Electronic Workplace Surveillance and Performance of Manufacturing Firms Listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange

Abstract

Organizations have started to appreciate information as one of the crucial factors leading to competitive advantage. With the use of information, managers are capable of making strategic and operational decisions that see the success of organizations. There are several methods of conducting electronic workplace surveillance: CCTV surveillance, recording and listening to telephone conversations, monitoring employee email and internet usage and by electronically measuring employee performance through computer monitoring. The increased use of these surveillance techniques has brought about effects on employees and their performance within organizations. This study sought to determine the extent in which the electronic workplace surveillance systems are used to monitor employees in manufacturing companies in Kenya, to establish the challenges of using electronic workplace surveillance systems and to find out the outcome of using the systems on the performance of manufacturing firms. The research design employed in this research was descriptive in nature. The study targeted a population of 18 manufacturing companies listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange. For every organization, the study targeted two ICT managers and one operations manager. Primary data was collected by use of questionnaires and was summarized and presented using percentages, proportions and tabulations. The data was further analyzed using regression analysis to determine how the electronic workplace surveillance systems affect organizational performance. The study found out that the various methods of employee surveillance contribute to a large extent to the level of performance that is achieved by the NSE listed manufacturing firms in Kenya. Therefore, the study recommends that organizations greatly consider the different electronic workplace surveillance methods, with more emphasis on computer monitoring since it had the highest significance according to the analysis. Further research is also recommended in the implementation of electronic workplace surveillance systems for the other manufacturing companies and even companies that are not necessarily in the manufacturing sector.