Unintended Consequences of Electronic Monitoring of Instant Messaging

Carolyn F. Holton; Robert M. Fuller

doi:10.1109/tpc.2008.2007866

IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Dec 2008

Unintended Consequences of Electronic Monitoring of Instant Messaging

Carolyn F. Holton Southeastern University ; Robert M. Fuller University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Abstract

Legislative requirements like those in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act have sharply increased the incidence of monitoring of electronic communications, but the consequences of this trend are little understood. This study examines the impact of organizational monitoring of sensitive instant message (IM) discussions with a designed experiment. When their IMs are known to be monitored, individuals are found to sharply curtail their discussion of personally incriminating information and to increase their spontaneous denials of knowledge of sensitive topics. Surprisingly, perhaps, they also increase their discussion of relayed information that may incriminate others or the organization. Qualitative analysis suggests that people are not aware they make these adjustments to their IM communication content when monitored. Given the legislative compliance motivations for some of the monitoring activity in companies, it is ironic that study findings suggest organizations may communicate less firsthand information about potentially curtailable legal liabilities and other sensitive incidents requiring corrective action when communication is monitored. Organizations enacting monitoring of IM should pay heed to the requirements as well as the discretion available to them within those requirements to enact monitoring in a way that suits their organizational goals.

Journal: IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Published: 2008-12-01
DOI: 10.1109/tpc.2008.2007866
CompPile
Open Access: Closed
Topics: digital rhetoric
Export: BibTeX RIS

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

MacKiewicz et al. (2009)

Coherence in Workplace Instant Messages

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

References (49) · 4 in this index

(0)

M Levitt (2007 Aug ) Worldwide enterprise instant messaging application and management products 2006 vendor shares IM and presence are ready for broader collaboration
flynn (2004)

Instant Messaging Rules A Business Guide to Managing Policies Security and Legal Issues for Safe IM Communication
10.1023/A:1006223027879

↗
10.1111/j.1465-7295.1993.tb00897.x

↗
10.1037/0022-3514.64.2.257

↗

Show all 49 →

10.1108/13639510510581039

↗
10.2139/ssrn.364600

↗
10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

↗
goffman (1959)

The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
zuboff (1988)

In The Age of the Smart Machine The Future of Work and Power
10.1145/6424.6430

↗
10.1037/0021-9010.86.5.867

↗
10.1145/45945.214325

↗
(2003)

Market numbers summary update Q3 2003
(2006)

Instant messaging and presence trends 20062009
10.1287/orsc.5.4.502

↗
Chociey (1997)

"Who's reading my e-mail?": a study of professionals' e-mail usage and privacy …

IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
10.1177/009365098025006006

↗
Thompson et al. (1995)

Privacy, e-mail, and information policy: where ethics meets reality

IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Ross (1994)

Electronic mail: legal and ethical concerns in the United States and Canada

IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
DeTienne (1994)

Big brother is watching: computer monitoring and communication

IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
10.1007/978-1-4899-2271-7

↗
(2005)

The 2005 Oversight Systems report on corporate fraud
10.5465/AME.1998.1109047

↗
(2006)

Information technology electronic communications policy ISP-011
10.1016/0378-8733(90)90021-Z

↗
10.1287/mnsc.32.5.554

↗
10.1287/mnsc.32.11.1492

↗
10.1177/0893318990004002002

↗
10.1145/196734.196738

↗
10.1016/0749-5978(86)90050-6

↗
10.1177/009365096023001001

↗
10.2307/249762

↗
bush (2002)

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents
(0)

Public Law 107-204
(2006)

Messaging policy management trends 20062009
(0)

E Varon (2003 Mar 15) Mandate from SEC regulators Save your electronic documents
10.1111/j.1559-1816.1993.tb01100.x

↗
(0)

B Worthen (2005 Jan 15) Message therapy
sproull (1991)

Connections New Ways of Working in the Networked Organization
(2004)

slowing the stream: development of a speed-bump approach for protecting new releases in t…

presented at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society's Conf Speed Bumps Scenario
10.1111/j.1467-8500.1995.tb01157.x

↗
10.1002/mar.4220050204

↗
10.1207/S15327019EB1103_2

↗
10.1177/017084069301400103

↗
(0)

J Leyden (2005 May 16) UK workers in IM flirt gossip bitchfest
(2006)

Computer use policy for CDI Corporation and its related companies
10.1037/0022-006X.46.6.1549

↗
(2006)

Workplace email instant messaging & blog survey Bosses battle risk by firing email IM & blog violators

CrossRef global citation count: 5 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Unintended Consequences of Electronic Monitoring of Instant Messaging

Abstract

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

References (49) · 4 in this index

Related Articles