Internet = Productivity?

Facebook. Twitter. YouTube.

This is a sample of the popular online destinations that many would consider distracting – especially during the workday.

Despite all the time-sucking forms of entertainment, socializing and vanity available online, most Internet users in the U.S. say that access to the Internet at work has improved their work performance and productivity.

The survey, which was conducted by the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication, found that in 2007, 32 percent of respondents said work Internet access had improved their work performance and productivity “a lot,” while 39 percent said “somewhat.”

Twenty-four percent said work Internet access had done nothing for their work performance or productivity, while just 5 percent said it had “worsened somewhat.” Zero percent of respondents said their productivity had “worsened a lot” due to access to the Internet at work.

These figures remained relatively unchanged from 2006.

Back in 2000, the first year of the project, 57 percent said their work performance and productivity had improved thanks to Internet access, compared to 71 percent who said so in 2007.

The respondents’ corporations would probably have slightly differing thoughts on the benefits and drawbacks of Internet access, as social networking sites are frequently blocked at workplaces.

The Pew Internet and American Life Project indicates that 28 percent of workers in the U.S. have access to the Internet at their offices.

In January, the average at-work Internet user in the U.S. spent more than 89 hours online, visited 131 domains and spent 60 seconds on each Web page viewed, according to Nielsen Online.

A survey conducted by Challenger, Gray & Christmas in July 2008 found that 23 percent of 200 human resources professionals said their businesses had blocked access to social networking sites.

Still, 8 percent said their companies actually encouraged their employees to utilize these sites, while 10 percent said they served as important tools.

Sources:</strong

http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1006979

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/148663/businesses_block_social_networks.html