Do the Internet and mobile technologies enhance or hinder work productivity?
Asking workers who utilize these technologies may be a flawed way to look at the question, since they will inevitably be inclined to speak favorably of these tools of leisure and work, but this is what USC and Kelly Services have done.
The USC Annenberg School Center for the Digital Future found that 32 percent of respondents said work Internet access improved their work performance and productivity “a lot” in 2007, a marked increase from 22 percent in 2000.
Thirty-nine percent said it improved their work performance and productivity “somewhat,” while 24 percent said it “stayed the same.” Just 5 percent said it had “worsened somewhat,” while 0 percent said it had “worsened a lot.”
A Kelly Services survey, “Kelly Global Workforce Index,” found similarly positive results, as 53 percent of respondents said that work productivity was “much better” because of mobile phones, PDAs and laptop computers.
One quarter said their work productivity was “slightly better” as a result of these technologies, while 20 percent said they made no difference.
Just 1 percent said their work productivity was “slightly worse,” and 1 percent said it was “much worse” because of these technologies.
“The Internet affords the means for instant communication, the flexibility to work from remote locations and still be a contributing member of a team, and myriad avenues of entertainment and diversion,” said Lisa E. Phillips, senior analyst at eMarketer and author of the new “At-Work Internet Usage” report.
“However, the advantages also carry disadvantages, for employers and employees alike,” she added.
Phillips also noted that “Two-thirds of employed adults use the Internet and e-mail at their workplace, and nearly one-half of them do at least some work from home, with 18% working from home every day or nearly every day.”
According to Nielsen, 54.4 percent of the total U.S. Internet users in the workforce were male (or 37.3 million), while 45.6 percent were female (or 31.3 million).
comScore had different figures, approximating that 51.0 percent of all U.S. Internet users at work were male (or 33.5 million), while 49.0 percent were female (or 32.2 million).
Source:
Network
