That technology is redefining not just what we do but also how we do it has become a worn-out cliche and an everyday refrain. Nevertheless, it is a fact of modern life that these changes are far-reaching so much that words such as ‘office’ and ‘work’ are getting redefined in context and meaning.
Thanks to the seamless access to online information, the corporate workplace is no longer just a social space or a location where people work for a stipulated time. The surge in online sales shows that people are shopping even from their offices. This change in work culture may have eased the daily lives of employees but the human resources departments of most corporate offices are still pondering if this trend is a drain on productivity and if so how to contain it.
With people using quick breaks at the workplace to shop online, e-commerce sites such as Amazon, Myntra, eBay, Lenskart, Mydala, Yepme and Flipkart witness the most online traffic between noon and 4 pm on working days.
But not all IT firms have given the thumbs up to online shopping at the workplace. French IT firm Capgemini is a case in point. Like many other corporate houses, it has blocked access to all e-commerce websites.
However, Leena Chatterjee, Professor of Behaviourial Science at IIM Calcutta, says anything that distracts people from work would affect the workplace ecosystem. “Employees should be allowed to shop online during their personal time, but there has to be a clear distinction of time management required for a job.
While opinions differ on what needs to be taken so that employee productivity remains unaffected, there is no denying the fact this trend of e-shopping is here to stay
