Smartphones at Work: A Qualitative Exploration of Psychological Antecedents and Impacts of Work-Related Smartphone Dependency

by Trisha T. C. Lin

This study explores the impacts and psychological antecedents of smartphone dependency at work. Analyzing semistructured interviews with 32 full-time employees in China, the findings show that dependence on smartphones at work seems to increase workers’ perceived job performance and workplace social capital. However, in the negative side, it seems to lead to the emergence of smartphone addiction symptoms such as anxiety and uncontrollable usage behavior. Notably, this study uncovers that, although smartphone dependency at work seems to enhance
workers’ job performance, once such dependency turned to addiction, they perceived their performance to diminish. Besides, the findings show that conscientious employees and those with high smartphone self-efficacy are more likely to develop dependence on their smartphones at work.

(source: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1609406918822240 )

One Decade Later: Are Smartphones All Good For The Workplace?

By Larry Alton

The Positive Impact of Smartphones in the Workplace

Let’s begin this discussion by taking a look at some of the positives that are generally credited to smartphones in the workplace. Two that stand out the most are as follows:

1. Increased Productivity

Just last year, Samsung joined forces with Frost & Sullivan to survey 500 business leaders at various U.S. firms and learned that they believe smartphones lead to better productivity in the workplace. Specifically,  the research indicates that, as a result of using smartphones, respondents gained 58 minutes of work time each day, on average. They also saw productivity increase by an estimated 34 percent.

A number of unique factors are likely in play, but at least part of the reputed productivity boost has to do with the use of apps. Today, 51 percent of employees use apps that are mandated by their employer, which is up from just 27 percent six years ago.

To give you an idea of which kinds of apps are getting used, here are a couple popular ones:

 Quire. One app that’s quickly become popular throughout corporate America is Quire. It’s essentially a modern task-management application that helps teams of people capture ideas – via text, camera and even Siri – anytime, anywhere and break them down into action steps that can be tracked easily.

 Slack. You’ve probably heard of Slack, but it’s impossible to pass over. Slack is a communication app that’s far more efficient than email or phone. It empowers teams of people to communicate quickly and effortlessly without wasting energy on tasks that don’t add value.

Clearly, apps like these improve workplace efficiency. When used appropriately, businesses have cost-effective options for handling pain points that previously demanded expensive tools and software platforms.

2. Lower IT Costs

Bring your own device (BYOD) strategies have become massively popular in the past few years … and it’s probably inevitable that they’ll become the norm in the near future. But for all the arguments over whether BYOD strategies make sense or not, it’s hard to deny the cost savings when you allow employees to bring their own smartphones into the workplace.

When you let employees carry their own mobiles into the office, the organization is no longer responsible for supplying that expensive hardware. Instead, your firm gets the benefit of state-of-the-art technology  without the financial investment. Granted, you still have to manage these devices and keep them secure, but this can be done cost effectively.

The Negative Impact of Smartphones

If you caught yourself raising your eyebrows and shaking your head as you read through the last half dozen paragraphs, then you’re probably one of the company owners who hasn’t entirely benefitted from seeing smartphones all over your workplace.

Perhaps you resonate more with the following two concerns:

1. Increased Distractions

In contrast to the research from Samsung and Frost & Sullivan, available data also suggests that smartphones can also be productivity sappers. According to a 2016 CareerBuilder survey of more than 2,000 hiring managers and 3,000 full-time employees, 19 percent of employers believe employees are productive for less than five hours per day.

When asked what was to blame for this, 55 percent cited texting and smartphone usage as the primary culprit. “Interestingly, the survey reported that only 10% of respondents with smartphones said it’s decreasing their productivity while at the office, but 66% said they use their smartphones several times a day while working,”  explains Madeline Farber of Fortune. “82% of employees said they keep their smartphone within eye contact.”

In other words, most people don’t even recognize the extent to which their smartphones could be distracting them … which is arguably more dangerous.

