The survey by Unisys and IDC, revealed exclusively to HR magazine, examined the views of staff and IT departments, to compare attitudes and perceptions.
It found 71% of senior executives believe that allowing consumer devices will improve morale.
One in six senior executives also believes allowing consumer devices will boost productivity, while 44% of employees would regard a job offer more attractive if the company provided support for iPads; and 54% would find a job offer more compelling if the company provided full or partial reimbursement for employees to purchase devices of their choosing.
Globally, 'iWorkers' (employees who use these devices) are bringing personal devices into the enterprise at an increasing rate. The study shows that, worldwide, 40% of the devices iWorkers use to access business applications are personally owned.
Usage of social media applications, blogging, and microblogging in the enterprise is on the rise in Europe. The research shows usage of Facebook and MySpace for business purposes has more than doubled over the past year (16% of respondents in 2011, compared to 7% in 2010).
The number of iWorkers using blogs, wikis, forums and message boards on the job is up 75% (35% of respondents in 2011 as against 20% in 2010), while usage of Twitter and other microblogging tools for work is up 60% (8% of respondents this year, 5% in 2010). Business usage of LinkedIn, Plaxo and similar applications has also grown substantially (33% of respondents this year vs 24% in 2010). Mobility is increasingly driving working habits in the enterprise. More than half (52%) of European iWorkers surveyed cite laptops as their key devices for doing work, up from 45% in 2010. By contrast, only 29% report that desktop PCs will be the most critical work devices in 2012. Respondents also now view tablet devices as having an increasingly important role in their work, with 8% saying a tablet will be their primary work device in 2012, up from only 1% stating the same for 2011.
Of European IT executives surveyed, 78% agree with the notion that allowing employees to use their own devices to conduct business positively impacts on morale and 41% of the IT executives surveyed believe that a 'Bring your own device' (BYOD) programme, where employers provide a contribution to employees to purchase their own work devices, is positively linked to increased employee satisfaction and productivity gains. However, the IT executives underestimate, by as much as 50% or more, the extent to which consumer and social technologies have penetrated their organisations. While 73% of iWorkers in Europe report that they use their personal smartphones for business purposes, only 315 of IT executives believe that to be true. Similarly, 12% of iWorkers say they use personal tablets for work, while only 7% of IT executives report such usage.
Rob Chapman, MD UKMEA at Unisys, said: "It is good news that businesses now recognise the importance of the consumerisation of IT; although perhaps they're not acting quickly enough to meet the acceleration of the trend. Our survey suggests that consumerisation programmes can provide benefits to businesses on several levels. This includes the potential to improve morale and productivity for workers allowed to use technology such as the latest tablet devices or smartphones."
The Unisys-sponsored study, which followed original research done in June 2010, consisted of two separate but linked surveys. One survey polled 1,334 end-user information workers - who use consumer technologies as part of their daily work routine - at European businesses. The second survey was of 264 Europe-based IT executives.
The surveys were conducted in the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, and were part of a wider global research initiative.
