The evaluation of the internet usage habits of public employees in kastamonu

• Author: Ersin Kavi - Orhan Koçak
• Position: Lecturer, Ph.D. Economics and Business Administration Faculty, Department of Labour Economics, Yalova University - Lecture, Ph.D. Economics and Business Administration Faculty, Department of Labour Economics, Yalova University
• Pages: 310-322

310 Lex ET Scientia. Administrative Series

LESIJ NO. XVIII, VOL. 1/2011

THE EVALUATION OF THE INTERNET USAGE HABITS

OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES IN KASTAMONU

Ersin KAVİ∗

Orhan KOÇAK∗

Abstract

Changes in the last 10 years in information technology have increased the use of computers

and internet. The changes brought about fundamental changes the way we do business and behave

in social life from communication and reaching information to daily habits. Effective use of the

information technology, which has become the main condition of being competitive at work, has

required all employees in public and private sectors to improve themselves in the computer and

internet usage. In addition, the public sector also encourages the use of internet via e-government

applications. Thus, the computers and internet play a big part in the work of public sector and its

employees as well.

The usage of computers and the internet in working places not only have changed the way

we do business also have changed some ethical rules and issues. They brought some complicated

problems for people, organizations and states. Online fraud, carelessness, negligence, viruses,

system crashing, broadcasting personal information are among the most well-known ethical

problems related to computers and internet and caused by employees. In addition to these,

personal use of computers and internet by employees for their private usage during working hours

create another problem.

The objective of the study is to reveal the internet usage habits and behaviors of public

employees at work, using a field research that was carried out in Kastamonu that is a city of north

of Turkey. It is especially of interest how and for what purposes the chat programs, which

encourage the use of internet, are used. The results are analyzed from the point of view of public

ethics. The data is collected from the state servants in Kastamonu and is analyzed on SPSS

statistic program.

Keywords: Ethic, Internet, Instant Mesa, public ethic, information technology

I. Introduction

Today, to reach and have information technologies is easier than before because of

technological advances. Everybody in every class and age in society is using computer and

internet. When the Turkish Statistical Institute’s databases are investigated, we see remarkable

results. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute’s databases, the rate of computer usage of

people between 16-74 ages is 38% and the rate of the internet usage is 35% in 2008

(tuik.gov.tr,2008). These increasing rates show the same levels with the rates of the usage of

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∗ Lecturer, Ph.D. Economics and Business Administration Faculty, Department of Labour Economics, Yalova

University (e-mail: ekavi@yalova.edu.tr).

∗ Lecture, Ph.D. Economics and Business Administration Faculty, Department of Labour Economics, Yalova

University (e-mail: okocak@yalova.edu.tr).