The Impact of Electronic Monitoring on Hazard Communications

This research examines how monitoring electronic communications can influence the types and frequency of communication of potentially damaging information, which we term hazard communication. The results of a laboratory experiment indicate that individuals, when monitored, will alter their communication behavior by sharing less information and by communicating less. Individuals in the non-monitored condition engaged in more hazard communication, self-disclosing and reporting on observed behaviors more than individuals in a monitored condition. However, individuals in the monitored condition expressed significantly more denials of impropriety. The results suggest that individuals will alter their communications when monitored, in an attempt to present themselves in a manner they believe to be more in line with the expectations of the monitoring authority.