Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Avner Levin Mary Foster Bettina West Mary Jo Nicholson Tony Hernandez Wendy Cukier Research Associates: Emily Ho, Sarah Lasch and Aubrey Podolsky
Ryerson University Ted Rogers School of Management Privacy and Cyber Crime Institute March 2008
Phase2:Organizations......................................................................................19
ResultsofQuantitativeSurveyofYoungCanadians...............................21
UseoftheInternetandOnlineTools.................................................................21 PersonalInformationonOnlineSocialNetworks...............................................24 OnlineSocialNetworksatWork.........................................................................26 RiskandResponsibilityScenarios.......................................................................29 Scenario1:RelationshipBreakup.......................................................................29 Scenario2:PartyTime........................................................................................33 Scenario3:FalseCharges...................................................................................36
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OpenendedComments.....................................................................................55
PersonalLifeConcerns........................................................................................................................55 WorkLifeConcerns.............................................................................................................................62
ThePerspectiveofOrganizations...........................................................66
AwarenessandPersonalUseofOnlineSocialNetworks...................................66 CorporatePoliciesandPractices........................................................................67 IssuesandConcernsaboutOnlineSocialNetworks...........................................69 WorkLife/PersonalLifeBoundaries.................................................................70 RecruitmentandSelection:HumanResourcesUseofOnlineSocialNetworks.71 MarketingApplicationofOnlineSocialNetworks..............................................72 PotentialUsesofOnlineSocialNetworks ..........................................................73 .
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ImplicationsandRecommendations......................................................74
RecommendationsforOrganizations.................................................................75
ExplicitPolicies....................................................................................................................................75 InternalGuidelines..............................................................................................................................76 Marketing............................................................................................................................................76 EducationandAwareness...................................................................................................................76
RecommendationsfortheOPC..........................................................................77
PublicEducationandOutreach ..........................................................................................................77 . OSNsandPIPEDA................................................................................................................................78 NetworkPrivacyBreaches..................................................................................................................78
AppendixA.............................................................................................79 AppendixB.............................................................................................93
List of Tables
Table1:SummaryofIndustriesandPositions.............................................................................19 Table2:FrequencyofIssuesIdentifiedRelatedtoPersonalLife................................................55 Table3:FrequencyofIssuesIdentifiedRelatedtoWorkLife......................................................62
List of Charts
Chart1:RespondentAge..............................................................................................................16 Chart2:RespondentYearofStudy...............................................................................................16 Chart3:RespondentsbyRyersonFaculty....................................................................................17 Chart4:RespondentsbyGender..................................................................................................17 Chart5:RespondentWeeklyWorkHours....................................................................................18 Chart6:UsageofOnlineTools.....................................................................................................21 Chart7:OnlineSocialNetworks...................................................................................................22 Chart8:UsageofOSNs.................................................................................................................23 Chart9:ExtentofInformationincludedonOSNs........................................................................24 Chart10:ConcernsaboutWhoisAccessingOSNInformation....................................................25 Chart11:ActionsTakentoProtectPrivacy..................................................................................26 Chart12:OSNsintheWorkplace.................................................................................................27 Chart13:EmployerPoliciesrelatingtoOSNuse..........................................................................28 Chart14:RelationshipBreakupScenario:HasthisHappened?...................................................30 Chart15:ResponsibilityforAdverseSocialConsequences..........................................................31 Chart16:ReactionstoPostingofDamagingMaterial..................................................................32 Chart17:PartyTimeScenario:HasthisHappened?....................................................................33 Chart18:ResponsibilityforEmbarrassingBehaviourConsequences..........................................34 Chart19:ReactionstoPostingofEmbarrassingMaterial............................................................35 Chart20:FalseChargesScenario:HasthisHappened?..............................................................36 Chart21:ResponsibilityforDefamatoryContentConsequences................................................37 Chart22:ReactionstoPostingofDefamatoryMaterial..............................................................38 Chart23:SickLeaveScenario:HasthisHappened?.....................................................................39 Chart24:ResponsibilityforAdverseWorkplaceConsequences..................................................40 6
Executive Summary
Thisreportprovidesthelargestsurveytodateontheusage,attitudesandperceptionsofrisk over2000youngCanadiansengagedinonlinesocializing.Inaddition,thereportprovides findings,basedonsixteenindepthinterviewswithleadingpublicandprivatesector organizations,ontheuseofonlinesocialnetworksbyorganizationsforcommercialpurposes, andoffersrecommendationsonhowtherisksofonlinesocializingcanbereducedandprivacy beprotected.
Key Findings
NineoutoftenyoungCanadianssocialisesonlineregularlyandfrequently YoungCanadiansarelargelyawareoftherisksofonlinesocializing,andhaveattempted tocontrolthereleaseoftheirpersonalinformationonline AnewdigitaldividehasbeencreatedbetweenagenerationofyoungCanadiansanda generationofmanagersandexecutivesforwhichyoungCanadianswork YoungCanadianshaveauniqueperceptionofnetworkprivacy,accordingtowhich personalinformationisconsideredprivateaslongasitislimitedtotheirsocialnetwork Organizationsrejectanddonotrecognizethenotionofnetworkprivacy.Instead,they subscribetotheviewthatinformationpostedonlineispublicanddeservesno protection Organizationsdonothavepolicies,practicesorguidelinesinplacethatexplicitlygovern theuseofonlinesocialnetworksbytheiremployees,orbytheorganizations themselvesformarketingandforhumanresourcespurposes Onlinesocialnetworks,whilebenefitinggreatlyfromtheadvertisingrevenuegenerated bytheiruserspersonalinformation,havesuccessfullycreatedapublicimageoftheir businessasapassiveconduit,pipelineorwall,onwhichpersonalinformationcanbe displayed,andhaveavoidedresponsibilityinthepublicmindforanyharmcausedtothe privacyorreputationoftheirusers
Introduction
Socialnetworkingonline,onservicessuchasMySpaceandFacebook,hasbecomethe preferredwayofcommunicatingformanyyoungpeople,outpacingemailinsomemarkets. ThesocialnetworkingsiteMySpacerankssixthinoverallwebtraffic,withover47million uniqueUSvisitorseachmonthwhilewebtrafficdataforFacebook,asocialnetworkingsite orientedtowardsuniversityandcollegestudents,shows15millionuniqueUSvisitorsamonth. 1 FacebookitselfclaimsthatithassevenmillionCanadianusersandeightmillionUKusers. 2 Onlinesocialnetworks(OSNs)areaformofcontrolledgroupcommunicationswhichhave evolvedfromsmallscalespecialpurposesitestobroadergeneralpurposecommunications. Whenuserssignupforsocialnetworkingsites,theycreateaprofilewhichmaybeaccessibleto othermembersofthenetwork.Userscandefinethelevelofaccessandinformationthatthey providerestrictingaccesstoasmallnumberoffriendsinalimitedandwelldefinedgroupor makinginformationmorebroadlyavailable.Profilesmayincludearealname,orapseudonym; contactinformation(email,telephone,address);birthdate,photographs,hometown,religion, ethnicity,personalinterestsandmuchmore.Otheruserscansendmessagesaskingtobecome afriendandmustbeacceptedbythereceivingpartyinordertoestablishalinkwhichinturn providesaccesstotheirprofileandinformation.Someoftheseusersappeartobeposting revealing,personalinformationwithlittlethoughtorregardforeithertheshorttermorlong termconsequences. Unfortunately,OSNsappeartoposeprivacyandsecuritythreatsandexposemanyuserstoa varietyofformsofinternetcrime 3 .Anecdotally,highprofileincidentshavesuggestedthat socialnetworkingsitescanexposeuserstosocialembarrassment,largescaleprivacy breaches, 4 identitytheft,harassmentandotherformsofvictimization. 5 Previousstudieshave suggestedthatOSNusershavemanymisconceptionsaboutthreatstotheirsecurityand
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Methodology
Weconductedthisprojectintwophases:Phase1centeredonthedevelopmentand administrationofaquantitativesurveydirectedtowardyoungCanadians,specifically undergraduateuniversitystudents;Phase2involvedaseriesofindepthinterviewswith executivesinCanadianorganizations.
