The Impact of Context on Employee Perceptions of Acceptable Non-Work Related Computing

Employees have access to a wide range of computer-related resources at work, and often these resources are used for non-work related personal activities. In this study, the authors address the relationship between employee's utilitarian ethical orientation, the factors that create the context that influences their ethical perceptions, and their overall perceptions regarding the level of acceptability for 14 different non-work related computing activities. The authors find that time and monetary cost associated with an activity has a negative relationship to perceived acceptability. Results indicate that contextual variables, such as an employee's supervisory or non-supervisory role, opportunity, computer self-efficacy, and whether or not an organization has computer use policies, training, and monitoring, influence individual ethical perceptions. Implications and conclusions are discussed for organizations and future research.