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Ethics, public policy, and managing advanced technologies: The case of electronic surveillance

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Abstract

A vigorous debate has developed surrounding electronic surveillance in the workplace. This controversial practice is one element of the more general issues of employee dignity and management control, revolving around the use of polygraph and drug testing, “integrity” exams, and the like. Managers, under pressure from competitors, are making greater use of technologically advanced employee monitoring methods because they are available, and hold the promise of productivity improvement. In this paper, the context of electronic surveillance is described and analyzed from the perspectives of ethics, public policy, and managerial behavior.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Management, Clark University, 01610, Worcester, MA, U.S.A.

    Edward J. Ottensmeyer & Mark A. Heroux

Authors
  1. Edward J. Ottensmeyer
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  2. Mark A. Heroux
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The future creeps in on small feet ... We do not awaken suddenly to a brave new world. (Zuboff, 1990)

Edward J. Ottensmeyer is Assistant Professor of Management at Clark University's Graduate School of Management, where he conducts research in competitive strategy, technology management, and social issues. His research has been published in journals such as Academy of Management Review, Policy Studies Journal, Growth & Change, and Policy Studies Review, and in edited volumes, the most recent of which is Strategic Management in High Technology Firms from JAI Press. He holds MBA and Ph.D. degrees in Management from Indiana University.

Mark A. Heroux is a software engineer at the Locus Computing Corporation, in Burlington, Massachusetts. His research interests include high-level security protocols in large-scale computer networks, and effectiveness in high technogy firms. He holds an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Anna Maria College and an MBA from Clark University.

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Ottensmeyer, E.J., Heroux, M.A. Ethics, public policy, and managing advanced technologies: The case of electronic surveillance. J Bus Ethics 10, 519–526 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383350

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