title: Personal use of work computers: distraction versus destruction.
abstract: To explore definitions, frequencies, and motivation for personal use of work computers, we analyzed 329 employees' responses to an online survey, which asked participants to self-report frequencies for 41 computer behaviors at work. This sample (65% female, 74% European ethnicity, mean age of 36 years) was formed by soliciting participants through Internet Usenet groups, emails, and listservs. Results support a distinction between computer use that is counterproductive and that which is merely not productive. Nonproductive Computer Use occurred more when employees were younger (r = -0.31, p < 0.01), had Internet access at work longer (r = +0.16, p < 0.01), and had faster Internet connections at work than at home (r = +0.14, p < 0.01). Counterproductive Computer Use occurred more when Internet access was newer (r = -0.16, p < 0.01) and employees knew others who had been warned about misuse (r = +0.11, p < 0.05). While most employees who engaged in computer counterproductivity also engaged in computer nonproductivity, the inverse was uncommon, suggesting the need to distinguish between the two when establishing computer policies and Internet accessibility.
authors.affiliation: Genesee Survey Services, Rochester, New York 14623, USA. paul.mastrangelo@gensurvey.com
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Mastrangelo
authors.forename: Wendi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Everton
authors.forename: Jeffery A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Jolton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016494:Computer Security / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003201:Computers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004647:Employee Discipline / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004650:Employee Performance Appraisal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017132:Workplace / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*