Although the use of e-mail is prevalent, few articles address the legal and ethical implications of e-mail monitoring. The paper argues that managerial monitoring of e-mail is ethically questionable because of its potential to violate privacy rights. After examining the legal guidelines related to e-mail monitoring, the article explores the ethical considerations surrounding this type of monitoring. Privacy issues and implications for management are addressed. The paper also offers suggestions for organizations that choose to monitor employees' e-mail.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

A study was conducted to examine employees' reactions to computer monitoring. Associated issues that were examined included the employees' level of stress, job satisfaction and commitment; their feelings of personal control; and their opinions regarding management's use of information gathered through monitoring. Results of the study indicated that, contrary to many reports, computer monitoring can be positive when used correctly and accompanied with effective management communication. Employees' levels of stress were negatively correlated with their feelings of job satisfaction, personal control, commitment to the organization, and the employees' feelings about the appropriateness of the way in which their managers used the information gathered by monitoring. These results highlight the importance of the responsible use of monitoring, the significance of communication, and the value of recognizing and rewarding good performance.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>