Open AccessA Survey of Multitasking Behaviors in Organizations
Author(s) -
Molly J. Russ,
Derek Crews
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
international journal of human resource studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2162-3058
DOI - 10.5296/ijhrs.v4i1.5155
Subject(s) - human multitasking , psychology , job satisfaction , perception , productivity , organizational commitment , social psychology , applied psychology , cognitive psychology , neuroscience , economics , macroeconomics
Individual and organizational differences in multitasking have been largely ignored by previous research. As both individual employee and organizational characteristics exert unique and important influences on an organizational system, this study tentatively explores relationships between multitasking and individual differences and organizational outcomes. The individual differences include age, gender, personality, position in organization, tenure with employer, and industry. Organizational outcomes include commitment, job satisfaction, and pay satisfaction. A survey was administered to graduate students and alumni in an Executive MBA program, and an undergraduate business degree program. The study found that multitasking behaviors are widely occurring in the workplace, but employees’ perceptions about multitasking conflict with their reported behavior. The results indicate that the productivity losses from multitasking and interruptions are substantial, yet very few companies provide training on how to multitask effectively. The findings also provide evidence of a possible generational component in multitasking effectiveness.