"A pace not dictated by electrons"

TLDR

The study examined the impact of a five‑day email cutoff on 13 information workers, aiming to understand how reduced email use affects work behavior and stress. Researchers compared baseline email use with the experimental cutoff using computer log data and ethnographic observations. Results showed reduced multitasking, longer task focus, and lower stress (as indicated by heart‑rate variability) when email was disabled, with participants reporting improved concentration.

Abstract

We report on an empirical study where we cut off email usage for five workdays for 13 information workers in an organization. We employed both quantitative measures such as computer log data and ethnographic methods to compare a baseline condition (normal email usage) with our experimental manipulation (email cutoff). Our results show that without email, people multitasked less and had a longer task focus, as measured by a lower frequency of shifting between windows and a longer duration of time spent working in each computer window. Further, we directly measured stress using wearable heart rate monitors and found that stress, as measured by heart rate variability, was lower without email. Interview data were consistent with our quantitative measures, as participants reported being able to focus more on their tasks. We discuss the implications for managing email better in organizations.