The Ethics and Etiquette of Multitasking in the Workplace

Compared to other ethical problems modern organizations face, ranging from financial fraud to employee misconduct, our technologically induced diffusion of attention may be deemed inconsequential. However, the failure to devote enough attention is frequently the root of many current moral quandaries in the corporate world. Nowhere is this phenomenon more evident than in the tendency to multitask with technological devices while at work. Multitasking behavior is deeply ingrained in many human activities in today's society, and its benefits and drawbacks have been thoroughly debated. However, the ethical dimension has not been fully addressed. The focus of this article is to analyze the ethical issues of multitasking behavior in the workplace.