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Australian Study Says Web Surfing Boosts Office Productivity
Posted by
timothy
on Thu Apr 02, 2009 02:50 PM
from the it-wasn't-just-the-office-doors dept.
from the it-wasn't-just-the-office-doors dept.
Hugh Pickens writes "Dr Brent Coker, professor of Department of Management and Marketing at Melbourne University, says employees who surf the internet for leisure during working hours are more productive than those who don't. A study of 300 office workers found 70 percent of people who use the internet at work engage in Workplace Internet Leisure Browsing (WILB). 'People who do surf the internet for fun at work — within a reasonable limit of less than 20 per cent of their total time in the office — are more productive by about nine per cent than those who don't,' said Coker. 'People need to zone out for a bit to get back their concentration. Think back to when you were in class listening to a lecture — after about 20 minutes your concentration probably went right down, yet after a break your concentration was restored. It's the same in the workplace.' However, Coker warns that excessive time spent surfing the internet could have the reverse effect."
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Sure (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Sure (Score:5, Funny)
I'm sure my boss is going to be thrilled since he's looking over my shoulder reading this page as I type comments instead of doing my work.
Switch to surfing porn. It will make him even happier!
Parent
Re:Sure (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:Sure (Score:5, Funny)
Everybody who works from home?
Parent
Re:Sure (Score:5, Funny)
...and there are studies that say a short nap during the workday make people more productive. Now who here has an authorized nap time at work?
I can't say it's exactly 'authorized' but no one stops me when I roll under the desk and take a quick rest. Mostly they laugh.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Now who here has an authorized nap time at work?
Just close the door to your office and lock it. If you're woken by knocking or telephone, you have a moment to gather your composure before opening the door. It works for me!
What? You labour in an open-topped fabric-covered doorless half-height cube? Good god, that's barbaric!
Re:Sure (Score:5, Funny)
What? You labour in an open-topped fabric-covered doorless half-height cube? Good god, that's barbaric!
Sheer luxury mate. I work in a hole in the road, it's a twenty mile commute on foot in the dark and thirty back. My father fed me stone cold poison and killed me every morning before work.
But can ye get the lads to believe you these days? Noooooo.....
Parent
and the converse may also be true (Score:5, Funny)
...and there are studies that say a short nap during the workday make people more productive.
My wife and I work in the same department, and occasionally take a "nap" together in a spare office. Curiously, this seems to reduce the productivity of our colleagues, who often look annoyed after our "nap".
Parent
Re:and the converse may also be true (Score:5, Funny)
...and there are studies that say a short nap during the workday make people more productive.
My wife and I work in the same department, and occasionally take a "nap" together in a spare office. Curiously, this seems to reduce the productivity of our colleagues, who often look annoyed after our "nap".
Damn right, we're annoyed. Those "offices" may have real doors, but they only have fabric walls...
Parent
Re:Sure (Score:5, Funny)
Now who here has an authorized nap time at work?
I do. That is, I effectively do.
Ok, you want the truth? Nobody knows the difference.
Parent
Yup... (Score:4, Funny)
I'm increasing my productivity right now!
In other news.. (Score:5, Funny)
"Australian researcher's lab shut down by MPAA."
Hurray! I've been saying this for years! (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Hurray! I've been saying this for years! (Score:4, Funny)
Posting anon because the wife reads slashdot.
Parent
Re:Hurray! I've been saying this for years! (Score:4, Interesting)
You do know people can bring their own lunch to work and not have to forage? It saves bundles of money for the person and they know exactly what they're having. This also allows them more time to surf the web at lunch or maybe go out and have a walk around the building or get a quickie around the corner.
I realize this is a simple solution so obviously you're a programmer! (j/k)
Parent
Re:Hurray! I've been saying this for years! (Score:5, Informative)
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I believe it (Score:5, Interesting)
I bet a little web surfing keeps one from getting "too bored". A recent article in the same vein said that doodling helps people pay attention--I don't recall whether that one made slashdot.