The Sample
Atotalof2,300questionnairesweredistributedbyhandduringthefirsttwoweeksofOctober 2007toundergraduatestudentsonthecampusofRyersonUniversityalarge,culturally diverseurbanCanadianuniversitylocatedinToronto,Canada,withanenrolmentof23,000.Of these,294submissionswereeliminatedbecausetheywereeitherincompleteorillegible, resultinginatotalof2,006questionnairesthatwereusedforthefinalanalysis. AsillustratedinChart1,studentsrangedinagefrom17to39,withover94%fallingintothe18 to24category.Weusedaquotasamplingframeworktoreflectactualenrolmentproportions acrosstheentirestudentbody.Charts2through4confirmthesamplerepresentedstudents enrolledineachyearofundergraduatestudyandacrossallfiveFacultiesatRyersonUniversity withalmostequalrepresentationofmalesandfemales.Furthermore,asshowninChart5,the majorityofstudents(70%)workinpaidemploymentonaverageforatleastafewhoursper weekwhilegoingtoschool. 15
Ch hart2:RespondentYearofStudy
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Phase 2: Organizations
WeconductedsixteenindepthinterviewswithCanadianexecutivesinkeydecisionmaking positionstogaintheircorporationsperspectiveonOSNsinJanuaryFebruary2008. OrganizationswereapproachedbasedonmediareportsabouttheiruseofOSNs,andon informationgatheredbytheresearchteamthatindicatedtheorganizationhadapresenceon OSNs.Fromthislargersample,theresearchteamcontactedorganizationsinfederally regulatedindustriesofparticularinteresttotheOPC,aswellasorganizationsfromother industrieswithwhichtheTedRogersSchoolofManagementhasexistingcontacts,suchasthe telecommunications,financialservices,retail,professionalservicesandhospitalitysectors.A totalof49potentialexecutiveswereapproachedand16agreedtoparticipate,resultingina responserateofapproximately33%.Interviewparticipantsrepresentacrosssectionofsix differentindustrysectorsaswellaspositionwithintheorganization,asshowninTable1: Table1:SummaryofIndustriesandPositions InterviewNumber 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 TypeofIndustry Hospitality FinancialServices FinancialServices Retail Professionalservices Financialservices FinancialServices ProfessionalServices Hospitality Communications Communications Communications ProfessionalServices PublicSector PublicSector Retail TypeofPosition Manager VicePresident SeniorManager President ManagingPartner LegalCounsel VicePresident LegalCounsel GeneralManager Manager PrivacyOfficer Manager ManagingPartner PrivacyOfficer PrivacyOfficer LegalCounsel
Theinterviewswereconductedfacetofaceintheofficeoftheintervieweebyoneortwo membersoftheresearchteamandlastedapproximatelyonehour.Allinterviewswereaudio 19
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atternsoftechnologytoolscontinue etoevolve.A AsChart6sh hows,young gCanadians Usagepa reportus singemail,i instantmess sagingando onlinesocialnetworksm mostfrequen ntly.Emailh has thehighe estusagerat te,with97% %loggingontoemailatleastoncep perweek.In nstantmessa aging sitesaresecondinpo opularity,fo ollowedclose elybyOSNs sites(81%an nd74%respectivelyuse theseatleastweekly y).Othertec chnologies,s suchaschatrooms,lists servsandbu ulletinboard dsare usedmuchlessoften n.Despitem muchmediaattentionto oblogs,they yarenotcurrentlyused adians. muchbyyoungCana 21
AsChart7suggests,Facebookisthemostpo opularsocialnetworkam mongyoung gCanadians. Ninetyei ightpercent tofresponde entshavehe eardofit;92 2%aremem mbersofFace ebook;and8 89% reportitastheirmos stpreferrednetwork.A Asaresult,m mostofthesubsequentq questionsinthis havebeenan nsweredint thecontexto ofFacebook k. sectionh 22
AsChart8indicates,over70%of fresponden ntslogontoF Facebookat tleastoncea aday,andfo or almosthalfofrespon ndents,ther rearemultip pleloginsonadailybasis s.Suchuseo ofFacebook k amongyo oungCanadiansappears ssimilartot theuseofe mail.Thelevelofactivit tyreported specificallyforFaceb bookuseapp pearshigher rthanthatre eportedinC Chart6forOSNusein general.Itappearst thattheterm monlinesocialnetwork kmaybeso omewhatun nfamiliartos some responde ents,untilitisconnectedwithconcr reteexamplessuchasM MySpaceorF Facebook.Th he reported dusagelevelssuggestOS SNshavebecomefirmly yintegratedintothecom mmunication n preferencesofyoung gCanadians.Asaresult t,Canadiane employersfa acechalleng geswithresp pect tomanag gingtheuseofOSNsam mongthisnew wgenerationofemploy yees.Aswell,opportunities existtole everagethis snewcapaci itytoreachl largenumbe ersofindivid duals(emplo oyees, customers,generalp public).
