Email from the boss: Diary study measures professional use of smartphone and laptop after work

For the study, Prof. Dr. Sandra Ohly, head of the Department of Business Psychology at the University of Kassel, and her team interviewed 138 knowledge workers, i.e. employees who work mentally. They work in various companies nationwide. Part of the study, which was conducted in summer 2014, was a diary. In it, respondents recorded how they used the Internet and mobile communications for professional purposes in the morning, after work and in the evening for a week. They also provided information about their well-being, among other things. According to these results, the participants in the study spent an average of 26 minutes at the end of the working day processing work-related e-mails or taking work-related calls. If we consider only those days on which the end of the working day was interrupted at all, the figure was as high as 46 minutes. 

Only 10 percent of participants said they never interrupt their evening off, and another 21 percent rarely do so. In contrast, 20 percent "sometimes" reach for their smartphone or computer for business, 27 percent frequently, and 14 percent always. However, a large proportion of those surveyed apparently agree with this in principle. Only 12 percent expressed dissatisfaction or great dissatisfaction with the extent to which they use their smartphones after work. The study also asked about specific negative and possible positive aspects of using new technology. Result: Comparatively often, employees noted that it was a burden when they had to answer emails after work. Many people, on the other hand, felt it was basically positive to be available in the evening for urgent matters. However, the team reports an interesting finding: even people who perceived this accessibility as positive often noted a poorer mood in the morning, less vitality and tended to have poorer sleep quality. "This suggests: accessibility at the end of the working day, which may be perceived as positive, also represents a burden that counteracts recovery," says Dr. Antje Schmitt, research associate and project coordinator. 

Diary studies of this kind are costly for participants, so the number of participants is often low. "With 138 returns, we have a comparatively high participation," says Schmitt. "The results can't be extrapolated one-to-one to all employees, but they give clear indications." Further surveys are planned.

The results of the diary study will also be used to develop filters for smartphones to reduce the stress caused by work-related e-mails without restricting accessibility. Developing rules and technical solutions for the Internet age that avoid the disadvantages of modern communication options while preserving their advantages - that is the goal of the interdisciplinary research focus "Social Link," which the state of Hesse supports as part of its LOEWE state excellence program and within which the survey took place. The Department of Business Psychology, headed by Prof. Dr. Sandra Ohly, focuses its research on the effects of new communication technologies on work-life balance and well-being.

Pictures of the participating scientists (Photo: Uni Kassel) at:
http://www.uni-kassel.de/uni/fileadmin/datas/uni/presse/anhaenge/2014/Handystudie_014b.jpg

Caption: The study was prepared by (from left) Johanna Braukmann, Prof. Dr. Sandra Ohly, Dr. Antje Schmitt.

Symbol picture (photo: Blafield/Uni Kassel) under:
http://www.uni-kassel.de/uni/fileadmin/datas/uni/presse/anhaenge/2014/Handy2_01.jpg

Anyone interested in participating in a second wave of the survey can contact Dr. Schmitt.

Contact:

Sebastian Mense
University of Kassel
Communication, Press and Public Relations
Tel.: +49 561 804-1961
E-mail: presse[at]uni-kassel[dot]de

Dr. Antje Schmitt
University of Kassel
Department of Business Psychology
Tel.: +49 561 804-6097
E-mail: aschmitt@uni-kassel.de