Effects of group cohesiveness and procedural fairness context on the performance and stress of electronically monitored individuals

Electronic performance monitoring (EPM) is used to monitor the performance of employees in a variety of organizations. However, some empirical evidence has linked EPM to negative organizational and individual outcomes. It has been suggested that the outcomes of EPM depend on the social context or organizational climate in which it is employed. Thus, the consequences of EPM in different organizational contexts should be studied.; The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between EPM and performance and stress while taking into account the intervening effects of social context variables. The proposed hypotheses describe the anticipated effects of EPM, group cohesiveness and procedural fairness context on performance and stress of individuals working on a complex task. The proposed model, based on prior models of EPM effects and a multilevel approach to procedural justice, outlines the joint effects of EPM and these context variables on performance.; The present study used an experimental design to distinguish the effects of EPM, group cohesiveness and procedural fairness context on individual performance and stress. The results of the study, involving 324 participants, confirmed that EPM had a negative effect on complex task performance and increased stress levels of individuals performing a complex task. Females reported higher stress levels and greater sensitivity to monitoring than males. Group cohesiveness was found to have a positive effect on performance quantity. Procedural fairness context had a positive effect on EPM fairness perceptions. Both of these factors were found to have a positive effect on performance quality. Contrary to expectations, group cohesiveness and procedural fairness context were not found to decrease the stress of electronically monitored participants. The results of the study suggest that a favorable social context does not necessarily improve performance and decrease stress.; The results of the study are discussed within the context of social facilitation theory and a multilevel theory of procedural justice. Implications of the findings of the study for organizations using EPM to monitor complex task performance are suggested.