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adiansappea arverycomf fortablepost tingalargea amountofw what AsChart9indicates,youngCana mightviewas spersonalan ndprivatein nformationo ontheirOSN N.Forexamp ple,about7out othersm of10respondentspo osttheirfullrealnameo ontheirhom mepage.Ina addition,the emajorityof responde entshavepo ostedaportr raitofthemselves(76%) )and/oragr roupphotot thatincludes theirpict ture(67%).Thereisalso onohesitancyinprovidinginformat tionaboutth heirinterest tsor hobbies( (61%),favou uritemusic,books,andm movies(59% %),andeventheirrelatio onshipstatus (60%).W Whileonlyafewincludetraditionalc contactinformation(7% %provideaf fulladdressa and 15%lista atelephonenumber),in ndirectinform mationthatcouldallow wotherstotr racesomeon nes whereab boutsiscomm mon.Forex xample,socialnetworkssuchasFacebookencouragememb bers toidentif fytheirhom metown(74% %),highscho ool(69%)oreventheire employer(31%). 24
AsChart10suggests s,thereisar relativelylow wlevelofconcernamon ngyoungCan nadiansabout peopleth heyknowac ccessinginfo ormationpos stedontheirOSN.Approximately88 8%of responde entsareunc concernedab bouthavingfriendsacce esstheirsocialnetworkprofileando only about6% %expressan nyconcernat tallwithres specttofrien ndsaccess.Thisislikely ybecauseth he intended dpurposeofthenetworkistoshare einformation namongacommunityo offriends. However r,thereareh higherlevels sofconcernwithotherg groupsofindividualsgainingaccessto theironli ineinformat tion.Whileslightlymorethanhalfo ofyoungCan nadiansrem main unconcer rnedaboutf familymembers,includi ingparents,seeingtheir rprofile,oth hers(abouto one quarter)wouldrathe ernothavef familymemb bers,particu ularlyparent ts,gainaccess.Similarly y, while4o outof10respondentsdo ontmindth heiremploye ersviewingt theironlinei information, , another3 35%arecon ncernedaboutthishappening.Thehighestleve elofconcern n(almost45% %) relatesto oworriestha atpeoplewhomtheres spondentdo oesnotknow wwillgainac ccesstopers sonal information.Theresultspresent tedinChart10strengthe ensthenotio onthatindiv vidualshave ethe onofagroupornetworkrelatedprivacy.They ybelievetha atinformatio onwithinthis perceptio networkisprivatean ndshouldno otbedissem minatedoutsidetheirselectednetwo ork. 25
Weasked dresponden ntsaboutthe eactionsthe eytaketopr rotecttheirprivacyandrestrictacce ess totheirp personalinfo ormation.In ntermsofaw warenessofprivacyissu ues,Chart11 1indicatesalittle over40% %reportactu uallyreading gtheprivacy ypolicyprov videdbythei irOSNandu understandin ngits terms.In nterestingly, ,approximat tely70%rep porthavinga adjustedthe eprivacysett tingsonthe OSN,the erebyactivelydemonstra atingadesir retorestrictaccesstoth heirinformation.Alittle e overhalf f(54%)ofrespondentsh haveblocked daspecificp personfromaccessingth heirpagean nd almost3outof10ha aveexperien ncedsomeoneunknown ntothemtry yingtogeta accesstothe eir network. .About13% %reporthavingactuallycontactedth henetworkdeveloperst toreport distastefulordisturb bingcontent,althoughm mostusersdonotactuallyviewtheO OSNasprim marily bleforsuchcontent,aswewilldiscussbelow. responsib
AsChart12shows,a about30%of fresponden ntshavetheirimmediate esupervisorincludedasa memberoftheirOSN N,andnearly y1in5have ebeenappro oachedbyasupervisort tobeaddedto theirOSN N.Inaddition,19%ofse eniorexecuti ivesinthere espondents sworkplacearemember rsof theirOSN N,althougho only10%reporthavingaseniorexe ecutiveasktobeputontheirOSN. Accordingtorespond dents,onlya about10%o ofthecompa aniesforwhichtheyworkhave gedtheuseofOSNsforbusinesspurposes,andapproximat tely20%hav veaformal encourag policyrelatedtowor rkplaceuse.
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Withinth hoseorganiz zationsreportedtohave eaformalworkplacepolicyfortheu useofOSNs, , equalpro oportionsof frespondent tsindicateth hatuseofth hesenetwor rksduringco ompanytime eare forbidden,notforbid ddenorthey ydontknow w.AccordingtoChart13,amongtho osewhowor rkfor acompanythatproh hibitstheuse eofOSNs,fe ewemployeesappearto oabidebyth hepolicy(23 3%), whichprobablyacco ountsforthepracticeofsomeorgan nizations,discussedbelow,tonoton nly onlinesocializing,buta alsototechn nologicallybl lockaccesst toOSNsfrom mwork. prohibito eoptiontoe elaborateon ntheiremplo oyerspolicy yregardingO OSNs Respondentswerealsogiventhe anopenend dedquestion n.Onlyasm mallnumber(lessthan3%ofrespon ndents)provide througha additiona alinformatio on.Thosew whodo,indic catethatthe eiremployer rspolicesrangefromve ery restrictiv vetomorele enient.Atth herestrictive eendofthecontinuum, ,someemployersprohib bit compute eraccessforallbutmanagementsta aff,whileoth hersallowth heiremploye eestouse compute ers,butwithoutInternet taccess.Ina afewinstances,respond dentsreport ttheworkplace policyinc cludestermi inationfore employeesca aughtusingOSNsduring gworkhours s.Towardsthe morelen nientendofthespectrum m,severalpeopleindica atethatOSN Nuseisallow wed,butonly y duringbr reaktimes,o orwithther restrictionth hatclientsca annotbeadd dedtoempl loyeesOSNlists. Insomei instances,employeesar renotpermi ittedtobelo ongtosocialnetworkgro oupsdeeme edto beinapp propriateb bythecompa any.
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AsChart14illustrate es,whileonly3%ofresp pondentshav vehadsuchaneventha appentothe em,a further1 13%knowso omeonepers sonallytowh homthisish happened.In nadditionto othosewho havedire ectlyorindir rectlyexperiencedabre eachofprivacyandtrust tresultingfro oma relationshipbreakup p,itappearsthemajority yofyoungC Canadiansac cceptthisasalikely occurren nce,sinceanadditional4 45%reportt theybelieveithashappe enedtoothe ers.
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TheresultspresentedinChart15 5suggestthat72%ofre espondentsb believethep personwho postedth hecontentis smostrespo onsiblefortheconseque enceofbein ngdroppedb byfriendsan ndno longerbe eingincludedinsocialev vents.Another42%ass signblameto otheirsupposedfriends s whodrop pthemafter rtheinciden nt.Onlyabo out1in4ass sumeperson nalresponsib bilityforthis s incidentandlessthan20%feelt thatthenetw workdevelo opersshouldbeheldacc countable.
