Implications of Internet Usage Policy on Personal Web Usage from the Perspective of Senior Management and Other Staff Members

Abstract

The use of the Internet has increased exponentially for the past three decades. In many organisations, the Internet has been the backbone of communication and dissemination of information. Personal web usage (PWU) is an emergent phenomenon within organisations that rely on the access of the Internet in order to function properly. The unrestricted and unmanaged PWU activities have become causes for concern for tertiary education institutions. Some of these activities include sending personal email, online shopping, downloading video or software, and accessing adult-oriented websites. This study utilised a quantitative approach to gauge the understanding of the senior management and staff members’ perceptions of the Internet usage policy, to evaluate attitudes and perception of staff members concerning the use of the Internet for both personal and work purposes, the impact of the Internet usage policy on staff members’ performance, as well as staff’s perception of the adoption of monitoring tools in tertiary education institutions. The first phase of this research involved an electronic questionnaire administered to 1000 randomly selected staff members (n = 198) (encompassing academic, general and contract staff excluding senior management), while the second phase of this study yielded participation of senior management (n = 34) (encompassing Associate Dean, Dean, Head of Department, Director, and Deputy Director). Findings from analysis of the first-phase questionnaire reveal difference in perceptions between academic staff and general staff concerning the impact of the Internet usage policy on job performance. Additionally, the results show differences in self-reported use of the Internet between academic and general staff. Findings from the second phase suggest that senior management perceive the monitoring tools and policy used within the university to have impact on an individual’s decision to abuse the Internet. However, only 35 percent of the senior management believe that the Internet usage policy has an impact on staff performance. The results of the study may help the management and technical teams to enhance the Internet management practices in the near future.