Technology Case Study: EliteTaxi*

Technology Case Study: EliteTaxi*

Case Study: EliteTaxi*

Peter Green is responsible for 250 Taxis in EliteTaxi Company that serves the region of London and its surroundings. When a caller recently complained to Green that a taxi from EliteTaxi was speeding in his neighborhood, Green turned to the company’s information system. He learned that the driver of that taxi had been in that neighborhood at 6:30 a.m., doing 100 kilometers per hour (kph) in a 50-kph zone. The driver of that taxi was in trouble! The EliteTaxi’s information system uses a global positioning system (GPS) not only to smooth its operations but also to keep closer track of its drivers, who may not always be doing what they are supposed to be doing during work hours. Green pointed out: “If you’re not out there babysitting them, you don’t know how long it takes to do the route. The guy could be at his house sleeping”.

Before EliteTaxi installed the GPS system, the drivers of his 250 taxis clocked in approximately 1200 hours a week of overtime. Once the Company started monitoring the time they spent on the road before and after completing their routes and the time and location of stops that they made, the number of overtime hours plummeted to only 450 per week. This translated to substantial savings for a company whose drivers earn about $20 an hour. Understandably, the drivers aren’t entirely happy with the new GPS‐based system. Mick Jagger, a driver, admits: “It’s kind of like Big Brother is watching a little bit. But it’s where we’re heading in this society. . . I’m waiting in line for a coffee, because it’s like, hey, they’re (managers) watching. I’ve got to go”. Green counters that employers have a right to know what their employees are up to: “If you come to work here, and I pay you and you’re driving one of my vehicles, I should have the right to know what you’re doing”.

Discussion Questions

1. What are the positive and negative aspects of Green’s use of the GPS‐based system to monitor his drivers?
2. What advice do you have for Green about the use of the system for supervising, evaluating, and compensating his drivers?
3. As more and more companies turn to ISto help them monitor their employees, what do you anticipate the impact will be on employee privacy? Can anything be done to ensure employee privacy?

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