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AsChart16indicates s,afterreflectingonthe eimplication nsofthisscenario,60%o ofresponden nts believetheyhavetak kentheappropriatestep pstolimitac ccesstotheirpersonalinformation. Thisseem mstoindicat teasenseof fcontrolwit threspectto otheirability ytomanage etheirOSN informationandmaintainsomelevelofprivacy.Howev ver,atthesa ametimeas similar proportio on(63%)rep portthatifthisincidenthappenedtotheminth hefuture,theywillbem much morecar refulofwhoistakingpic cturesofthe em.Similarly y,over45%areconcern nedabout materialpostedabou utthemont thenetwork kthatorigina atesfromothersources, ,andveryfe ew (12%)see ethisasbeingaharmlessprank.
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atoneinfou urrespondentshaveeitherhadthishappentot themorkno ow Chart17suggeststha someone etowhomth hishashapp pened.Near rly40%repo orthearingthatithasha appenedto othersan ndarethusl likelytoacce eptthisscen nariodescrip ptionasonethatcouldp plausiblyocc cur.
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Intermsofwhoisvie ewedasresp ponsiblefortheconsequencesofth heseactions, ,Chart18 indicates salmosttwo othirdsofre espondentsa areprepared dtoassumeresponsibilityfortheir actionsin nthiscircum mstance.However,they yarealmostaslikelytoa assignblame etothepers son whopost tedthecont tent(58%),w whileveryfe ew(10%)fee elthenetwo orkdevelope ersshouldbe e heldacco ountable.
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AsChart19demonst trates,familyisveryimp portanttoth hisagegroup p,inthatalm mosttwothirds reportbe eingmoreup psetaboutt theirfamilys seeingcomp promisingpic cturesofthe emthanother peoplese eeingthem.Intermsofhavingcont trolovertheirpersonalinformation, ,55%feelitis notrightwhenpeoplehaveacce esstoinform mationnotin ntendedfort them,andthusthe behaviou urdescribedinthisscenarioiscertainlynotcons sideredaha armlesspran nk.Inreflect ting aboutthe econsequen ncesofsuchascenario,morethanh halfofrespo ondents(53% %)wouldbe morecar refulabouth howtheybehavedinpublicinfuture e.Interestin ngly,despite ethisconcer rn aboutfam mily,veryfe ew(15%)cur rrentlyadmittousingth hesocialnetw worktokeeptrackof siblingso orrelatives.
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sscenarioislesscommo onlythought tofassomet thingthatis AccordingtoChart20,whilethis likelytoh happeninth heonlineenvironment,a asmallprop portionofrespondents(7%)have experiencedasimilarsituationo orknowofso omeonetow whomithashappened. 36
Chart21showsthatover80%of frespondent tsbelieveth hattheperso onwhopost tedthecontent isrespon nsibleforthe econsequen ncesdescribe edinthissce enario.Thei irfrustration nisthen projected dtothefrien ndswhobelievetheunf foundedacc cusations.Onceagain,v veryfew(16% %) considerthenetworkdevelopers stoberespo onsibleforthisincident, ,andevenfe ewer(14%) considerthemselvestobeatfau ult.
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Theattitu udesofresp pondentstow wardthissce enarioaredepictedinChart22.Few wbelieveitis sa harmless sprank,espe eciallysincemanyfeelp powerlesstodoanything gthemselvestofixit.Itisin thisscenariomoreth haninanyot therthatres spondentsfe eelthedeve elopershave earoletosto op usinformatio onfrombein ngposted.P Perhapsthisisbecauseb beingwrong gly thiskindoferroneou haviourhaspotentiallym moreseriousimplication nsthansitua ationsinwhich accusedofillegalbeh ursareviewe edassocial lmishaps.H However,ratherthanre elyingonthe enetwork behaviou develope erstocorrec cttheproble em,asubstantialpropor rtion(44%)feelthedeve elopersshou uld releasethenameofthepersonw whopostedthelie,soth hattheycan ntaketheiro ownaction. Fewerre espondentsinthisscenariothanino othersfeelth heyareabletotakeapp propriateste epsto controlw whatisposte edaboutthe emontheirO OSN(38%ve ersus60%in nScenario1) ).
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ThedatainChart24suggestthatoverthree equartersof frespondent tsbelieveth heyaretheo ones blefortheconsequence esoftheirbe ehaviourint thisinstance e.Afurther37%believe ethe responsib personw whopostedt thematerialontheOSNisalsoresponsible.Rem markably,de espiteattempts tocontac ctthenetwo orkdevelope erandreceiv vingnoresponse,only1 11%ofrespo ondentshold dthe develope eraccountab bleforthisin ncident.
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AccordingtoChart25,abouthal lfoftheresp pondentsagainexpressconcernabo outmaterial postedonlinethatdo oesnotoriginatewithth hemandbelieveothersshouldnothaveaccessto informationnotintendedforthe em.While4outof10re espondentsb believethed developers shouldha averespond dedimmedia atelytother requesttohavethemat terialremoved,onlyafe ew (13%)ho oldthedevel loperslegally yliablefort theconseque encesthate ensue,evenifthose conseque encesinclud determinatio onfromtheirworkplace e.Aswithth hepreviouss scenarios,m most responde entsdonotv viewthissitu uationasah harmlesspra ank.
trates,respo ondentsfeelitissomew whatorveryinappropriat tetousesoc cial AsChart26demonst stocheckup ponemploy yees(77%),t torequireem mployeesto oaddyouasafriend networks (80%),to ouseasocialnetworkto ocheckoutt thecharacte erofsomeon newhohasa appliedfora ajob (60%)ortoresearchsocialnetworkstoidentifyhighqua alitycandida atesforfuturepositions (50%).Th heyfeellessstronglyabo outtheinap ppropriatene essofusingt theOSNforafterhours purposes swhensocia alizingwitht theiremploy yees(28%)o orwhenprom motinggood dsandservic ces throught thenetwork ktousers(35 5%).
