NAME: NDIISHE MALIWA

LEVEL: 4.1 CONVENTIONAL

COURSE: BBMIT
COMPANY: EEZTEL COMMUNICATIONS
RESEARCH TOPIC: EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY
TRACKING SYSTEM TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE
1.0) INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM
Worker productivity and ability makes the speed and development of
an association. Productivity tracking system is a software that tracks the
work of employees including quality, quantity and efficiency of work.
Employee monitoring is the use of workplace surveillance to gather
information about activities and locations of staff members. It is used to
supervise employee’s performance, prevent illegal activities, avoid
confidential information leakage, and catch insider threats. The
background of the problem captures different factors that regress the
employees from achieving an organization’s success.
Intense competition in the global operating businesses environment
had been facing organizations to strategize so as to maintain a
competitive advantage in the business arena. Indeed, organizations in
various sectors had been facing myriad of challenges including a high
degree of competition in the market due to the entrance of new players
and dynamic business environment (Jacobsen& Andersen, 2014). In
Zimbabwe, the information, communication and technology (ICT)
sector created a new competitive landscape in the last decade. Because
of intense competition, there has declining productivity in many
organizations leading to high employee turnover. According to Wachira
(2013), an estimated 45% of the workforce in information,
communication and technology sector had left their jobs in search for
greener pastures.
Time is of essence in an organization and so as are the employees. On
the other hand, monitoring the employees’ movement in and out of
organizations is important to know who an employee is and who is not
as to handle them accordingly. With each having an allocated duty, it is
possible to identify ghost workers within the organizations. However,
employees still do demand for pay at the end of every month or rather
go on strikes when there is a delayed salary. This deters productivity
since services cannot be rendered effectively since one may choose to
come late or not appear at all he/she was already signed in. A
productivity tracking system should be used to monitor employees as
they report to work.

During my attachment period at Eeztel Communications, there was a

significant proportion of employees that engaged in non-productivity
internet activities during work hours for example social media. It
resulted in inconsistent support because there was a delayed response
when customers would then call to make inquiries. For example
companies like Holiday Inn Harare and Monomotapa Hotel would
request for digital handsets or maybe there was a fault line. Also it
resulted in work overload because poor time management, when the
supervisors or managers were out of the workplace, employees would
then use that time inefficiently resulting in delayed projects for
example there was a PABX installation project to be done at Cairns
Foods.
1.1) STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM.

A growing number of employees are using the internet for

personal use, social media, online shopping, and banking during
workhours. This abuse of time is a type of theft that leads to a loss
in productivity, increased labor costs and a potential decrease in
profits. A crucial security concern for any business is an email
being used as the primary source for sharing intellectual property.
This could result in a loss of competitive advantage. Technology
has become both a personal and professional need in our
everyday lives. It created opportunities for global collaboration,
telecommunications, and numerous business process
improvements. With the necessity of these new technologies in
the workplace it is tempting for employees to use their
technologies for personal use on company time.

1.2) RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

1) To create the employee productivity tracking system that

will provide real-time insights into employee activities,
tracking time spent on tasks, applications used and websites
visited.
2) To design and develop the employee productivity tracking
system that can send alerts when employees deviate from
work patterns, such as excessive time spent on non-work
related activities.
 3) To design and develop the employee productivity tracking
system that can provide instant Feedback and Support,
responding to queries regarding project deadlines.

1.3) Research Question

1) How can integration of real-time tracking technologies

improve the accuracy and effectiveness of monitoring
employee activities, including time spent on tasks,
applications used, and websites visited?
2) What design features and algorithms are most effective in
developing a system that accurately detects deviations
from established work patterns and sends timely alerts
for excessive time spent on non-work related activities?
3) How can an employee productivity tracking system be
designed and developed to deliver instant feedback and
support, while also effectively responding to employee
queries regarding project deadlines and timelines?

1.4) Research Hypothesis

Employee monitoring positively affects work engagement.
This hypothesis suggests that when employees have access
to their productivity data and can see their impact of their
efforts, they may feel more engaged and motivated in their
work.
1.5) Significance of the study

The study of employee productivity tracking system holds

several significant implications for organizations. Employee
Productivity tracking systems can help ensure compliance
with company policies and regulations. By monitoring
employee behavior, organizations can identify instances of
rule-breaking and take appropriate actions to address them.
By analyzing productivity data, employers can identify skill
gaps and training needs among employees.

1.6) Assumptions

The system will accurately measure and track individual

employee productivity metrics, such as time spent on tasks,
number of time tasks completed, quality of work. The data
collected by the system will provide meaningful insights into
employee performance that can be used to inform
management decisions. Employees will be comforted with
monitoring and data collection, and it will not negatively
impact morale or trust.
1.7) Delimitations of the study
The system will adhere to strict privacy regulations to ensure
that employee data is collected and used ethically and
legally. Some employees may resist being monitored or feel
uncomfortable with constant tracking, the system will
address strategies to mitigate resistance and ensure
employee buy-in for the tracking system. Limitations in the
accuracy of tracking tools and methodologies can affect the
reliability of productivity data. Delimitations should address
potential inaccuracies and establish methods to validate and
improve data accuracy.

