Using computer monitoring, their employers seek to increase employee productivity, cut costs, resolve personnel problems, and remain competitive in a global marketplace. Heated debates have ensued over computer monitoring as it has become widespread. To prevent cases similar to Grant's from recurring, several attempts have been made to enact legislation that would limit monitoring in the workplace. Kristen Bell DeTienne, an assistant professor in the Marriott School of Management, has conducted many studies on computer monitoring and argues that, depending on how it is implemented, the practice can actually be a force for good. Computer monitoring allows employers to track their employees' productivity so closely that supervisors know exactly how many seconds employees spend during phone calls, between phone calls, at the computer, and on breaks.
Some employers even know how many minutes employees spend in the rest room.
In her studies of national and international corporations, particularly among airlines, DeTienne found that company executives feel computer monitoring is necessary. It creates a clear accountability of when employees are on the phone and when they aren't. The majority of companies using computer monitoring are large corporations whose hundreds, if not thousands, of employees depend on computers and telephones to perform their work. Critics of computer monitoring claim it increases stress and reduces job satisfaction among employees. DeTienne recognizes the additional stress in a work atmosphere where the employer is constantly monitoring the productivity of employees, but she doesn't blame the technology.