The goal of every company is to produce profits. When businesses do this they can succeed in a capitalist market place. A great way of maximizing profits is to make sure that your employees are working efficiently. Among several other ideas the monitoring of employees stands out. The goal of this proposal is to keep employees working at, or near, their full potential while they are in the work place. Sounds like a good idea to me, but the idea of employee monitoring has become a very touchy subject in the world of ethics. So why would companies use monitoring, what are the different types, and how can it all be ethical?.
To succeed in the market place companies must be competitive. A company can continually remain competitive when it has the ability to either lower their prices or produce a better product. When a company produces products cost efficiently they can greatly increase their profits. Increasing profits will allow a buffer for the company to lower their prices. Lower prices mean more consumers will purchase the products because they can now afford them. When the buying rate increases, so do profits. So how do these companies produce their products cost efficiently? By having employees that work hard.
The primary reason for monitoring is to develop a workforce that works efficiently and effectively. When a person is hired by a company they accept the obligation that they must work hard for the best interest of the company. As a reward for their hard work they will receive a paycheck. Sounds simple, but often times people think they can cut corners by slacking off while they are at work. But are they there to slack, or are they there to work? When employees can get away with this they no longer feel obligated to work their hardest which is what the employer expects of them. So how does the executive staff enforce this? By making sure the employee knows the company will constantly know what he/she is doing and improper actions will be dealt with appropriately.