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Respondentswereaskedforthe eirviewsabo outtheroleo ofOSNsinth heworkplac ce.AsChart27 illustrate es,morethan nhalf(56%)ofresponde entsmaintai inthatwork klifeshouldbekeptsepa arate fromper rsonallifean ndwhatthey ydoinones shouldnotaffecttheoth her.Asares sult,49% supportt theblocking gofOSNsatwork.These eindividualsclearlyantic cipatethatt theiruseofO OSNs willchangeastheym morefullyen nterthewor rkforce.How wever,asimilarproportio on(52%) disagreethatsomeonewithcare eerambition nsshouldavoidmember rshipinOSNs,orthat knowinghowaperso onbehaveso outsideofw workhoursgivesmanage ersinsightsintowhethera personis spromotable e(56%disag gree).Interm msofmarketing,morer respondentsseethe potentialofOSNsasatoolforpr romotinggo oodandserv vices(56%)thandothosewhoseeit tasa mechanis smforlearn ningmoreab boutcustomers(32%).
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ntsadifferen ntsituationwithrespect ttoroles,re esponsibilitie esand Eachscenariopresen conseque ences.Inter restingly,assummarized dinChart28 8,regardless sofscenario,responden nts appearto opointthef fingerofresponsibilitye eitheratthem mselvesort thepersonp postingthe content.Theytendt tobelessinc clinedtofindfaultwiththoseinvolv vedinmetin ngoutthe conseque encesandse eemtohave eparticularly ylowexpect tationsofthe enetworkdevelopers.
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A"p"valuereferstoth heprobabilityt thatthediffere encesobservedbetweentwo oormoregrou ups(the entvariables)in nresponsetoa anissue(thed dependentvariable)arether resultofarealdifferencebet tween independe thegroups sandnotbecauseofchance.Forastatisticallysignificantresultpmustbesmallertha an.05,whichm means that95out tofa100time estheobserved ddifferencesinresponseonthedependen ntvariablearebecauseofthe e groupdiffe erences(theca ategoriesoftheindependent tvariable)andnotbecauseo ofchance.Refe erencestop=.0 000 indicatealessthan1cha ancein1000.
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othmalesandfemalesre eportbeingmoreupsetwithfamilyseeingpictu uresversus Whilebo acquaintances,fema alesreportbeingsignificantlymoreu upsetthanm males(p=.00 00).If entshadthis shappentothem,theyindicatethe eywillbemo orecarefulabouthowthey h responde 48
Neitherm malesnorfe emalesbeliev vethattheyshouldbea abletocount tonthenetworkdevelo opers tostopth his.Ontheo otherhand,theydobelievethatthe edevelopers softhesocia alnetwork shouldte ellthemthenameofthe epersonpos stingtheerr roneousinfo ormation.Re espondents continue etobelievet thattheyhav vesetupthe eappropriat teprivacyco ontrols,andthussituatio ons likethism makethemf feelhelpless saboutprotectingthem mselves.Fem malesaresignificantlymo ore likelytor reportfeelin nghelpless(p=.000).Giv venthesebe eliefs,itisalsonotsurpr risingthat responde entsdonotv viewthissitu uationasah harmlesspra ank.Again,f femalesares significantly morelike elythanmalestoholdth hisbelief(p= =.007).
ethattheyareprimarilyresponsible eforthissitu uation,withfemalesholding Respondentsbelieve efsignificant tlymorethanmales(p=. .000).Theyd donotseethepersonw whopostedt the thisbelie contento orthedevelopershasbe eingrespons sible,whichissomewha atsurprisinggiventhatthe develope erswereask kedtoremov vetheconte ent.Likewise erespondent tsdonotsee ethesuperv visor asrespon nsible,partic cularlyfema aleresponde ents(p=.020) ). Respondentswerealsoaskedtoreporttheir rviewsonaseriesofprivacyissuesrelatedto Scenario4.Themean nvaluesarereportedin nChart36.
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Respondentsexpress sconcernab boutaccesst totheirprivateinformat tionbypeop pleforwhom mit wasnoti intended,an ndthatmate erialpostedaboutthemonthenetw workdoesno otalways originate ewiththem.Forbothitems,female esfeelsignifi icantlystron ngeraboutth hisaccessth han domales s(p=.000and dp=.000).Similarly,fem malesaresignificantlymorelikelythanmalestoview thisasno otjustaharm mlessprank(p=.006).R Respondents sdonotfeelthatthedev velopersoft the networkcanbelegal llyliableifatermination noccurred,a althoughthe eymarginally yfeelthatth he develope ersshouldha averespond dedimmedia atelytother requesttore emovethem material.
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Respondents,especiallyfemales sfeelverystronglythati itisinappropriateformanagersto eitherus seasocialne etworktoch heckuponemployees(p p=.009)orto orequireem mployeestoa add themtot theirfriends slist(p=.010 0).Likewise erespondent ts,especially yfemales,do onotfeelitis appropriateformanagerstouse easocialnet tworktoche eckoutajob bapplicant(p p=.000),ort to searchfo orpotentiala applicants(p p=.000).Ma alesaresignificantlymorelikelythan nfemalesto ofeel thatitisacceptablef formanager rstosocializewithemployeesonan nonlinenetw work(p=.000 0) andtous sethenetwo orkasamar rketingvehic cleforcompanygoodsa andservices(p=.018). Wealsoa askedrespondentstoag greeordisag greewithsta atementsab boutvarioususesofOSN Ns usingasc caleof1to5 5where1isstronglydis sagreeand5 5isstronglyagree,asreportedinCh hart 38.
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Bothmal lesandfema alesbelievethatOSNsshouldnotbe eaccessedd duringworkhoursand femalesa aresignificantlymorelik kelytoholdthisbelief(p p=.004).Res spondentsbe elievethatw work lifeshouldbesepara atefrompersonallifean ndthatOSNbehaviourdoesnotprov videinsightinto suitabilityforpromotion.Neithe ermalesnorfemalessee ecareerthre eatsrelatedtoparticipat tion inOSNs,andmalesa aresignifican ntlymorelik kelytoholdt thatview(p= =.031).Resp pondents, especially ymales(p=. .022)areeve enstrongerintheirview wsinthisset tofquestion nsthatonline e networks shavemarketingpotent tial.Incontr rast,respond dents,espec ciallyfemales(p=.000)are lesslikely ytoseeOSN Nsasaviable emechanism mforlearnin ngmoreaboutacompan nyscustome ers.
