Dissent, Protest and Transformative Action: An Exploratory Study of Staff Reactions to Electronic Monitoring and Control of E-mail Systems in One Company Based in Ireland

摘要

An e-mail system is a critical business tool and an essential part of organisational communication. Many organisations have experienced negative impacts from e-mail and have responded by electronically monitoring and restricting e-mail system use. However, electronic monitoring of e-mail can be contentious. Staff can react to these controls by dissent, protest and potentially transformative action. This article presents the results of a single case study investigation of staff reactions to electronic monitoring and control of an e-mail system in a company based in Ireland. The findings highlight the variations in staff reactions through multiple time frames of electronic monitoring and control, and identifies the key concerns of staff which need to be addressed by management and consultants advocating the implementation of e-mail system monitoring and control.