Reference Information:
Author Bios:
Gloria J. Mark and Stephen Voida
Department of Informatics
University of California
Armand V. Cardello
U.S. Army Natick Soldier R, D & E Center
Summary:
This research group performed an experiment where email usage was
cut off for 5 workdays for 13 employees. A base line was recorded for the
previous three days. They used the data from the computer logs and ethnographic
methods to compare the new environment. In order to perform an accurate
ethnographic study, they shadowed the employee recording all actions and
conversations on the first and last days of the study. Their results
demonstrated more efficiency without email. They did not shift between windows
as often; plus, they spent a longer time working at each computer window.
Therefore, it shows that they multitask less and thus focused longer on the
task at hand. Stress was also recorded through hear rate monitors and lower stress
resulted without email. This data corresponds with the data in the interviews. Most
of the participants viewed having email as a “double-edged sword”. It was
“refreshing” and yet they felt “cut off”. Face to face communication was able
to increase without email, which was viewed as a benefit. This made the
employees realize how email has hindered their relationships with their
coworkers.
Related work not referenced in the paper:
Taking email to task: the design and evaluation of a task management centered email tool
Reducing the effect of email interruptions on employees
Understanding email interaction increases organizational productivity
Multitasking: How much is too much?
The influence of self-esteem and locus of control on perceived email-related stress
States of Connectivity: New Questions and New Directions
The effect of mental stress on heart rate variability and blood pressure during computer work
Healthy work: stress, productivity, and the reconstruction of working life
Work stress and employee health
There have been significant studies covering the pros and cons of
email in the workplace. This paper appropriately talked about this related
work. However, I could not find any other experiment that focused on how stress
was directly related to email, but there were self-reports of it through surveys
and interviews. Another key question that this paper unfolds is how
multitasking is related to the presence/absence of email.
Evaluation:
In this experiment, the group collected quantitative, qualitative,
subjective, and objective measures. At the beginning and end of the study,
ethnographic research was done, which incorporated quantitative objective data.
On the other hand, subjective quantitative measures were used through the
post-interviews. The daily surveys that were completed gathered information
through subjective qualitative measures. The last set of objective qualitative
data that was collected was through the numbers provided by the heart rate
monitor, how many times the participant shifted between windows, and how long
they spent working at each computer window. The study was looked at as a whole
through the ethnographic study, but it was also divided into parts as shown by
the objective qualitative data. This massive amount of data was very thorough
and helped to confirm their entire set of conclusions. Since it was dealing a
lot with psychology, the information gathered, especially the ethnographic
reports, was very appropriate for this experiment.
Discussion:
This work will only be beneficial if other research is done to
follow it up. This research only showed how email causes more stress. It does
not pose a solution on how to reduce that stress, which would be the most
useful information. However, the contribution was novel to some extent and
evaluated their data well. An interesting point to look into is that these
results appeared within only five days of study. So, how much would a short
vacation away from email help with stress levels when they come back? This
could be an answer to the problem that this paper suggests.
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