ETHICAL ISSUES IN ELECTRONIC PERFORMANCE MONITORING - A CONSIDERATIONOF DEONTOLOGICAL AND TELEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES

Extensive and growing use of electronic performance monitoring in orga nizations has resulted in considerable debate. Advocates of electronic monitoring approach the debate in teleological terms arguing that mon itoring benefits organizations, customers, and society. Its critics ap proach the issue in deontological terms countering that monitoring is dehumanizing, invades worker privacy, increases stress and worsens hea lth, and decreases work-life quality. In contrast to this win-lose app roach, this paper argues that an approach which emphasizes communicati on in the design and implementation of monitoring systems offers a win -win solution that should satisfy both deontological and teleological ethicists.