2. Higher Vulnerability to Outside Security Threats

Perhaps the biggest disadvantage to allowing personal smartphones and mobile devices in the workplace is that they increase company vulnerability to outside security threats. Each individual device represents a new portal through which a hacker could gain access to essential company files, servers, and programs.

In an age when cyber security is one of the chief concerns of IT departments, smartphones are often regarded as irresponsible. Most individuals don’t take the initiative to secure their devices properly and/or don’t want their employer having access to their personal property to install security measures.

The result is higher risk and more potential for disaster. The more time passes under such conditions, the greater the threat becomes.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryalton/2017/06/22/one-decade-later-are-smartphones-all-good-for-the-workplace/#38641aa358eb

Workplace Productivity in an Era of Smartphones

By

Kelly FitzSimons, Carla Caruso and Paul Malia

The Positive Aspects of Smartphone Usage in the Workplace

Convenience is a crucial aspect that all organizations and firms look to obtain for their employees. Smartphones provide the ability for employees and clients to communicate and contact one another quickly and efficiently. Before smartphones were introduced, contacting other customers and clients on their office phone and dealing with automated systems was considered the "norm."  

In today's society, that is almost unheard of since it is easier and more convenient to connect with another client on his or her smartphone since these devices are so readily available.  If an individual does not respond to a simple text message, e-mail, or phone call within a certain period of time, this individual can be considered "rude" for potentially ignoring the notification on his or her smartphone.

Conflicts are resolved faster when smartphones are a possible form of communication. Timely phone systems or secretaries can transfer errors or miscommunications to upper management or other employees who receive a message while he or she is away from their desk.

Contacting a personal smartphone and avoiding the "middleman" between employees and clients can increase the personal feeling amongst the company and its employees (Chron Small Business). Contacting an individual on their personal smartphone can increase the probability that an urgent message regarding a meeting that day or even the next hour is received on time.

According to the University of Kansas study "Smartphone Micro-breaks During Work Day are Productive," employees should be given a few short breaks throughout the day.  This has proven an increase in productivity and more deadlines being met before or on time. These mini-breaks throughout the day allow employees to take their minds off any potential work stress and "refresh" his or her mind.  

The University of Kansas study says "workers who use their phones for short breaks throughout the day tend to be happier and have a more positive attitude." According to this study, employees spend an average of 22 minutes per eight-hour work day on his or her personal phone. This statistic is approximately three minutes each hour.
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The Negative Aspects of Smartphone Usage in the Workplace

Communication is extremely important in order to prevent any misconstruing or misinterpretations in the workplace amongst employees, management, HR professionals and clients. Face-to-face interactions have diminished a great deal due to the rapid increase in smartphones.

There has been a limitation placed on personal relationships with employees, management and clients by relying solely on technology. According to the resource, The Negative Effects of Cellphones (2013) "relationships in the real world are affected when they are substituted for electronic ones".
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People in today's society have become accustomed to communicating daily through text messaging, e-mailing, and social media since it is convenient and a quick way of connecting with others. This has a downfall to it considering no one bothers to pay attention to the people around them.  

This affects performance, alters relationships, and decreases networking and making business connections with others. Smartphones have become a major distraction in the workplace, which is a main issue that affects the quality of an employee's work and his or her concentration level.

According to a study from Carnegie Mellon University's Human-Computer Interaction Lab, "researchers found that the average office worker gets about 11 minutes in between each interruption, but takes about 25 minutes to return to completing the original task after each interruption" ("The Negative Effects of Cellphones," 2013).  

Networking and making connections is extremely important in the business world today. Long-lasting relationships develop from in-person contact. Even though technology makes it easier to stay connected, this has been negated by making it difficult to begin and maintain relationships without the personal interaction.

The interpretation of messages and the meaning behind the way certain words are typed and perceived has been drastically changed due to the consistent daily use of smartphones and similar technological devices. Facial expressions and personal interaction play a huge role in defining how an individual feels about something.  

The way an individual would text or email a personal friend verse a client could be completely different. "Have a great day!" or "Have a great day." could be interpreted differently when typing an email to a client.