The example of motion-tracking technology use provided in the case seems oppressive, ineffective, and ethically concerning. When the data gathered on the employees uses their subconscious behavior to aid in management decision-making, the human resource department must operate big budgets to afford such a surveillance system. In addition, the effectiveness of such measure is argued due to lack of evidence and the negative factor of stress that the technology puts on the employees.
Management information systems (MIS) are considered part of institutions’ formal data networks. The firms require the collection of information regularly to aid in projecting future operations and making right or informed decisions. Firms’ current activities are therefore anchored on meticulous planning and controlled decisions. The implementation of a management information system is an effective solution in Transaction Processing System (TPS), Cloud Computing, Database Management System (DBMS), Electronic Records Management (ERM), and Supply Chain Management (SCM). However, employee tracking is not an effective human resource strategy.
Privacy concerns are also considered some of the disadvantages of employee tracking. Under the fourth amendment of the U.S constitution, every citizen of the United States is protected from ‘unreasonable searches and seizures.’ (McAllister, 2018). It covers the people’s right to be safe and secure in their houses, places of work, property, and other effects. The fourth amendment primarily aims to enhance the citizens’ right to privacy and protect them from any form of intrusion by the government or corporations (Sabik Irbaz et al., 2021). Although employees may consent to the use of such technology, such decisions can be made under pressure or without full awareness of the negative consequences.
The positive aspects of employee monitoring include the increased discipline associated with the constant awareness of the workforce that they are being watched. This may result in increased productivity and efficiency. However, negative aspects of stress and privacy concerns outweigh the advantages as employees may suffer burnout, and the company may struggle with employee rotation. In addition, the employer’s surveillance may cause people to develop paranoia or other mental health issues due to the constant sense of being watched.
References
McAllister, M. C. (2018). GPS and Cell Phone Tracking of Employees. Fla. L. Rev., 70, 1265.
Sabik Irbaz, M., Abdullah Al Nasim, M. D., & Ferdous, R. E. (2021). Real-Time Face Recognition System for Remote Employee Tracking. arXiv e-prints, arXiv-2107.