Re:I believe it (Score:4, Interesting)
I wonder how much the 'browsing the Internet' bit really matters. As others have pointed out, there have been other studies that promote the benefits of massages, naps, etc. Seems to me the common denominator is taking a break at natural intervals. I spend enough time at the keyboard during the day that my Internet usage is really minimal (no, seriously!). On the other hand, if you walk in my office you're always going to find the Wall Street Journal opened up to some article on the side of my desk. I will periodically peek over and read for a few minutes after finishing a task while waiting to start the next one, such as the five minute lull at the start of conference calls where the host keeps saying "Let's give the others a few more minutes to join..." An aside - I start my conference calls on time. After a year, even my boss was trained to be no more than 30 seconds late.
In terms of workload, I consistently fall into the 'exceeds expectations' category when it comes time to figure out year-end ratings. Yet I also keep a fairly regular schedule. I'm not in the office 12 hours a day like the guys across the hall who consider it a badge of honor to eat lunch AND dinner at work yet bitch when their reviews keep coming back as 'meets expectations.' And yes, we more or less have the same job duties.
Parent
Surfing during work? (Score:4, Funny)
Hmm... gotta get back, done compiling.
Re:Surfing during work? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Another aspect... (Score:5, Insightful)
Depending on what the employee is viewing, it is also an opportunity to LEARN something.
My wife regularly surfs the web at work, often news, and consistently finds stories that directly effect the industry she works in, sometimes her actual place of employment. She then brings this information to the people she works for, the people that need to know about it.
Re: (Score:5, Funny)
Ciggy Break (Score:5, Insightful)
If taking a cigarette break, coffee break or gossip break is allowed, I cannot see any difference in internet break or game break.
Re:Ciggy Break (Score:5, Funny)
I smoke, have a caffeine addiction, love to gossip, play games, AND surf the internet, you insensitive clod!
I spend just under 20% of my billable time each day on each activity... I work about 20 minutes a day, just enough time to make sure the lackeys are doing my work for me.
What? Isn't that the American dream?
Parent
Re:Ciggy Break (Score:4, Funny)
I spend just under 20% of my billable time each day on each activity..
According to this study, that makes you about 63% more productive than other office workers, NICE JOB!!
Parent
Ironic (Score:3, Funny)
Do these effects..... (Score:4, Funny)
.... also include surfing for pron?
25%? (Score:5, Interesting)
Some source was quoted in the Newsweek I was reading the other day as saying that 25% of people view internet porn at work.
(This surprised me. Slashdot? Sure. Wikipedia? Definitely. Porn? That's just stupid.)
Parent
Bludging? (Score:3, Informative)
Workplace web bludging 'good for productivity'
allwords.com [allwords.com] tells me that "to bludge" is to avoid responsibility. What a great word. Is it used outside Australia?
Productivity personified (Score:5, Insightful)
I am so asking for a raise.
More studies needed (Score:4, Funny)
We need to commission studies that look at increases in productivity for the following activities during work time:
1) Games and gaming at work
2) Consumption of alcohol at work
3) Coming to work in casual clothes - the more casual the better - think underwear and curry stained shirt
4) Workplace sex
Re:More studies needed (Score:4, Funny)
Sure, your productivity may improve -- but what abot everyone else in the office who is too busy cleaning vomit out of their keyboards to get work done?
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Ditto.
where's the correlationisnotcausation tag? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:where's the correlationisnotcausation tag? (Score:5, Interesting)
Exactly what I was going to say...
Seems that when a study slashdotters don't agree with (video games "boost" teen violence), we get a huge amount of "correlation != causation" posts and tags. When it's a study that slashdotters agree with or like (visiting slashdot during work improves your performance; don't feel guilty!), we're a little bit more lax on the fact that it's just as guilty of faulty logic, typical statistics, etc...
I'm sure I'm pointing out the obvious, but seems not many others have yet, so :)
Parent
Good to Know (Score:3, Funny)
Happy = Productive (Score:4, Interesting)
Plus, so many jobs now expect you to be working to some extent while you're at home (checking email, etc). If an employer wants an employee to work while at home, then it's reasonable for the employee to do some personal web surfing at work.
