Updated Aims and Objectives

Aim 1: To identify whether email content can be categorised to reduce time spent analysing emails individually before determine action required.

Objectives:

• Assess if email content can be categorised
• Analyse large volumes of email content to determine different categories
• Determine whether sender or receiver should determine the email category
• Identify if pre-categorisation would reduce time spent assessing emails individually
• Searching current literature to discover what research has been conducted in the past

Aim 2: Identify if email categories have an effect on stress levels of the receiver.

Objectives:

• To identify what factors affect stress levels
• Discover if there is a tool available to measure stress levels without daily work interference
• Determine how to measure stress
• Analyse if different categories have an affect on stress levels of the receiver by measuring heart rate
• Discover the stimulus affecting stress levels during the process of checking email. Is the stimulus related to Volume, Content, Required Action, Sender's Authority etc.
• Searching current literature to determine what research has been conducted in the past
  
  

Measuring Stress

A device to measure stress that is not obtrusive to a persons daily routine is needed to record the stress levels of subjects when looking at an email. This devices should be able to detect changes in stress levels, and measure the different tension levels. The levels should vary dependant on one of the following factors:

• The sender has authority over the recipient, and therefore the recipient would feel the need to respond without delay, thereby raising stress levels
• If the email if from fellow employees at the same hierarchy level, then stress levels should not raise as much. If an action is required from the email, then level would be higher than if the email was one just containing information.
• If the volume of email unchecked in the inbox is high at the time of checking, this would raise stress levels.
• If the email is a meeting notice stress levels should remain the same. However, if other factors such as the sender being one of higher authority, or an action is required of the recipient with reference to the meeting, then stress levels should increase.

A device that has the capability to be attached to a subject during the daily routine and be able to detect the changes in stress levels, without being obtrusive has not been developed as yet. There is a possible prototype that is currently being develop that may be able to assist in the investigation.

The following website has information on the device in question:
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (2008, July 11). Vest To Measure Stress. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 20, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708110517.htm.

Professor Gary D James has done work on biological stress, but his research is focused on stress in women. Earlier work was aimed at stress at work, and suggested different methods to measure stress while working.

I am still looking for other devices that may be possible to use. So far, there has not been anything that would be appropriate to use. Most devices seem to be too bulky, or are used to measure stress levels at the end of the day which would not suffice to the investigation's needs.

Research Papers

I found the following papers relevant to my research topic:

1. Email overload at Work: An Analysis of Factors Associated with Email Strain. Dabbish, L.A. and Kraut, R., CSCW 2006, November 4-8, 2006, Banff, Alberta, Canada. Pg 431-440.
2. Taking Email to Task: Design and Evaluation of a Task Management Centered Email Tool. Bellotti, V., Ducheneaut, N., Howard, M. and Smith, I., CHI 2003, April 5-10, 2003, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Volume No. 5. Issue No 1. Pg 345 - 352.
3. "You've Got E-Mail!" ... Shall I Deal With It Now? Electronic Mail From the Recipient's Perspective. Renaud, K., Ramsay, J., and Hair, M. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 21(3), 313-332
4. Cooperation and stress. Exploring the differential impact of job satisfaction, communication and culture. Zeffane, R., and McLoughlin, D. Management Research News, Vol. 29 No 10, 2006, pp 618 - 631

Key Words

In order to find research material that is relevant to my paper, I used the following search terms:

• Email, Electronic Mail, E-mail
• Stress
• Email stress
• Email strain
• Categorisation
• Stress Effects
• Stress Factors
• Stress Measurements
• Stress Measuring Devices

Aims and Objectives

Aims and Objectives

Aim 1: To identify whether email content can be categorised to reduce time spent analysing emails individually before determine action required.

Objectives:

• Assess if email content can be categorised
• Analyse large volumes of email content to determine different categories
• Determine whether sender or receiver should determine the email category
• Identify if pre-categorisation would reduce time spent assessing emails individually

Aim 2: Identify if email categories have an effect on stress levels of the receiver.

Objectives:

• To identify what factors affect stress levels
• Discover if there is a tool available to measure stress levels without daily work interference
• Determine how to measure stress
• Analyse if different categories have an affect on stress levels of the receiver by measuring heart rate

Phase One

Email Optimization:

Is it possible to categorise emails? Currently there is the option to separate emails by importance. However the relevance is dependant on if the sender deems the message to be important.

Usually people use CC to determine the message is for information which may be useful at a later date by the receiver. Therefore, perception of the direction of the email differs from sender to receiver.

Possible categories are: reference, action, information, meeting, newsletter, etc.

Lotus is one of the main email clients used in businesses today.

Email use has changed over the last few decades.

Is it possible to determine stress levels dependant on email content or volume?

• How can you measure levels of stress?
• What factors cause stress?

Relevant reading completed:

1. Moody, P.B., Reinventing email. CSCW'02 Workshop: Redesigning email for the 21st centry, Portland, Oregon, USA, November, 2002
2. Redesigning Email for the 21st Century, Workshop Position Paper, Steven L. Rohall, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, One Rogers Street, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA.
3. Ishmail: Managing Massive Amounts of Mail. Charles Isbell, Brain Amento, Gavin Bell, Jon Helfman, Georgia tech, College of Computing, AT&T Labs - Research, 6th Coumn.
4. The influence of self-esteem and locus of control on perceived email-related stress. M Hair, KV Renaud, J Ramsay, computers in Human Behaviour 23 (2007) pp 2791 - 2803.