Social network risk...

The Ethics Resource Center has published a new study about the ethics associated with social networking and the workplace.

National Business Ethics Survey of Social Networkers: New Risks and Opportunities at Work, the study investigates how social networking is affecting the way work gets done, reshaping relationships among workers at all levels of an organization, and altering attitudes about the type of conduct that is acceptable in the workplace. Major findings show that the more active the social networker, the more likely they are to encounter ethics risks.

The report also indicates that, despite what many think, social networks are not only for younger employees. Forty-seven percent of active social networkers are under the age of 30, but not far behind, 40% are between the ages of 30 and 44. ?Among the more notable findings is the amount of time employees are spending on social networks.

Almost three out of four social networkers (72%) spend at least some time of their workday on social networking sites, and 28% say such activity adds up to an hour or more of every workday. One third of those workers also admit that none of that activity is work related.