Final answer:
Shirking happens when an employee avoids work duties, but using the internet for job-related research is not shirking. It is a legitimate work activity, unlike texting, online shopping, and social media use during work hours.
Step-by-step explanation:
Shirking in the workplace refers to employees avoiding their job responsibilities by engaging in non-job-related activities. Among the listed options, using the internet to conduct job-related research stands out as an exception to shirking, as it aligns with fulfilling work duties and contributes to professional tasks. This option, denoted as option a, involves a productive use of time and is directly related to advancing work responsibilities.
On the contrary, options b, c, and d involve activities that can be categorized as shirking behavior. Texting with friends while at work (option b), online shopping during work hours (option c), and checking and posting on personal social media sites while at work (option d) all divert an employee's attention away from their assigned tasks. These activities, unrelated to job responsibilities, contribute to a decline in productivity and may be perceived as an attempt to evade work duties.
The distinction lies in the relevance of the activities to work responsibilities. While shirking typically involves non-job-related actions that hinder productivity, engaging in job-related research using the internet (option a) is a constructive and work-oriented behavior that contributes positively to the fulfillment of professional obligations. It highlights the importance of discerning between activities that enhance job performance and those that constitute shirking in maintaining a productive and focused work environment.