Organizational Metrics of Technology Use and the Transparency Paradox

Metrics are increasingly used by organizations to communicate and evaluate how employees’ actions align with organizational goals. In practice, metrics provide a mechanism for making some work visible, but in doing so can create a paradox whereby it is more difficult to understand what behaviors are contributing to outcomes. This study focused on the use of TechMetric, a composite score reflecting online behaviors at Beta Corp., a large multinational technology-consulting organization. Ethnographic research captured the communication surrounding the introduction of TechMetric. Our findings showed that the implementation of TechMetric created situations in which the use of metrics communicated a shift in what managers prioritized and ultimately discouraged desired behaviors and undermined optimal work routines. This research makes an important contribution to the study of organizational metrics by illustrating how the measurement of workers’ behaviors can enact distinct tensions. Further, the communicative efforts to navigate those tensions can produce paradoxical outcomes.