Am I being secretly watched? Is someone monitoring how well I am doing my job? These just two questions that run through my mind continuously while I am working at Columbia Regional Hospital. I was hired to work in the physical therapy department as a rehabilitation technician about a year and a half ago. During this time, I have discovered a number of ways that I am being controlled in the workplace. I will further discuss how controls are used in the workplace, how the use of the controls affects me, and my opinion on the use of surveillance.
Controls are used every day in the workplace. Any job that I have ever done for a company or another person, there were various types of control used. Working in a hospital setting, I found that there are many forms of control used, including direct, technical, and bureaucratic control.
Computer Workstation Variables
LANDSTUHL, Germany (Oct. 16, 2008) Physical therap...
Casino (Physical Therapy album)When I first began my job, I was monitored by a supervisor very closely. After working for six weeks, I had to go through an initial evaluation process. This process was performed by my supervisor and focused on how well I could perform the services expected of me. If I could not adequately perform at this period, I would be released. These evaluations are done every six months following the initial evaluation. The fear of the possibility of being fired by not performing to my supervisor's standards motivated me to work hard and to learn each task I was required to do quickly and correctly. Thus, I was controlled by the fear of not performing well enough for my supervisor and as a result, losing my job. This is a form of direct control, because it involves personal supervision. Also, it is a form of bureaucratic control, since it is...