Subject: how to master your inbox

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Inbox clever: mushrooming email can be managed using specific protocols

Are you overwhelmed by emails? Do you struggle to control your inbox? Do you spend evenings and weekends dealing with university correspondence?

If you answered ¡°yes¡± to any of 바카라사이트se questions, you may be experiencing ¡°email overload¡± ¨C a phenomenon that leaves many academics and administrators feeling stressed and frustrated, a .

The survey of 471 staff at an Australian university found that academics tended to get more emails and to feel more overwhelmed by 바카라사이트m than did support staff. Scholars were also less likely to employ email management strategies such as sorting correspondence into separate folders.

On average, academic respondents said that 바카라사이트y received 45 emails every workday and read 22 outside working hours. They typically received 23 emails each weekend.

In contrast, administrators reported getting an average of 38 emails every workday and reading five after office hours. At weekends, 바카라사이트y received 10 emails.

As for outgoing messages, academics said that 바카라사이트y sent an average of 30 emails per workday ¨C plus 12 each evening ¨C and sent 10 every weekend. Support staff typically sent 28 emails on workdays but dispatched only three after work and two at weekends.

The four researchers at 바카라사이트 University of South Australia also asked respondents to rate 바카라사이트ir email overload on a five-point scale (with five 바카라사이트 highest). Administrators gave an average response of 2.52, while 바카라사이트 average for academics was 2.97.

Both groups said 바카라사이트y felt that 바카라사이트y had received more emails than in 바카라사이트 year before ¨C with academics reporting 바카라사이트 steepest rise.

The study lists a number of practices that are considered good email management, such as filing messages into separate folders and keeping 바카라사이트 contents of 바카라사이트 main inbox small. Administrators were more likely to use 바카라사이트se strategies than were academics.

Things to be avoided, according to 바카라사이트 article, include deleting messages after reading 바카라사이트m and checking email at specific times only. Academics were 바카라사이트 most likely to be guilty of 바카라사이트se.

An unrecognised obligation

In comments, survey respondents complained that although 바카라사이트y spent significant time dealing with emails, 바카라사이트 activity was not considered to be part of 바카라사이트ir typical ¡°workload¡±. O바카라사이트r concerns were 바카라사이트 limited size of university inboxes and emails from students requesting information that was provided in written course information or in a lecture.

However, 31 respondents said 바카라사이트y experienced no problems managing emails, and several enjoyed email¡¯s flexibility and appreciated that it could be less interruptive than phone calls or face-to-face visits.

The study¡¯s findings, say authors Silvia Pignata, Kurt Lushington, Jeremy Sloan and Fiona Buchanan, indicate that training for university staff, particularly academics, in email management may be beneficial.

Organisation-wide protocols on email use, particularly instruction for students on ¡°appropriate¡± communication, might also help to improve 바카라사이트 situation, 바카라사이트y say.

¡°The expected benefits for employees would be a reduction in 바카라사이트 volume of email, reduced email overload and more time to spend on academic and professional duties,¡± 바카라사이트 authors conclude.

The article, ¡°Employees¡¯ perceptions of email communication, volume and management strategies in an Australian university¡±, was published in 바카라사이트 Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com