Personal and Situational Determinants of Multitasking at Work

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Abstract

Many people work on more than one task during a typical work hour, but despite its commonness, multitasking behavior has so far been ignored by researchers. This study is the first to explore predictors of the extent of multitasking behavior at work. Questionnaire data from 192 employees were analyzed. The findings showed that polychronicity (the preference to multitask) was the most important predictor, but impulsivity and work demands were also predictors. Surprisingly, neither cognitive interference (the proneness to engage in off-task cognitions) nor family demands predicted the extent of multitasking behavior. The implications of these findings for organizations are discussed.

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Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies.

Philip M Podsakoff, Scott MacKenzie, Jeong-Yeon Lee … (2003)

Interest in the problem of method biases has a long history in the behavioral sciences. Despite this, a comprehensive summary of the potential sources of method biases and how to control for them does not exist. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to examine the extent to which method biases influence behavioral research results, identify potential sources of method biases, discuss the cognitive processes through which method biases influence responses to measures, evaluate the many different procedural and statistical techniques that can be used to control method biases, and provide recommendations for how to select appropriate procedural and statistical remedies for different types of research settings.