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Exploring the impact of instant messaging on subjective task complexity and user satisfaction

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Information Systems

Abstract

Instant messaging (IM) technologies are being rapidly deployed in the workplace. Current studies largely focus on the adoption of IM and how IM is used. Little research has been conducted to understand the potential impact of using IM in the workplace. This paper theorizes and empirically tests how the frequency of IM interruptions and the position power of message sender could interact with an individual’s polychronic orientation, that is, multitasking preference, and jointly influence employee satisfaction and subjective task complexity. The present study illustrates that polychronic knowledge workers are more satisfied with the multitasking work process deploying IM technology than monochronic ones. In addition, the effect of interruptions is dependent upon an individual’s polychronic orientation. The increase in interruption frequency only reduces the process satisfaction of monochronic individuals but not polychronic individuals. Further, the polychronic orientation of message receivers also influences how they process information. When IM messages are sent from their supervisors, monochronic individuals tend to prioritize tasks and perceive a lower level of overall task complexity. The information processing of polychronic individuals seem to be less influenced by the position power of message sender.

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Notes

  1. 1 f2 = [R2 (interaction model) − R2 (main effects model)]/[1−R2 (main effects model)].

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, MN, U.S.A.

    Han Li & Ashish Gupta

  2. Anderson School of Management, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, U.S.A.

    Xin Luo

  3. College of Business, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, U.S.A.

    Merrill Warkentin

Authors
  1. Han Li
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  2. Ashish Gupta
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  3. Xin Luo
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  4. Merrill Warkentin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xin Luo.

Appendices

Appendix A

Main tasks

Exact Start Time (Use the clock on computer):

Your firm is located at Albany, New York (Zip: 12250) and ships two types of boxes (Type A and Type B) to each of the warehouses on a daily basis. The approximate value of one Type A box or one Type B box is about $100.

Box A: Length: 13 inches, Width: 17 inches, Height: 9 inches, Weight: 45 pounds

Box B: Length: 6 inches, Width: 12 inches, Height: 10 inches, Weight: 16 pounds

Compare the Ground Shipping and Priority Mail rates of two companies and fill out Table A1.

Table 4 Table A1
Full size table

UPS http://wwwapps.ups.com/calTimeCost?loc=en_US

Select these options: Shipment Type: Package/Letter, Destination Type: Commercial Address, Quote Type: Detailed Time and Cost, Select: ′I will drop off my prepaid package(s)′, Daily pickup: No, Packaging: My Packaging.

U.S. Postal Service http://postcalc.usps.gov/

Select these options: Rectangular box, Priority Mail and add an Insurance of $100 under extra services.

Exact Finish Time (Use the clock on Computer):

Enter your Yahoo ID name

Appendix B

See Table B1.

Table B1 Supplier information used for interruptive IM tasks
Full size table

Appendix C

Interruptive IM tasks

Low level of interruption:

  1. 1

    Which supplier has the longest A/P term?

High level of interruption:

  1. 1

    Which supplier has the longest A/P term?

  2. 2

    Which supplier is the best in terms of on-time delivery?

  3. 3

    Which supplier has the lowest price for Airframe fasteners?

  4. 4

    Which supplier has the lowest price for Shielded Cable?

Appendix D

6

Table D1 Survey instrument
Full size table

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Li, H., Gupta, A., Luo, X. et al. Exploring the impact of instant messaging on subjective task complexity and user satisfaction. Eur J Inf Syst 20, 139–155 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1057/ejis.2010.59

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/ejis.2010.59

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