Reducing Information Overload through Appropriate Media Choice
Abstract
Information overload is a multidimensional problem experienced by all knowledge workers resulting in a negative impact on
personal productivity, one major dimension being the overuse of email in organizational contexts. The aim of this research in
progress paper is to reduce the impact of perceived information overload and thereby increase the productivity of Australian
knowledge workers. This will be achieved by matching the affordances of instant messaging and email to communication
tasks ensuring an appropriate fit between media, task and context. A contextual approach is proposed to consider the
affordances of both email and instant messaging, followed by a research model to test the hypothesis that appropriate use of
instant message will reduce perceived information overload.