The Business Case for Employee Privacy

Empirical Analysis of the Effects of Employee Privacy on Empowerment, Creativity, and Job Satisfaction
1. Auflage 2013
ISBN: 978-3-428-13826-5
Verlag: Duncker & Humblot

Buch, Englisch, 163 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 233 mm, Gewicht: 250 g

Privacy poses a challenge to companies, which strive to strike a balance between economic interests and moral obligations. Employees claim their right to privacy, but economic reasoning seems to warrant restrictions of employee privacy, since less privacy means more control. However, is there really a conflict between privacy and profit?

In his study Andreas Ostermaier investigates effects of employee privacy that are in line with company interests and thus might resolve the conflict between privacy and profit. Specifically, the author investigates how intrinsic motivation, creativity, and job satisfaction are related to privacy. It turns out that employees who can achieve as much privacy as they desire are more motivated and more satisfied with their job.

The study contributes to the ongoing debate about privacy in organizations as well as society at large. It introduces a measure to quantify the manifold aspects of privacy and finds support for positive effects of privacy, but also shows that these effects are not obvious. The study is therefore a first step toward making the business case for employee privacy.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Ostermaier, Andreas

Fachgebiete

• Rechtswissenschaften Öffentliches Recht Verwaltungsrecht Allgemeines Informationsrecht, Datenschutzrecht
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Bereichsspezifisches Management Personalwesen, Human Resource Management

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. The Business Case for Employee Privacy

The Ethical Challenge of Employee Privacy – An Analytical Approach to the Privacy Challenge – Making the Business Case for Employee Privacy

2. Conceptualization of Employee Privacy

The Relationship between Privacy and Control – The Balance between Achieved and Desired Privacy – Perceived vs. Objective Privacy – Privacy Regulation Behaviors

3. Development of a Measure of Employee Privacy

The Development of Measures – Development of the Initial Items – Validation of the Measure – Final Measure of Employee Privacy

4. The Effects of Privacy on Creativity and Job Satisfaction

Privacy and Creativity – Privacy and Job Satisfaction – The Mediating Effects of Empowerment – The Control Variables and their Effects

5. Empirical Test of the Effects of Privacy

Research Setting, Participants, and Procedures – The Measures – Statistical Procedures – Results of the Empirical Analysis

6. Discussion of the Results

Summary of the Results – Limitations and Implications for Research – Managerial Implications

Appendix A–D

Statistics and Tests – Tables – German Questionnaire – English Questionnaire

Bibliography

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Andreas Ostermaier is a postdoctoral research fellow at Technische Universität München. His research interests include accounting, organizational behavior, and business ethics. He graduated from the Universities of Passau, Strasbourg, and Munich with degrees in International Cultural & Business Studies, International Relations, and Business Research, and earned his doctoral degree in business administration from the University of Munich.