Source: Diane Swanson, 785-532-4352, swanson@k-state.edu
http://www.k-state.edu/media/mediaguide/bios/swansonbio.html
News release prepared by: Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, 785-532-6415, ebarcomb@k-state.edu
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
K-STATE EXPERT IN BUSINESS ETHICS SAYS WHAT BUSINESSES LOSE IN PRODUCTIVITY DURING MARCH MADNESS THEY MAY GAIN IN IMPROVED EMPLOYEE MORALE
MANHATTAN -- As if computer solitaire games weren't already enough of a pull for daydreaming office workers, March Madness is about to make working hard even harder.
But that's not necessarily a bad thing, according to one Kansas State University business professor who says the NCAA basketball tournament can boost the spirits of fans in the stands and in cubicles.
Selection Sunday on March 16 kicks off March Madness, and unfortunately for most businesses, a lot of the games take place during the workday. This annual hoops hysteria also kicks off workplace betting, which some say saps worker productivity as employees will spend countless hours filling out tournament brackets, monitoring scores on the Web and talking trash across cubicles.
Although these pools are technically illegal, try finding an office without one. Legal issues aside, Diane Swanson, a K-State professor of management, sees nothing inherently wrong with employees participating in these pools while at work -- as long as it's done in moderation. Swanson holds the von Waaden business administration professorship at K-State and has spearheaded a campaign to emphasize the importance of ethics in business education.
Swanson said participation in such office pools can in fact act as a counterweight to the cost and productivity issue, which some place at about $101 million lost by businesses for every 10 minutes its employees spend obsessing about the tournament. These pools can instead increase employee morale and output, she said.
"Such activities at work do create a bond among employees and increase their interest in being at work and foster a climate of solidarity," Swanson said. "Instead of people sitting solemnly around and not connecting, these kinds of things can help to connect people and create bonds around a focal point of interest. This is desirable in a climate where employees by the thousands have lost jobs due to outsourcing and whopping misconduct at the top of organizations."
But Swanson said employees who are uncomfortable with the practice or those not interested in the games shouldn't feel pressured to participate. That could actually hurt morale, she said.
Legal issues aside, Swanson said that if employers know about the pools and if they are run with fairness and without corruption, she doesn't see it as a problem -- as long as conflicts of interest such as coaches and players betting on the games are prohibited.
"I think one key to balance out the concern is whether the employer is comfortable with this practice," Swanson said. "If the employer has knowledge of it and doesn't view it as disruptive, I do not see them as unethical per se, although ultimately I have to respect the letter of the law in this area."
Before organizing or taking part in a pool with your co-workers, Swanson suggests checking with your employer first to see whether any rules exist against participating in such pools. Employees who organize office pools where money changes hands could face punishment, dismissal or even legal trouble for engaging in an illegal act. This sort of wagering is against the law in every state except Nevada.
"If the employer has a policy against the practice, then I cannot say it's ethical to have a pool," Swanson said.