The mission of the Canada Research Chair in Digital Communication and Multitasking is to contribute to our understanding of how emerging digital technologies impact knowledge workers, with the aim of improving both knowledge worker well-being and organizational effectiveness.
The Chair’s research focuses on how digital communication technologies are transforming the work and life of knowledge workers in organizations. A multitude of these technologies – including smartphones, real-time collaborative tools, virtual or augmented-reality meeting spaces – are available to help knowledge workers perform their tasks and communicate regardless of geographic distance. While these technologies offer many opportunities, the challenge is how to use them in an integrated way to meaningfully transform organizational work.
Professor Cameron’s work with this chair focuses specifically on the effects of digital communication technologies on employee communication and multitasking. Specifically, both intended and unintended consequences of digital communication technology use on individual employees (for example, impacts on individual productivity and stress) and workgroups (for example, impacts on meeting effectiveness and group cohesion) will be examined.
This research by Professor Cameron and her team will produce data-driven guidelines for organizations and knowledge workers who seek to enhance their use of digital communication technologies.