Effects of Workplace Monitoring Policies on Potential Employment Discrimination and Organizational Attractiveness for African Americans in the Technical Professions

Abstract

Many organizations have policies concerning the use of technology to monitor the communications of employees. The present study explored the effects of these policies on beliefs and preferences of Black job applicants. Using a simulated job advertisement, we varied organizational monitoring policies and application submission methods in a 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment with 600 participants from a professional organization of Black engineers. Using a multiple stakeholder model of organizational privacy as a theoretical framework, we measured the perceived potential for discrimination and the degree to which the simulated organization was seen as an attractive workplace for minorities. Results indicated that failing to protect employees’ and applicants’ privacy made the organization seem less attractive as an employer. Likewise, a lack of privacy protection was seen as a potential source of discrimination. These findings supported theoretical assertions concerning two of four normative bases of privacy preferences.