The Psychology of the Internet at Work

Authors:
  • KBKenneth G Brown
    Kenneth G Brown
  • LGLucy L. Gilson
    Lucy L. Gilson
  • AJAndrew Franklin Johnson
    Andrew Franklin Johnson
  • SKSurinder Kahai
    Surinder Kahai
  • MMM. Travis Maynard
    M. Travis Maynard
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Abstract
The Internet has had a dramatic impact on almost every aspect of our lives, changing the way that we communicate with others, purchase products, receive healthcare, and conduct training programs. It has also had a profound influence on organizations. Further, the Internet has changed the nature of work (e.g., use of virtual teams), and the interaction between supervisors and subordinates. Hertel, Stone, Johnson, and Passmore (2017) suggest that Internet- based work is characterized by five key characteristics: enhanced accessibility of information, interactivity of communication, automatic storage of work-related data, automatization of work processes, and boundary crossing work. That is, standardized communication tools do not simply connect different work processes at different geographic or organizational locations, but it can also integrate non-work domains, and machines into remote communication networks. Despite the widespread use of the Internet in work contexts, relatively little theory and resear...