1.8) Limitations of the study

Monitoring employee productivity can raise privacy issues

and concerns among employees, impacting trust and morale
within the organization. Productivity tracking data can be
misused for micromanagement, creating a culture of
surveillance that hampers employee autonomy and
innovation. Unconscious bias in interpreting productivity
data or using it for performance evaluations can lead to
unfair treatment, favoritism, or discrimination among
employees.
1.9) Literature review

Impact on Employee performance

Numerous studies have highlighted the positive impact
productivity tracking systems on employee performance.
Chen and Garg (2017) found that employees monitored
through such systems exhibited higher levels of task
completion and efficiency. Additionally, Smith and Johnson’s
meta-analysis (2019) revealed a significant correlation
between effective monitoring systems and improved
employee performance.

Organizational Efficiency and Resource allocation

Brown and Lee (2020) explored the role of productivity
tracking in enhancing organizational efficiency. Their
research demonstrated that tracking employee productivity
facilitated better resource allocation, streamlined workflows,
and identified areas for improvement. Gupta and Sharma
(2018) further emphasized the importance of performance
monitoring systems in optimizing operational processes and
boosting overall productivity levels.

Industry Trends
The market for employee productivity tracking software has
seen significant growth in recent years, with a wide range of
tools and solutions available, from time tracking apps to
 advanced analytics platforms. According to a report by
MarketsandMarkets (2021), the global employee monitoring
software market is expected to grow from $1.3billion in 2020
to $2.8billion by 2025, driven by the increasing adoption of
remote and hybrid work models.

Ethical considerations
The use of employee productivity tracking systems has raised
concerns about employee privacy, trust, and the potential for
exploitation. Scholars and industry experts have called for
the development of ethical frameworks and guidelines to
ensure that these systems are implemented in a responsible
and transparent manner (Moore, 2018; Ajunwa, 2020)

1.10) Proposed methodology

The research study used in the thesis is presented in figure
1.10. As depicted in the figure, the strategy is based on the
design science paradigm that is heavily influenced by
inductive reasoning (Yash Dhanore and Vidhu Aggarwal
2023).The research strategy includes:
1) Research methods
2) Research phases
3) Respondents
4) Research instruments
5) Ethical requirements
6) Threats to validity
Design Science Methodology
Design Science Research (DSR) involves formulating
innovative solutions to known or unknown problems. DSR
compels the researcher to grapple with real-world problems
and offers a framework for addressing them. As shown in
figure 1.10, the research method employed in this thesis
strictly follows the Design Science paradigm.
An overview Design Science Methodology Figure1.10.1

As observed in figure 1.10.1, the process encompasses five

primary steps. Below is a concise explanation of the steps
incorporated in the Design Science research:
 Problem Identification and Motivation: This
corresponds to the problem statement and the
literature study phase, where the abuse of time was
identified as the primary source.
 Requirements and Evaluation Model: This stage
encompasses the creation of an evaluation model,
which will serve as a metric for assessing the final
product.
 Design and Develop: This phase typically includes
elements of the evaluation model but primarily involves
the creation of an employee productivity tracking
solution.
 Demonstration: This stage pertains to the evaluation of
the preliminary employee productivity tracking
solution, implemented in the area of the study.
  Evaluation: The preliminary solution is subsequently
assessed using the previously developed evaluation
model.

1.11) Definition of terms

Worker productivity- refers to the measure of output or

value generated by an individual worker within a specific
time period.
Employee productivity tracking system- is a software, either
installed on work devices or connected to them through
cloud-based services, designed to monitor and analyze
employee activity and productivity.
Insider threats- refer to security risks that arise from
individuals within an organization who have authorized
access to sensitive information or systems and use that
access to cause or steal data.
Competitive advantage- is the ability of a company to
produce goods or services or more cost-effectively than its
competitors.
Ghost workers- refers to someone who is recorded on the
payroll system but does not actually work for organization
efficiently.
Intellectual property- represents intangible assets that have
value due to their ability to generate revenue and drive
business growth.
Employee buy-in – refers to the level of commitment and
agreement that employees demonstrate towards company’s
goals, strategies or changes.
 Micromanagement- is a management style where a manager
closely oversees and controls the work of employees.
Unconscious bias- refers to the unintentional attitudes that
influence our perceptions and decisions about others.

1.12) References

Yash Danore (2023)’A Solution for Better Time Tracking’,

pg17
Smith and Johnson’s (2019) ‘Correlation between effective
monitoring systems’.
Chen and Garg (2017) ‘Impact on Employee performance’.
Brown and Lee (2020) ‘Role of productivity tracking in
enhancing organizational efficiency’.
Oliver Pwaka (2019) ‘An Investigation into the impact of
Performance Management Systems on Employee
Productivity’.
Vitthalsingh Chavnn (2022) ‘ Employee Tracking System’.