| Computer and Internet use in organizations has grown exponentially in recent years as has the installation of software that monitors this use. The monitoring of employee computer use is controversial and raises important issues of trust and privacy. This study investigates the effects of personal psychological preferences, organizational ethical climates, and personal monitoring software knowledge (exogenous variables) on trust and privacy (endogenous variables) and proposes a causal model of these effects.; Attendees of the Pacific Telecommunications Council 2001, held in Honolulu, Hawaii in January, 2001, were asked to fill out a survey. There were a total of 247 acceptable responses. The questionnaire was composed of seven constructs: independent and interdependent self-construals, benevolence and self interest work climates, trust in the supervisor, monitoring software knowledge, and privacy concern. Five of the seven constructs had been developed and tested in previous research; two were developed by the researcher.; Through confirmatory factor analyses, the number of questionnaire items was reduced from thirty-three to twenty-one. An initial theoretical model with seven latent factors and twenty-one manifest variables went through a series of model modifications that resulted in a final model with six latent factors and eighteen manifest variables; the factor monitoring software knowledge was deleted. Results show that independent selfconstrual, interdependent self-construal, benevolence work climate, and self-interest work climate have direct effects on trust in the supervisor and indirect effects on privacy concern through trust in the supervisor. Both independent self-contrual and trust in the supervisor have direct effects on privacy concern. |
