Analysis of Workplace Surveillance in a Quest for an Ethical Stance

Abstract

This article examines the incidence of surveillance in higher learning academic institutions in Pakistan. It gives an overview of surveillance in a workplace and outlines how the latest technology has made the task more convenient for employers. It further delves into the privacy issues that arise as a consequence of surveillance. A review of related ethical theories has been undertaken to fathom the justification of surveillance practices in the modern workplace. In the literature review section, a number of studies that explore impacts of surveillance have been reviewed. The data has been gathered from 60 employees working in 5 different universities (both public and private sector) covering primarily their ethical stance on surveillance practices used. The study would help in figuring out the typical methods used and their extent of usage in order to establish incidence of surveillance in an academic institution setting. Finally, relevant hypothesis are tested with the available data to comprehend employees ethical stance on deployment of surveillance, their perception changes (if any) in case of availability of notices on surveillance etc.