The Xylo Report
A national quorum on work/life issues conducted six times yearly by Wirthlin Worldwide.
August 2001: Internet Usage in the Workplace
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Interview dates: |
August 3-6, 2001 |
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Respondents: |
1,001 respondents over the age of 18. Sixty-five percent of the 1,001 respondents qualified for this survey by being employed (margin of error = +/- 3.8 percent, n=652). |
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Conducted by: |
Wirthlin Worldwide |
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Commissioned by: |
Xylo, Inc. |
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Methodology used: |
Telephone interviews |
The August 2001 Xylo Report: Internet Usage in the Workplace is studying the changes in public opinion today as compared to responses to the same questions asked a year ago in August of 2000. The topics revisited include:
Key Findings
Compared to last year, more employees have access to the Internet at work and more report boosts in productivity because of the Internet usage.
This year’s survey also found that people who use the Internet a lot every day are more likely to say that it enhances productivity, compared to people who use it only once or twice a week (86 percent vs. 49 percent).
|
2001 |
2000 |
Increase/Decrease from 2000 |
|
|
Access to Internet at work |
66 percent |
44 percent |
+22 percent |
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Internet increases productivity at work |
67 percent |
46 percent |
+21 percent |
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Use the Internet at work for personal reasons |
64 percent |
49 percent |
+15 percent |
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Personal use of the Internet at work has no negative impact |
97 percent |
86 percent |
+11 percent |
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Personal use of Internet at work has a positive impact (makes them happier and less stressed) |
27 percent |
28 percent |
-1 percent |
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Personal use of Internet at work has a positive impact (helps them do a better job for their companies) |
27 percent |
28 percent |
-1 percent |
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Internet increases productivity at work: |
2001 |
2000 |
Increase/Decrease from 2000 |
|
College graduates |
74 percent |
59 percent |
+15 percent |
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Respondents with some college |
60 percent |
37 percent |
+23 percent |
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Use the Internet at work for personal reasons: |
2001 |
2000 |
Increase/Decrease from 2000 |
|
Northeast |
75 percent |
49 percent |
+26 percent |
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West |
71 percent |
46 percent |
+25 percent |
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South |
63 percent |
54 percent |
+9 percent |
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Midwest |
47 percent |
46 percent |
+1 percent |
Young women use the Internet more at work, but more young men use the Internet at work for personal reasons.
Men and women seem to use the Internet equally at work (39 percent and 43 percent respectively), but significant differences are observed in the 18-34 age group. The difference in Internet usage levels at work disappears in older men and women who are 35 to 54 years old (46 percent vs. 45 percent respectively).
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Women age 18-34 |
Men age 18-34 |
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Use the Internet at work |
52 percent |
33 percent |
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Use the Internet at work for personal reasons |
59 percent |
80 percent |
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Internet enhances productivity at work |
61 percent |
79 percent |
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Personal use of Internet at work makes them happier and less stressed |
36 percent |
23 percent |
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Personal use of Internet at work helps them do a better job for their companies |
9 percent |
38 percent |
Personal use of the Internet in the workplace impacts some groups more than others.
More men than women report that using the Internet at work for personal reasons has a positive impact (59 percent vs. 47 percent), such as making them happier and less stressed, or helping them do a better job. However, they derive different benefits from the practice.
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Personal use of the Internet at work: |
Women |
Men |
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Makes them happier and less stressed |
31 percent |
24 percent |
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Helps them do a better job for their companies |
16 percent |
35 percent |
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Personal use of Internet at work has positive impact: |
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Use several times a day |
72 percent |
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Use once or twice a week |
48 percent |
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Married adults with no children |
46 percent |
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Married adults with children |
44 percent |
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Single adults with no children |
72 percent |
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Single adults with children |
85 percent |
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Men under 35 years |
61 percent |
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Women under 35 years |
45 percent |
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Full-time workers |
53 percent |
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Part-time workers |
65 percent |
Media Contacts:
Holly Kaiser Karen Olson
MWW/Savitt Xylo, Inc.
Karen Olsen (kareno@xylo.com) gave permission to post this report at DSSResources.COM on August 21, 2001.