Open-ended Comments
Personal Life Concerns
Attheendofthesurveyquestionnaire,youngCanadianswereaskedtocompletetwoopen endedstatements.Thefirststatementwas:Withrespecttomypersonallife,thethingthat worriesmemostaboutbeingonanonlinesocialnetworkisTable2presentsthe categorizationofresponsesbyfrequency. Table2:FrequencyofIssuesIdentifiedRelatedtoPersonalLife 1.Generalprivacyconcerns171 2.NoExplicitAccessGivenStrangerConcerns a.Random/StrangeAccessConcerns265 b.PhysicalSafety(SexualPredators)11 c.Economic/Fraud69 d.EmotionalSafety253 Peopleactivelyandrepeatedlycollectinginfo(i.e.,stalkers)151 Peopleactivelycollectinginfo(i.e.,creepers)43 Peoplewithillintentions/poseathreat59 e.Business16 3.GivenAccessRelationshipConcerns a.Reputation/Image373 b.Family/Parents91 c.RomanticRelationships28 d.EmploymentConcerns21 e.Social36 4.Wastingtime/Addiction27 5.Other51 6.NoConcerns202 7.N/AorNoResponse81 Total1652Responses
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1.Gener ralPrivacy
Inthisca ategory,resp pondentsexp pressconcer rnsaboutge eneralprivac cyandpartic cipatinginO OSNs. Theyexp pressworries saboutpriv vacy,conf fidentialitya andsecurit ty.Themajo orityof responde entssimplyw writeprivac cy.Whatw weknowfrom mourquant titativesurve eyandpres study focusgro oupsisthatr respondents shavediffer rentconcept tualizationso ofwhatthes setermsact tually
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2.NoExplicitAccessGivenStrangerConcerns
Theseareconcernsexpressedaboutpeoplewhomtherespondentdoesnotknow.These commentsareconsistentwiththequantitativeresultsthatshow45%ofrespondentshaveat leastsomeconcernaboutstrangersaccessingtheirpersonalprofileinformation.Asresult,70% reportinthequantitativesurveythattheyhaveadjustedtheirprivacysettings,which demonstratestheirdesiretoblockinformation.Inorderforaccesstotheprofiletooccuron Facebook,therespondentsprivacysettingsmustbesettoallowuserstoviewaprofilewithout directapproval.Inotherwords,eitherrespondentsarenotawarethattheycancontrolaccess, ortheyareawareandhavenotdoneit,ortheyareawareandthinktheyhaveadjustedthe privacysettings,buttheyhavenotdoneitcorrectly.Regardless,itisclearthatmore informationneedstobeprovidedtothoseusingOSNs,sothattheyunderstandthecontrol theyhaveoveraccesstotheirinformation,andtheyknowhowtoadjustthesettingstolimit access. Responsesthataremorespecificweresubdividedintomoredescriptivecategoriesincluding physicalsafety,economicsecurity,emotionalsecurityandconcernswithbusinessused. a)GeneralConcernswithRandomPeople(265responses,16%) Theseconcernsrelatetopeoplewhomtherespondentdoesnotknowandwhomthe respondentbelieveshavenotbeengivenexplicitaccess(i.e.strangers,randompeople).Inthis generalcategory,thereisnoelaborationoftheconcern(i.e.safetyconcern).Examplesofthe responsesinthiscategoryinclude: PeopleIdontknowhavingaccesstoinfo(g72) 15 Notbeingabletocontrolwhoseesmyprofile(g40) ThatmypicturescanbeeasilyspreadandaccessbypeopleIdontknow(g43) Whatstrangerscanfindoutaboutyou(g15) b)PhysicalSafetyConcerns(11responses,1%) Theseareconcernsspecificallyregardingpredators(i.e.online,sexual). Sexualpredatorsusinginformationtoattackme(g21) Pedophilestryingtogettoyoungerchildrenwhohaveanonlinesocialnetwork(g74) c)EconomicSecurityConcerns(69responses,4%) Theseareconcernsrelatingtoeconomicsecurity,including:identitytheft,fraud,robbery, scams,andhackers.
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3.GivenAccessRelationshipConcerns
Forthisgroupofresponses,itappearsthatrespondentshavegivenaccesstotheirprofile,but haveconcernsabouthowthoseseeingtheinformationwillviewthem.Thiscategoryincludes issuesrelatedtocontroloverinformationwithintheirsocialgroupwherepersonal relationshipsalreadyexist.Subsetsofresponsesincludeconcernsaboutromantic relationships,socialsituations,reputationandimage,familyorparentalrelationships,and employmentsituations.Whilereputationandimageareprimaryconcerns,someresponses specifythesourceoftheinformationaspartoftheissue;thatiswhetherthecontentoriginates fromtherespondentorothers. 59
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4.Wastingtime/Addiction(27responses,2%)
RespondentsworrythattheiruseofOSNswillbeadistractionandtakeawaytimeorattention fromschool.Thisincludeswastingtime,slacking,orprocrastinating.Thisalsoincludes moreseriousconcernsaboutbecomingobsessedoraddictedtoOSNs.Givenourprevious findings,whichindicatedalmosthalfofourrespondentslogintotheirOSNmorethanoncea day,thisconcernmaybequiteappropriate.
5.Other(51responses,3%)
Responsesinthiscategoryarevague,thelanguageorwritingisdifficulttodecipher,orthe answersareunrelatedtotheissueunderconsideration,perhapsbecausethequestionhas beenmisunderstood.
6.NoConcerns(202responses,12%)
Responsesinthiscategoryexplicitlyexpressnoconcernsandaredifferentfromthemore passivenoresponseinthatrespondentswrotenoneornoconcernsasopposedto leavingitblank.
7.N/AorNoResponse(81responses,5%)
AllresponsesinthiscategoryareeitherblankorstateN/A.
