a company or organization does not want certain sites to be visited from their internet source it is simple – block the site. Otherwise, the internet can be used for research, connecting employees from around the world, and for stimulating new ideas. 

Pros and cons can be identified for any tool, gadget, or process – for anything really. What is important is to try to view cons through a different lens in order to develop innovative or creative ways to change the con to a pro for the organization (Lowney, 2003). In doing so the organization will be more technologically savvy, more adaptable to change, and more sustainable for the future.

Friedman, T.L. (2007). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. Farrar, Straus & Girous (Ed.). New York, NY: Picador.

Lowney, C. (2003) Heroic leadership: Best practices from a 450-year-old company that changed the world. Chicago: Loyola Press.

            Madden, M., & Jones, S. (2008, September 24). Networked Workers. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2008/Networked-Workers.aspx