Another possible conclusion: (Score:5, Interesting)
Perhaps people who browse the web at work are _more comfortable with_ and _more knowledgeable about_ computers in general, than people who don't browse the internet at work. I've seen many users who are clueless about computers wasting time by using their computers badly, unproductively, or not at all.
If you can't use a spreadsheet, chances are you don't 'get' the internet. I'm wondering if perhaps the study is drawing the wrong conclusion. Perhaps internet browsing isn't the 'cure', but a healthy symptom indicating a better affinity to computers.
Correlation != causation (Score:5, Interesting)
I would suggest that rather than websurfing increasing productivity, people tend to leave authoritarian employers who disallow websurving, productive people having more ability to move.
CorrelationIsNotCausation (Score:4, Insightful)
It may be that bright-minded, sharp, intelligent, high mental-energy, people are already prone to being more productive, and that searching for ideas and information is just part of their wiring. Of course the information and stimulation help feed the process. OK, back to work...
personal project time (Score:5, Interesting)
I had a boss that would have balked at the 20% figure. He believed (and told us as much) that you were wasting company time and money if you were anything less than 100% engaged in your work. He was, however, always interested in boosting productivity any way possible, so when someone brought up Google's "personal project time" policy (Google was the rockstar of the Internet then, even moreso than now), he wanted to try it. Once we started seriously discussing it, though, the boss killed the idea by proclaiming that the personal project time would be in addition to, not replacing your normal 8-hour day. That means you either had to come in early, stay late, or come in on a weekend. And it wouldn't count as overtime either. That pretty much killed all interest.
(Posting this at work, from my new job.)
Re:Sounds like the opposite (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:Sounds like the opposite (Score:5, Insightful)
Knowledge work is entirely different from manufacturing type work. The relationship between actual production and hours-spent is very weak. We aren't screwing on hubcaps; we have to coax the glob of meat between our ears to cooperate.
Where I work, there are managers who (incompetently) think knowledge workers should be managed like factory workers. These chumps have extremely high turnover, and their employees seem defensive and stressed most of the time. One such manager constantly monitors his employee's internet usage, and fires all of those who visit non-work-related web sites.
If you have an incompetent manager who thinks he's running a factory, browse anyway. You really should be happy if you get fired for moderate web use, because you will be miserable trying to build a career under such a buffoon, anyway.
Parent
Re:Sounds like the opposite (Score:5, Interesting)
Parent
Obligatory xkcd comic (Score:5, Funny)
Compiling [xkcd.com].
Parent
Re:20% is reasonable? (Score:4, Insightful)
They just said that 20% of your paid time, doing something other than what they are paying you to do, is reasonable? Would a company paying you 20% less all of the sudden be reasonable? If you are getting paid, STFU and get the work done. If there's no work to do, clock out and go home.
Well according to this study, the people who offend you so much get more done than the people who don't.
Parent
Re:20% is reasonable? (Score:5, Insightful)
Ah, so you're company pays you to sit at your desk for 40 hours a week? Or does your company pay you to get a weeks worth of work done in a week?
If you're being logical about it, working for 32 hours and getting 44 hours of work done is still better than working 40 hours and getting 40 hours of work done; which is what the article is saying. One of the biggest problems I have with the world in general is people doing what seems right instead of applying logic to the situation.
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Re:20% is reasonable? (Score:4, Insightful)
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Re:20% is reasonable? (Score:5, Interesting)
It seems the corporate system is designed this way though. At most companies I've been paid a straight salary with no overtime and either no bonus or a possible 5% bonus based on how well I've been able to project a productive air to my manager.
So where's the incentive to work harder? When we kick ass and do well as a company, I rarely see an extra cent. When we do poorly as a company I still get paid exactly the same. True I have the possibility of getting laid off but everyone faces the same possibility and generally the axe doesn't fall on me because I do a perfectly OK job. I'd love to be encouraged to work harder with profit sharing or the like but few companies do this.
It seems there are much better models to encourage productivity and I have no idea why most companies don't adopt them.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
100% identical! +1
It's similar to eating a week's worth of food in 1 day and not eating for the other 6 days...