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3.PersonalLifeExposureatWorkAccess(367responses,22%)
Theserespondentsexpressconcernaboutemployersorcoworkersgaininggeneralaccessto theirOSNprofiles.Theyworryabouttheirpersonallife(throughtheinformation,pictures, commentsontheirprofile)crossingovertotheirworklife,ifworkmatesviewtheirprofiles.This categoryalsoincludesgeneralconcernsabouttheblurringofpersonalandworklife.Asourin depthinterviewsshowthistobeanissuewithwhichemployersarestruggling,theseconcerns appearwellfounded. Employersseeingmyprofileandpictures(g92) Mybossfindingoutaboutmyweekendactivities(g90) Myemployerseeingmeandmypersonallife(g41) Thatmypersonallifeandmyjobarenotkeptseparate.Ifeelliketheyneedtobe (g57) Iwouldliketokeepmyworkandpersonallifeseparateandonlinesocialnetworkscan oftenmakethisdifficult(g95)
4.Reputation(433responses,26%)
Theseresponsesspecificallyrelatetoimageorreputationwithintheworkplace.Consistent amongthemisaconcernaboutcoworkersorsuperiorspassingjudgment,andbeingpassed overforpromotionbasedonthebasisofinformationavailableontheirprofile.Concernsare expressedaboutjudgmentsbeingmadeaboutbothpersonalcharacterandworkethic. Reputationatworkbasedonsocialprofile(g46) Employerjudgingyourworkskillsbasedonthepicturesandinformationfrom network(g46) Havingmyemployerseemyprofileandhim/herdoubtingmebecauseofthings happeninginmypersonallife(g87) Amanagerseeingimmatureactsandbelievingthatitwouldfollowmeintothe workplace(g1) Havinganemployerloserespectforme(g89)
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6.Distraction(24responses,1%)
ThosereportingthisasanissueworrythattheiruseofOSNswillbedistractingandtakeaway timeorattentionfromworkorschool.Thisincludeswastingtime,slacking,or procrastinating.Thisalsoincludesrespondentswhoexpressconcernsaboutbecoming obsessedoraddictedtoOSNs,andhavingtoenduretheconsequences. ThatImightlosefocusinmycareer,job,etc(g60) Thetemptationofgoingonandnotgettingmyworkdone(g46) NotgettingworkdonebecauseIambeingdistracted(g67)
7.Other(54responses,3%)
Responsesinthiscategoryarevague,thelanguageorwritingisdifficulttodecipher,orthe answersareunrelatedtotheissueunderconsideration,perhapsbecausethequestionhas beenmisunderstood. WhereIwork(g13) Takingbadaboutmycoworkersandmanagers(g59) Tocontactwithbusinesspartners(g63) Mycoworkershavemoreofasociallifethanme!Ouch!(g13) PeoplewhoaddmeasafriendandIhavenottalkedtotheminover5years(g28)
8.NoConcerns(364responses,22%)
Responsesinthiscategoryexplicitlyexpressnoconcerns.
9.N/AorBlank(210responses,13%)
AllresponsesinthiscategoryareeitherblankorstateN/A.
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Explicit Policies
Althoughthetermpolicyissomewhatvague,andcanbeusedbydifferentorganizationsto refertoarangeofinstrumentscoveringguidelines,bestpracticesandcodesofconduct, organizationsbyandlargebelievethattheirexistinginstrumentswillsuffice.Interestingly, thoseorganizationsthathaveexperiencedsomeformofemployeemisconductareless sanguine,andwellontheroutetoadoptingormodifyingtheirexistinghumanresourcestool.
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Seee.g.,arecentprivacybreachatFacebook:http://www.cbc.ca/bc/news/yourstory/features/v080326 facebookhack.html(accessedMarch31st,2008).
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Internal Guidelines
Organizationsarealsouncertainwhethertoactivelyseekinformationonlineabouttheir workersandcustomers,orwhethertheyshouldremainpassive.Wesuggestthatwherecertain processesalreadyworkwell,suchasinthecaseofexistingrecruitmentandselection processes,adecisionbemadenottocollectadditionalpersonalinformation.Sucha recommendationmustbecomplementedbyasuggestionastotheproperroleofan organizationonceinformationithasnotbeenactivelyseekinghasbeenbroughttoits attention,forexamplebywayofcustomercomplaint.Organizationswillofcoursealways complywithlegalandprofessionalrequirements,butwherediscretionexistswesuggestthat organizationsrefrainfromactingonthebasisofsuchknowledge.Suchrestraintwillsupportthe networkprivacyperceptionlimitingpersonalinformationtoitsintendednetwork.
Marketing
AlthoughtheattractionofOSNsasatreasuretroveofconsumerinformationisunderstandable, andofcoursecultivatedbyOSNstogeneratetheirrevenue,organizationsareadvisedtotread cautiously.ItdoesnotappearthattheinformationofferedbyOSNssuchasFacebookfor commercialadvertisingpurposestoorganizationsisinviolationofPIPEDAorotherprovincial legislation,butitdoesappeartoviolateinmostcasesthetargetedindividualssenseof networkprivacy.SomeyoungCanadianswelcometargetedadvertisingoverthetraditional massmarketingapproach,buttheydosoexplicitly,andontheirownterms.Theywishto choosewhichpersonatopresenttomarketers,andwhichmarketerstoincludewithintheir networkforsuchpurposes.
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17
Seee.g.,http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/tech/hightech/facebookbeacon.html(accessedMarch31st, 2008).
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Appendix A
QuantitativeInstrument SCREENINGQUESTIONS(DONOTINPUTINTOSPSSFILE) a)AreyouafulltimestudentatRyerson? Yes CONTINUE No *THANKANDTERMINATE b)InwhatSchoolorProgramareyoucurrentlyregistered? IDENTIFYSCHOOLORPROGRAMONYOURLISTANDENSURERESPONDENTISPARTOFYOUR ASSIGNEDGROUPANDCONTINUE.IFNOT,*THANKANDTERMINATE. c)AreyouorhaveyoueverbeenaregisteredmemberofanOSN(suchasFacebook,MySpace orsomeothernetwork)? Yes **CONTINUE No *Couldyoutellmewhynot?THANKANDTERMINATE *KEEPACOUNTOFTHENUMBEROFSTUDENTSFROMALLTHOSEWHOMYOUASKEDTO PARTICIPATEBUTWHODIDNOTMEETTHESCREENINGCRITERIAOFBEINGAMEMBEROFAN ONLINESOCIALNETWORK,INCLUDINGANYCOMMENTSTHEYOFFEREDFORTHELAST QUESTION. **IfallscreeningquestionsmeetTHErequirementsforsubjectparticipation,hand RESPONDENTthesurveyforselfcompletion.
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9.Whichofthefollowingstatementsrelatetoyourexperiencewithyourpreferredsocial network?(Checkasmanyasapply) 1 a)Ihavereadtheprivacypolicyassociatedwithmyonlinesocialnetwork. 1 b)Iunderstandthetermsofmyonlinesocialnetworksprivacypolicy. 1 c)Ihaveadjustedmyprivacysettingstorestrictsomegroupsofpeoplefrom accessingmeonline. 1 d)Iusethedefaultprivacysettingssetbythedevelopersofmysocialnetwork. 1 e)Ihaveblockedspecificpeoplefromaccessingmyonlineprofile. 1 f)PeopleIdontknowhavetriedtoconmeintolettingthemgetaccesstomy network. 1 g)IhavereportedcontentthatIfounddistastefulordisturbingtothedevelopers ofthenetwork. SECTIONC:Thenextfewpagespresentfivedifferentscenariosthatmayhappenonasocial networksite.Pleasereadeachoneandanswerthequestionsthatfollow,assumingyouare thepersoninvolved. Scenario1: Youhavejustbrokenupwithyoursignificantother.Youareshockedtoseethattheday afterthebreakup,yourprevioussignificantotherpostedcompromisingandwhatyou thoughtwereveryprivatepicturesofyouonthesocialnetwork.Inaddition,thisperson postednastycommentsthatpaintedaverynegativepictureofyouasaperson.Asaresult, somepeoplewhomyouthoughtwereyourfriendshavedroppedyouandyouarenolonger includedinsocialevents. 10.Whichofthefollowingbestrepresentsyourexperiencewiththescenariodescribed above?(CheckonlyONE) 1 Somethinglikethishashappenedtome. 2 Somethinglikethishasnothappenedtome,butithashappenedtosomeoneIknow personally. 3 SomethinglikethishasnothappenedtomeortosomeoneIknowpersonally,butIhave heardaboutithappeningtoothers. 4 Ihavenotheardofthishappening.
