ERIC Number: EJ1059284
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1360-080X
EISSN: N/A
Employees' Perceptions of Email Communication, Volume and Management Strategies in an Australian University
Pignata, Silvia; Lushington, Kurt; Sloan, Jeremy; Buchanan, Fiona
Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, v37 n2 p159-171 2015
Despite email playing a central role in university business, little is known about the strategies used by staff to manage email and the factors contributing to email overload. In a mixed method study undertaken in one Australian university comparing academic (n = 193) and professional (n = 278) staff, we found that while email volume was higher in academics they used fewer email management strategies. For both groups, thematic analyses of commentary responses revealed that the unnecessary use of emails by staff and students, the expectation of a quick turnaround and an escalation in email traffic were associated with email overload and, as a consequence, increased work-related stress. In conclusion, we suggest that email overload typifies the working environment of academic and professional staff in modern universities, pointing to the importance of training staff in email management strategies for improving productivity and well-being.
Descriptors: Employee Attitudes, Electronic Mail, Computer Mediated Communication, Communication Strategies, Mixed Methods Research, College Faculty, Paraprofessional Personnel, Comparative Analysis, Use Studies, Online Surveys, Questionnaires, Participant Characteristics, Likert Scales, Student Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes, Mass Media Use, Information Policy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A