Who Is Surfing the Net at Work?

Executive Summary

Who is Surfing the Net at Work?

A Study to Identify the Similarities and Differences among Employees Related to

Their Non-work-related Internet Usage

Introduction

Businesses today face a double-edged sword when it comes to the Internet. In the mid-1990s, the Net was hailed as a productivity tool and research tools. But today, the productivity growth brought by Internet application has been offset by the lost of work hours that resulted from employeeЎЇs non-work-related Internet usage. Many recent researches and surveys found up to 40% of all Internet access at work was spent on non-work related browsing and employees spend up to 2 hours per day for non-work-related emails and Web surfing. Obviously, a better understanding of how and why employees misuse companyЎЇs Internet resource can help companies design more specific and effective policies about employeeЎЇs Internet usage.

The hypothesis of this research states that there is significant relationship between the dependent variable (Internet misuse) and each of the independent variables (age, gender, number of personal email accounts, and home Internet access speed).

Methodology

The instrument used to compile statistical data was a questionnaire that consisted of a mix of fixed alternative and simple dichotomy. A population of full-time office employees was identified and a sampling unit of twenty-five was determined through non-probability sampling.

In order to interpret the data a number of statistical operations were utilized. First, to get a feel for the data a frequency distribution was employed. Secondly, a cross-tabulation was used to test the goodness of the data, thirdly, a t-test was used to test the research hypothesis and at last, simple correlation coefficient was used to test the linear relationship between variables.

Study Findings

All of the primary data was collected from a survey instrument which was distributed to a sample population of twenty-five office employees in U.S. An analysis of the data revealed that there is significant correlation between younger and older employees regarding their Internet usage. Employees who spend more time on Internet at home also have higher degree of Internet misuse in the office. There is only slight correlation between Internet misuse and variables like gender, home Internet speed and number of personal email accounts.

Base on the findings of this study, I recommend various strategies for companies to minimize the productivity loss by employeesЎЇ non-work-related Internet usage. These strategies include Internet policies, email policies, incentive of social activities, and Internet addiction counseling courses, especially aimed at young employees who rely on the Web as their everyday experience.

Table of Contents

Section Page

Executive Summary 2

1. Introduction

Background InformationÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­. 7 Theoretical FrameworkÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ 9

2. Methodology

Instrument Selection & Development ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ 11 Population Identification & Sample Selection ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­... 12 Data Collection ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­.. 12 Statistical Analysis ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ 12 Report Distribution ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ 13

3. Study Findings

Analysis and Discussion of the Results ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ 14 Study Conclusion ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­.. 18 RecommendationsÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­. 20

4. Appendices

A ЁC Research Proposal ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­.......... 21 B ЁC Survey on Internet MisuseÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­..ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­. 24 C ЁC Data Summary ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ 26

5. Bibliography 27

List of Tables

Table Page

1 Average Hours per Week of Non-work-related Web Surfing by AgeÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ 15

2 Cross-Tabulation of Question "Do you use company email for personal purposes?" by Age of Respondent ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ 15

3 Average Hours per Week of Non-work-related Web Surfing by Gender ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ 16

4 Cross-Tabulation of Question "Do you use company email for personal purposes?" by Gender of Respondent ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­..ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­ÐŽ­. 16

5 t-test

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