Productivity theater is a form of impression management where an employee acts productively in the workplace, typically by appearing busy or unavailable, without actually being productive.[1][2]
Following the rise of remote work after COVID-19, productivity theater became a large concern with remote employees who lacked onsite supervision.[3][4][5][6]
Mouse shuffle
editThe "mouse shuffle" refers to someone continuously moving their computer mouse around to keep their screen active, giving them the appearance of being at work.[7] The mouse can either be physically shuffled by a person or mechanically by a mouse jiggler. The mouse shuffle is useful in workplaces where employees' computer screens are visible to others, like in open-office layouts.
Employees where mouse shuffling is prevalent have increased stress and reduced job satisfaction.[8]
References
edit- ^ Mensik, Hailey (26 April 2023). "WTF is productivity theater?". WorkLife. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ Wong, Ryan (April 21, 2023). "'Productivity theater' is officially out of control at work". Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ Robinson, Bryan. "Employees Using 'Productivity Theater' To Protect Against Surveillance, Study Finds". Forbes. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ Stillman, Jessica (Aug 22, 2022). "Remote Workers Are Wasting More Than an Hour a Day on Productivity Theater, New Report FindsDigital presenteeism is sapping the productivity of remote workers, a new report finds, and bosses are to blame". Inc. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ Berger, Chloe (May 3, 2023). "Workers are adopting 'productivity theater' to impress their bosses". Fortune. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ Bhaimiya, Sawdah (May 3, 2023). "Workers say they're engaging in 'productivity theater' for over 10 hours a week to appear busy, a survey shows". Business Insider. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ Robinson, Bryan. "The 'Mouse Shuffle,' A 2024 Workplace Trend, Has Employers Scratching Their Heads". Forbes. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ "'Mouse shuffle': Worrying new trend emerging among remote workers". August 9, 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
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