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18.Onascaleof1to5where1doesnotreflectyourviewsatall,and5reflectsyourviews verywell,pleaseindicatehowwelleachofthefollowingstatementsreflectsyourviewson theissuesidentifiedinthescenarioyouhavejustread.(Circlethenumberthatbestdescribes yourview) DoesnotreflectReflects views Viewsatallvery well a)Ishouldbeabletocountonthenetworkdevelopersto putastoptothis. 1 2 3 4 5 b)Situationslikethismakemefeelreallyhelplessabout protectingmyselfandmycharacter. 1 2 3 4 5 c)Norealharmcancomefromthiskindofprank. 1 2 3 4 5 d)IbelieveIamabletotaketheappropriatestepsto controlwhatispostedaboutmeonmysocialnetwork. 1 2 3 4 5 e)Ininstanceslikethis,thedevelopersofthesocial networkshouldtellmethenameofthepersonwhois 1 2 3 4 5 postingtheseliesaboutme.
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23.Onascaleof1to5where1isstronglydisagreeand5isstronglyagree,pleasegiveyour levelofagreementordisagreementwiththefollowingstatements.Remembertoansweras ifyouwerethemanagerwiththefiveemployees.(Circlethenumberthatbestdescribesyour view) Strongly Strongly Disagree Agree a)Accessingonlinesocialnetworksshouldnotbeallowed duringworkhours. 1 2 3 4 5 b)Apersonwantingtomoveupthecareerladdershould notbepartofonlinesocialnetworksbecauseyoucant 1 2 3 4 5 completelycontrolwhatispostedaboutyou. c)Worklifeiscompletelyseparatefrompersonallifeand whatyoudoinoneshouldnotaffecttheother. 1 2 3 4 5 d)Knowinghowapersonbehavesoutsideofworkhours givesmanagersinsightintowhetherthatpersonisready 1 2 3 4 5 forapromotion. e)Asmartmanagerwilluseonlinesocialnetworkstolearn moreaboutthecompanyscustomers. 1 2 3 4 5 f)Onlinesocialnetworksarebecomingsignificant marketingtoolsforcompaniestopromotetheirgoodsand 1 2 3 4 5 services
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Dont know 3 3 3 3 3 3
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Appendix B
INTERVIEWSCHEDULE A)GENERAL 1. Whatonlinesocialnetworksareyouawareof/doyouuse? 2. IffamiliarwithFacebook,then Howdidyoufirsthearaboutit? Whatdoyouuseitfor? AreyourcoworkersFacebookfriends?Youremployees?Yourfamily?Externalto workfriends? DescribeyourfeelingstowardssharingyourpersonalinformationonFacebookto othersonyourfriendslist. 3. Areonlinesocialnetworksbeneficialtoyourworklife?Ifyes,howso? B)CORPORATEPOLICIES/PRACTICES 1. Whatareyourorganizationspoliciesononlinesocialnetworks?(e.g.,usageatthe workplace,howcontentisused) Doesyourorganizationhaveapositionononlinesocialnetworks(e.g.,encourage, ignore,prohibit) Doesyourorganizationhaveanydisciplinarypoliciesregardingusage/overusageof onlinesocialnetworksduringworkhoursorusingworkequipment? Doesyourorganizationhaveanydisciplinarypoliciesregardingpostingorviewingof unsuitableorinappropriatematerialsduringworkhoursorusingworkequipment? 2. IfyourorganizationhasaworknetworkonFacebook: How/Whywasitestablished? Areemployeesactivelyencouragedtojointhenetwork?Ifso,how? Inwhatways,ifany,doeshavingaworknetworkonFacebookimpactemployees? 3. IfyourorganizationdoesNOThaveworknetworkonFacebook: WhydoesyourorganizationnothaveaworknetworkonFacebook? Inwhatways,ifany,doeshavingaworknetworkonFacebookimpactemployees? 4. Inwhatways,ifany,haveonlinesocialnetworkspositivelyimpactedworkplace activities?(e.g.,productivity,socialconnection&teambuilding) 5. Inwhatways,ifany,haveonlinesocialnetworksnegativelyimpactedworkplace activities?(e.g.,officepolitics,distraction) 6. Whatworkerconfidentialityconcernsarisewhenemployeesuseonlinesocial networks? Havetherebeenemployeeconcernsthatactivityononlinesocialnetworkswould impacttheircareers?Ifso,howhavetheconcernsbeenaddressed?
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7.
8. C)RECRUITMENT&SELECTION(consultwithHRifnecessary) 1. Doyou/wouldyouutilizeonlinesocialnetworkstoresearchapplicants(internalor external)? 2. Wouldthepossessionofanactiveonlineprofilebeconsideredapositive,negative,or neutraltoapplicants(internalorexternal).Why? 3. Wouldyoupostjobsoracceptapplicationsoveronlinesocialnetwork?Why/whynot? 4. Havetherebeenemployeeconcernsthatactivityononlinesocialnetworkswould impacttheirapplications?Ifso,howhavetheconcernsbeenaddressed? D)MARKETING(consultwithMarketingifnecessary) 1. Inwhatways,ifany,canthegatheringandsharingofinformationononlinesocial networkshelpyourorganization? Doesyourorganizationparticipateincollectinginformationononlinesocialnetworks? 2. Inwhatways,ifany,cantheutilitiesofferedbyonlinesocialnetworkshelpyour organization?(e.g.,groups,forums) Doesyourorganizationmanageanyutilities?(e.g.,groups,forums) 3. Inwhatways,ifany,canthemarketingaspectofonlinesocialnetworkshelpyour organization(e.g.,publicrelations,advertising,promotional)? CONCLUDINGQUESTIONS: 1. Doyouhaveanyfurthercommentsononlinesocialnetworksasapotentialtoolforyour organization? 2. Doyouhaveanyfurthercommentsononlinesocialnetworksasadisadvantagetoyour organization? 3. Wouldyoubeinterestedinlearningmoreaboutonlinesocialnetworkandhowitcanbe incorporatedtoyourorganization?Whichaspects? 94