No policy here, as of yet.  It's good there isn't one, I think -- makes me
feel like the organization trusts its employees and assumes they will act
as adults.

I suppose preemptive policies about employee behavior are necessary in some
cases, but in general I think people perform better when granted autonomy
and trust.  It seems that the tendency of human resources departments is
increasingly to serve as the front office for an organization's legal
counsel, who are the ones really dictating how employees must act and be
treated.

Stephen Nowlin
Director, Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery
Art Center College of Design
http://www.artcenter.edu/exhibit/williamson.html


Anne Ackerson writes:

>I've been following a recent thread on the PRFORUM discussion list regarding
>institutional policies delineating employee use of the Internet.  I'm
>interested
>to know if any museums on the list have developed such a policy.
>
>To paraphrase from a post by Tom Varga at PRFORUM (6/17/97): "The Internet will
>be used for some personal or networking time, but if this effects the overall
>competitiveness of a company or a staff member within the company, than any
>productivity gains and competitive advantage from the Internet is lost....The
>aim is not to show distrust (of employees), but to set down the guidelines for
>the use of the Internet just as with other items....to allow the Internet
>not to
>be encompassed in some form of policy is both dangerous and negligent."
>
>I think this is an issue museums need to address, and I'm wondering who out
>there has done it or is considering it.
>
>
>Anne W. Ackerson
>Independent Consultant - Providing Management, Development
>        & Creative Services to Cultural Institutions
>109 N. 9th St.
>Olean, NY  14760-2099
>103604,[log in to unmask]

Stephen Nowlin
Vice President, Director, Williamson Gallery
Art Center College of Design
1700 Lida Street
Pasadena, CA 91103 USA (818)396-2397  fax (818)405-9104 [log in to unmask]
Williamson Gallery website:
http://www.artcenter.edu/exhibit/williamson.html