Blogpost written by Briam Daniel Falcó Martínez and Owen Mabbott
Key Points:
- Digital transformation = good for motivation (usually). It gives us a chance to learn new things and share our ideas, which helps companies innovate and grow.
- But nobody likes feeling spied on. If we feel like we’re constantly being watched, it can make us less likely to learn and share our thoughts.
- It’s all about finding the right balance. Companies need to embrace digital transformation without going overboard on the surveillance. Give employees some breathing room, and they’ll be more likely to contribute to a truly innovative workplace.
Digital transformation brings a lot of opportunities for companies, that’s no secret. It has the potential to revolutionise the work environment if done correctly. It offers new ways to obtain data about every process and the employees working on them. In this regard, it makes tracking employees‘ performance more effective, reinforces adherence to rules, and simplifies the process of providing feedback. But nobody wants to feel like they’re living in an Orwellian nightmare at work. Imagine constantly being watched, every keystroke analysed, every bathroom break timed…
This is not far from the reality for warehouses that are reportedly coerced to use wristbands for real-time tracking. Similar monitoring, although less extreme is also happening in more common workplaces, where phone calls are used to monitor performance and personal information is used for e-recruitment and data mining. New, innovative digital tools bring a lot to the table, but given these intrusive practices, those „innovative“ new tools don’t seem so cool anymore, do they?
Let’s talk about the elephant in the (digitally monitored) room: surveillance. This refers to using technology to closely and constantly monitor a wide range of someone’s activities, behaviours, and personal traits. Now, how does surveillance affect digital transformation? This scientific paper provides us with interesting insights: „Big Brother is Watching You: Surveillance via Technology Undermines Employees’ Learning and Voice Behavior During Digital Transformation„. The study, based on a survey of 100 employees across different sectors, takes a deep dive into how surveillance impacts our motivation to learn and share opinions at work. In turn, providing an understanding of the negative implications for digital transformation efforts.
Digital Transformation and Learning Orientation
Digital transformation is a hot topic these days. But beyond the buzzword, it’s really about using new technology and ways of working to bring about change in the workplace. And for employees, this can actually be a chance to learn and grow.
Think of it this way: digital transformation often disrupts our usual routines, prompting us to rethink how we do things and develop new skills. Interestingly, human beings have a natural desire to learn and develop. So, when faced with digital transformation, many of us are motivated to embrace these changes and acquire new skills. This disposition to learn is crucial. If there is no motivation to learn how to get the best of the digital transformation efforts, then the whole process becomes more difficult.
The publishing industry mentioned in the study is a great example. Despite being significantly impacted by digital innovation, employees in this sector have demonstrated a strong motivation to learn and adapt, contributing new ideas and ways of working. The disruption caused by the new digital reality was overpowered by the motivation of the employees to learn.
Surveillance and Voice Behaviour
Picture this: after a long day of learning how to implement the new digital tools, you decide to go for a walk to take some air. During the walk, you come up with a brilliant new suggestion to improve the project. Would you be willing to share it with your boss if he was right next to you, breathing down your neck throughout the walk? Chances are, you wouldn’t even had come up with any idea to begin with. The likelihood is you would be more concerned with your expected behaviour rather than reflecting on what you learned.
When people feel they are being monitored, they are less motivated to speak up. That’s right, just the simple perception of being watched impacts our „Voice Behaviour“. This is a big potential drawback of implementing new digital tools. Many new digital tools gather a significant amount of data, which can lead to concerns about surveillance. For companies and managers, a new paradox arises: digital transformation requires and leads to more data being collected, and more data collection leads to employees feeling watched, which undermines the whole process.
Striking the right balance:
While research on this topic is still growing, we encourage companies to consider the following:
- Communication is key! Create a workplace where people feel comfortable sharing their ideas without being judged. Information coming from open and constant communication is more valuable than information collected through surveillance.
- Be upfront about data. Nobody likes to feel spied on. Be open about how you’re using digital tools and why. Remember, just the perception of being under surveillance impacts digital transformation projects negatively.
- Make learning engaging. As the paper indicates, everybody wants to learn and improve their skills. If certain efforts to implement technologies aren’t working, maybe it has more to do with the way it’s being approached. Make sure that the way training is evaluated doesn’t contribute to a feeling of being surveilled.
This is a great way to make employees feel like their voices matter. When people feel valued and heard, they’re more likely to share ideas that lead to real innovation. It’s a win-win for everyone.
In conclusion:
Digital transformation requires motivated, ready-to-learn employees. They need to feel comfortable enough to identify room for improvement. Paradoxically, this digital transformation process can accidently (or not) introduce elements that can be perceived as surveillance, shattering the motivation to learn and share ideas required to make the process successful. Companies need to be mindful of this and strive for a balance between utilising new tools effectively and respecting employee privacy and autonomy.
Further reading: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230127-how-worker-surveillance-is-backfiring-on-employers
References: Kensbock, J. M., & Stöckmann, C. (2020). “Big brother is watching you”: surveillance via technology undermines employees’ learning and voice behavior during digital transformation. Journal of Business Economics, 91(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11573-020-01012-x