Thursday, October 6, 2011

Snooping Bosses

For my first blog entry assignment  I was asked read and reflect on the article 'Snooping Bosses' .  I found it very interesting, made ​​me reflect on the disproportionately use of new technologies violating individual freedom and privacy of the employees by boss of companies.

“In medio stat virtus” (In the middle lies the virtue). A quote from a famous Latin philosopher  Orazio. Do not ever overdo neither in excess nor in failing because  the "perfection" or the good life is in the balance.

The largest and most famous scientist Albert Einstein, for example, shook  the physics of the Twentieth Century with the brilliant discovery of atomic energy, but this finding was potentially dangerous, it also led to the atomic bomb in Nagasaki and Iroshima.
The development of technology has allowed man to improve his standard of  living, but the other side of the coin shows that if the man is not making "good use" of them he is likely to worsen it. For my thesis,  I worked  to design a communication platform for monitoring patients in assisted care facilities using sensors, wireless networks and GPS technologies. This is a “good use” , for me, of new technologies. I do not think about using new technology to snoop workers in their office. I just believe in spying and wiretaps to fight terrorism and crime or child pornography.

In a work environment the use of new technologies can greatly simplify the work of employees, or use them to monitor and safeguard the security of employees. I disagree with the use of new technologies for spying, even if they were aware of this. This helps to increase the gap and mistrust between employer and employee.This leads to creating a work environment unwelcoming. Personally, I'd be afraid to make mistakes and be wrong if I knew for sure that I'm guarded by a camera or a microchip or  someone was spying on my email .If the boss is committed to creating a comfortable working environment the employees will work better with pleasure and  they will not need to invent excuses to take the sick days or to spent a lot of time to surf  to Web. This will help to increase the profitability of the company.

Someone might object: but if a person does not have anything to hide, why not allow the use of cameras or other forms of surveillance? Or: how does a boss to find out if one of his employees is violating the company’s rules?  I am convinced that respect and mutual trust are the basis of any organization , if this fails, everything will crash.
Maybe it's an utopia, but it is my thinking and I'm glad to be able to freely express and share it with you.