Union College
Santa Cruz, Laguna
Moontoon Staff Member’s Attitudes
to Personal Mobile Phone Use in Staff/Team meetings
Finals Business Research Project
for First Semester
In Math 15
Submitted by:
John Ryan E. Inducil
BSA - (016-0162)
Submitted to:
Engr. Alexander E. Carandang
Adviser
S. Y. 2017-18
Abstract
The aim of this paper was to investigate Moontoon staff attitudes to personal
mobile phone use in staff and team meetings. A staff survey on attitudes towards the
use of mobile phones in the staff/team meetings was conducted. The results indicate
that the majority of staff find mobile phone use a majority issue in staff meetings. The
report concludes that personal mobile phones are disruptive and should be turned off
in meetings. It is recommended that Moontoon develops a company policy banning
the use of mobile phones except in exceptional circumstances.
Introduction
Smartphones have very important roles in several sectors, which have seen major
changes resulting from the use of smartphones by their staffs that use them to
complete their tasks, and communicate with a remote workplace while working from
home. The boundary between one's professional and personal life has begun to
gradually disappear day after day. It is now seen that employees perform their duties
in the evening from their homes or during holidays and vacations. Thus, owning a
smartphone gives employees the ability to communicate with their place of work and
perform their duties any time and any place. Employees can communicate with each
other and do their work all the time. If managers give their employees some flexibility in
working hours, this is a positive thing.
Many researchers have reported positive impacts of using smartphones at
workplace. Pitichat (2013) and Gagne and Deci (2005) stated that smartphones can
benefit a workplace by promoting autonomy; instilling strong employee/organization
relationships from bottom to top and encouraging knowledge sharing. According to
Carayannis and Clark (2011), employees feel relax and comfortable while using their
personal smartphones, and this personal and stress free factor leads towards work
efficiency. Kakihara and Sorensen (2002) also confirmed that smartphone has gained
its popularity as a communication platform in the workplace because it provides an
improved function to help workers organize their assignments and allows people to
work anywhere anytime.
However, there were also several negative impacts reported. For example,
Bozeman (2011) elaborated the excessive use of smartphones at work can lead to
addiction and obsession which can lower the work productivity. Smartphone usage
also distracts employees from information and others in the meeting (Ebelhar, 2009).
In Cavazotte (2014)’s study, the participants identified their smartphones use as
crazy, compulsive, and unhealthy. The use of smartphones has led to an increased
workload, blurring of work/life boundaries, interfering with leisure time, and spousal
resentment/family conflicts. The increasing expectancy for availability and quick
responses to superiors make employees feel obliged to respond directly, even on
their time off.
Smartphones have been developing rapidly and are increasingly integrated in
people’s lives. The impacts of smartphone usage in the workplace may be positive or
negative which may influence work productivity in any organization. In this study, the
impacts of smartphones on Moontoon employees work performance were identified
and the mechanism of dealing with these impacts are described in order to help,
develop and increase their productivity or work performance.
Background
There has been a massive increase in the use of personal mobile phones over
the past years and there is every indication that this will continue. According to Black
(2002) by 2008 almost 100% of working people in the Philippines will carry personal
mobile phones. Black describes this phenomenon as “serious in the extreme,
potentially undermining the foundations of communication in our society” (2002).
Currently at Moontoon 89% of staff have personal mobile phones.
Recently a number of staff have complained about the use of personal mobile
phones in meetings and ask what the official company policy is. This research
examines the issue of mobile phone usage in staff meetings and small team meetings.
It does not seek to examine the use of mobile phones in the workplace at other times,
although some concerns were raised.
Problem Statement
At present Moontoon has no official company policy regarding phone use. A
massive increase of complains about the use of personal mobile phones during staff
members and small team meetings emerge. The impacts of smartphone usage in the
workplace has negative effect which may influence work productivity in Moontoon.
Research Objectives
The researcher will examine the following:
The issue of mobile phone usage in staff meetings and small team meetings
at MBL group of company;
The impact of mobile phone usage during meetings to staff members work
performance; and
To help management on how to deal with the issue of using mobile phone
during meeting and working hours.
Importance of the Study
Smartphones have been developing rapidly and are increasingly integrated in
people’s lives. The impacts of smartphone usage in the workplace may be positive or
negative which may influence work productivity in any organization. In this study, the
impacts of smartphones on Moontoon employees work performance were identified
and the mechanism of dealing with these impacts are described in order to help,
develop and increase their productivity or work performance.
Research Design
This research is conducted by questionnaire and investigated MBL staff
members’ attitudes to the use of mobile phones in staff/team meetings. A total of 412
questionnaires were distributed with employees’ fortnightly payslips. The
questionnaire used Lekert scales to assess social attitudes to mobile phone usage
and provided open ended responses for additional comments. Survey collection
boxes were located in every branch for a four week period. No personal information
was collected; the survey was voluntary and anonymous.
Results
There was an 85% response rate to the questionnaire. A breakdown of the
responses is listed below in Table 1. it can be clearly seen from the results that
mobile phones are considered to be disruptive and should be turned off in meetings.
Table 1
Personal Mobile Phone usage Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly
in Staff and Team Meetings is… agree % % % Disagree %
Not a problem 5 7 65 23
An Issue 40 45 10 5
Disruptive 80 10 7 3
Phone should be permissible 6 16 56 22
Phone should be turned off 85 10 3 2
Allowed in some circumstances 10 52 24 14
The survey also allowed participants to identify any circumstances where mobile
phones should be allowed in meetings and also assessed staff attitudes towards
receiving personal calls in staff meetings in open ended questions. These results
showed that staff thought that in some circumstances , e.g. medical or emergencies,
receiving personal phone calls was acceptable, but generally receiving personal
phone calls was not necessary.
Data Analysis
It can be seen from the results in Table 1 that personal mobile phone use is
considered to a problem; however it was acknowledge that in some situations it
should be permissible. 80% of recipients considered mobile phones to be highly
disruptive and there was strong support for phones being turned off in meetings
(85%). only 12% thought that mobile phone usage in staff and team meetings was not
a problem, whereas 85%felt it was an issue. The results are consistent throughout the
survey. Many of the respondents (62%) felt that in exceptional circumstances mobile
phones should be allowed, e.g. medical, but there should be protocols regarding this.
These findings are consistent with other studies. According to Smith(2005) many
companies have identified mobile phones as disruptive and have banned the use of
mobile phones in meetings. Havir (2004) claims that 29% of staff meeting time is
wasted through unnecessary mobile phone interruptions. This affects time
management, productivity and team focus.
Conclusion
The use of mobile phones in staff meetings is clearly disruptive and they should
be switched off. Most staff felt it s not necessary to receive personal phone calls in
staff meetings except under certain circumstances, but permission should first be
sought from the team leader, manager or chair.
Recommendation
It is recommended that Moontoon develops an official policy regarding the use of
mobile phones in staff meetings. The policy should recommend:
Mobile phones are banned in staff meetings
Mobile phones may be used in exceptional circumstances but only with the
permission of the appropriate manager or chair
Finally, the policy needs to apply to all staff in the company.
