Perceptions of Personal Web Usage in the Workplace: AQ-Methodology Approach

Abstract

An important aspect to managing Personal Web Usage (PWU) at the workplace lies in understanding and reshaping the perceptions of the users. The study contends that the outward manifestation of PWU behaviors at the workplace is but one consequence of the actors' attitudes which in turn are determinants of their ingrained beliefs. This study explores user perceptions about PWU using a web-based Q-methodology. Q-methodology used in this study is suitable for exploratory research, to obtain a deeper and first-hand understanding about the underlying phenomena about an under-explored concept. Twenty-five participants were asked to sort 38 statements according to their relative importance. The results uncover three distinct factors PWU: (1) cyber-bureaucrat, (2) cyber-humanist, and (3) cyber-adventurer. This indicates that PWU maybe a multidimensional construct instead of a uni-dimensional one as previously thought. The findings of this study can help managers understand, and shape the perceptions of the users rather than the outwardly manifested behaviors.

Subjective Factors Affecting Adolescents' Perceptions and Attitudes toward Smartphone Pornography

“…12 The fifty participants making up the P sample in this study were middle school students with experience of smartphone pornography use. Q methodology has relatively small samples since it is usually employed to identify thought processes where the phenomenon studied is not known well.…”

What Do Human Resources Managers Think About the Employee’s Internet Usage ?

“…The most common issues researched on non-work related internet use are productivity loss, (Bock and Ho, 2009;Klein, 2007;Lim, 2002) internet costs, drain on network resources (Clayburgh and Nazareth, 2009;Weatherbee, 2009;Pee et al, 2008), addiction problems (Hilts,2008),internet security and legal issues (Clemens, 2009;Simmers, 2002;Friedman, 2000). Besides those findings another group of researches assessed non-work related internet activities as a way to improve performance, and some studies determined that it was necessary for a work-life balance, it decreases stress and improves creativity, loyalty and job satisfaction (Cooker 2011;Anandarajan et al, 2006 ;Anandarajan and Simmers, 2003;Lim et al, 2002).…”

The effect of cyberloafing on employee productivity

“…Other researchers tried to justify the common belief amongst employers that workers who use the Internet for personal reasons during work hours are engaging in recreation activity (Anandarajan and Simmers, 2004;Anandarajan et al, 2006). During the early years of the Internet, it was not uncommon for workers to be punished or even fired for personal Internet usage at work.…”