The Role of Task Characteristics and Organizational Culture in Non-Work-Related Computing: A Fit Perspective

Abstract

Many organizations have created control mechanisms and discipline systems to prevent employees from engaging in non-work-related computing (NWRC). Since such control mechanisms and discipline systems often fail to reduce NWRC, it is necessary to delineate task characteristics and organizational cultures that can enhance the effectiveness of NWRC management. Based on a fit perspective, we examined the effects of task characteristic-control mechanism fit and organizational culture-discipline system fit on employees' NWRC behaviors and attitudes toward NWRC discipline systems. Two separate studies on full-time employees in Asian organizations revealed three important findings. First, when task non-routineness was high, NWRC control mechanisms were less effective in reducing NWRC behavior. Second, progressive (punitive) discipline systems were associated with greater satisfaction with the discipline system in bureaucratic cultures, whereas positive discipline systems were related to higher satisfaction in innovative and supportive cultures. Finally, positive discipline systems were also associated with reduced NWRC behavior in innovative cultures.