Electronic performance monitoring and social context: impact on productivity and stress.
In a laboratory study, the presence of individual- or work-group-level electronic performance monitoring (EPM) was manipulated as participants worked on a data-entry task alone, as a member of a noninteracting aggregate, or as a member of a cohesive group. The pattern of results suggested the operation of a social facilitation effect, as highly skilled monitored participants keyed more entries than highly skilled nonmonitored participants. The opposite pattern was detected among low-skilled participants. No signs of social loafing were detected among group-monitored participants. Nonmonitored workers and members of cohesive groups felt the least stressed. The implications of these findings for organizations adopting EPM systems are discussed.
Aiello
J R
JR
Department of Psychology, Rutgers-State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick 08903, USA.
Kolb
K J
KJ
D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D004581:Electronics; D004651:Employment; D006801:Humans; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D000078329:Workforce