A surreal illustration depicting the balance between transparency and privacy in the modern workplace.

Transparency at Work: Is It a Blessing or a Curse?

Soraya Malik in Business & Economy August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Uncover the surprising ways transparency impacts productivity, privacy, and your overall well-being in the workplace. It's more complex than you think!"

In today's work landscape, observation is constant. Unlike 50 years ago when managers tracked high-level metrics and occasionally observed workers, today’s technology allows real-time monitoring. This "Super-Vision," made possible by smart cameras and wearable tracking devices, goes far beyond anything Taylor (1911) envisioned when promoting managerial oversight through scientific management.

We see extreme examples of observation at work, with companies using handheld computers or wearable bands to track and optimize employees’ every move. Sensors embedded in company-owned trucks record hundreds of data points to enforce time-saving tactics, and casinos use cameras to track employee smiles as a proxy for customer service quality. Point-of-sale systems analyze transactions for fraud, and RFID-enabled workspaces automatically capture worker progress. Even hand-soap dispensers track who washes their hands. Line-by-line email tracking, like that once conducted by the FDA, adds another layer of scrutiny.

Even without Big-Brother surveillance, "big data" and digital tracking have made observation widespread. This includes digital tracking of email, instant messaging, calendars, social networks, location (via mobile phones, GPS, and RFID), real-time output monitors, video, and even moods (via facial recognition).

The Double-Edged Sword: Unveiling the Realities of Workplace Transparency

A surreal illustration depicting the balance between transparency and privacy in the modern workplace.

While these developments appear cutting-edge, they represent the latest phase in the evolution of observation in management. Observation has always been a foundational element of management and daily life. However, theorists have used different constructs to capture their interest in observation, with each construct building on the last. Now, it’s time to investigate the realities— the latest phase is transparency.

Transparency is often viewed as a cure-all, and yet its impact is much more nuanced. It encompasses various forms—monitoring, process visibility, surveillance, and disclosure—each with its own set of potential benefits and risks. Understanding these nuances is key to harnessing the power of transparency effectively.

Transparency as monitoring: Nonhierarchical systems gather information about activities and make it widely available, motivating performance and facilitating knowledge sharing.
Transparency as process visibility: Visual information showcases workflow, impacting effort and satisfaction, particularly in service industries. It reduces customer uncertainty and demonstrates employee effort.
Transparency as surveillance: Managers closely supervise, either visually or through data capture, potentially leading to both enabling and coercive control. "Big Brother" effects can increase compliance.
Transparency as disclosure: Making new or previously secret information known enhances market efficiency and strengthens relationships but can come at a cost to the discloser.

Transparency's effectiveness in relation to performance hinges on a fundamental aspect of life. To improve or interact, we must observe. We might consider if this "umbrella construct" encompassing seemingly different constructs has value. Three interrelated and previously overlooked insights can be seen when bringing all these aspects to light—not about transparency itself, but about research on transparency in all its forms—both the research that has been done and the research that has yet to be done:

The Future of Transparency: Striking the Right Balance

Transparency and privacy aren't mutually exclusive; they’re a pair of human necessities needing a balance. There has been exploration of each, little has concerned how to balance them for organizational performance. Is it time the trend changed to promote transparency and reduce data to information as well as make Al algorithms value transparency? It's a start in the right direction.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.5465/annals.2014.0076, Alternate LINK

Title: Making Transparency Transparent: The Evolution Of Observation In Management Theory

Subject: Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

Journal: Academy of Management Annals

Publisher: Academy of Management

Authors: Ethan S. Bernstein

Published: 2017-01-01

Everything You Need To Know

What are the different forms that transparency takes in the workplace, and how do they differ?

Transparency in the workplace manifests in various forms, each with distinct implications. "Transparency as monitoring" involves nonhierarchical systems that gather and share information to motivate performance and facilitate knowledge sharing. "Transparency as process visibility" uses visual information to showcase workflow, which can enhance effort and satisfaction, particularly in service industries, by reducing customer uncertainty and highlighting employee effort. "Transparency as surveillance" entails close supervision by managers, either visually or through data capture, which can lead to both enabling and coercive control, sometimes referred to as "Big Brother" effects that increase compliance. Finally, "Transparency as disclosure" involves making new or previously secret information known, which can enhance market efficiency and strengthen relationships but may come at a cost to the discloser. Understanding these nuances is crucial for effectively harnessing the power of transparency.

How has technology changed workplace observation compared to the past?

Technology has revolutionized workplace observation, transitioning from infrequent, high-level metric tracking to constant, real-time monitoring. Fifty years ago, managers observed workers occasionally and tracked limited metrics. Today, technologies like smart cameras and wearable tracking devices enable "Super-Vision," far beyond what Taylor envisioned with scientific management. Companies now use handheld computers, wearable bands, sensors in trucks, and cameras to track and optimize employees' every move, analyzing data points from hand-washing frequency to facial expressions. This level of scrutiny, combined with digital tracking of email, instant messaging, and location data, represents a significant shift in the intensity and scope of workplace observation.

What is 'Super-Vision' and how does it relate to scientific management?

"Super-Vision" refers to the real-time monitoring of employees made possible by modern technology such as smart cameras and wearable tracking devices. It contrasts sharply with the managerial oversight envisioned by Taylor in his theory of scientific management (1911). While Taylor promoted managerial observation to optimize efficiency, Super-Vision extends far beyond his concepts. It involves tracking numerous data points about employees' activities, from their movements to their communications, creating a much more intensive and pervasive form of monitoring than previously possible.

How can transparency be a 'double-edged sword' in the workplace?

Transparency, while often viewed as a positive attribute, can be a 'double-edged sword' because its effects on the workplace are nuanced. While it can promote performance, facilitate knowledge sharing, and enhance market efficiency, it also carries risks. For example, "transparency as surveillance" can lead to coercive control and create a "Big Brother" environment, potentially harming employee well-being and trust. Additionally, "transparency as disclosure" may expose sensitive information, harming the discloser. Balancing transparency with privacy is therefore essential to harness its benefits while mitigating its potential drawbacks.

What future considerations should organizations keep in mind regarding transparency and privacy in the workplace?

Looking ahead, organizations should prioritize finding a balance between transparency and privacy. While both are essential, little focus has been on how to optimize this balance to enhance organizational performance. The future trend should focus on promoting transparency while simultaneously reducing excessive data collection and converting necessary data into meaningful information. In addition, AI algorithms should be designed to prioritize and value transparency, ensuring that technological advancements support rather than undermine ethical and privacy considerations in the workplace.