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@PHDTHESIS{Noll:814773,
author = {Noll, Elisabeth},
othercontributors = {Letmathe, Peter and Harbring, Christine},
title = {{M}anagement of information processes in the workplace :
implications of contextual factors and decision makers’
individual factors},
school = {Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen},
type = {Dissertation},
address = {Aachen},
publisher = {RWTH Aachen University},
reportid = {RWTH-2021-02328},
pages = {1 Online-Ressource (XVI, 226 Seiten) : Illustrationen,
Diagramme},
year = {2021},
note = {Veröffentlicht auf dem Publikationsserver der RWTH Aachen
University 2022; Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische
Technische Hochschule Aachen, 2021},
abstract = {Through digitization, the information environment has
changed massively along different stages of the information
process in the workplace. Not only the amount of available
information pieces, but also the range of information
presentation formats as well as the availability of various
information channels have increased noticeably. In addition
to this, further contextual conditions of the
information-based decision-making process have altered, such
as the time available for making a decision. On the one
hand, these changes can support decision-making and the
solving of tasks. On the other hand, they can evoke negative
consequences, such as a severe rise in workplace stress or a
sharp increase in the number of interruptions during work.
Within the decision-making process, these changes can
considerably affect an individual’s cognitive load and can
even lead to information overload, which describes the state
when the information processing requirements exceed an
individuals’ capacity to process information, with
symptoms such as performance deterioration. From the topic
of a strongly increased cognitive load and the presence of
information overload originates to a great extent the need
for an improvement of the information process. It can be
differentiated between different categories of causes of an
information overload, comprising contextual and individual
factors, which lead to symptoms of information overload that
are related mostly to the performance of an organization,
measured, i.e., in terms of decision-making accuracy or of
general performance. To reduce information overload and to
improve the information process, the focus should be on
symptoms of as well as on causes of information overload.
Consequently, the present dissertation analyzes factors that
address both of these aspects. It investigates the
influences of contextual factors as well as decision
makers’ individual factors that are assumed to influence
an individual’s cognitive load and decision-making on
measures of different stages of the information process in
corporate decision-making in order to identify how this
process can be improved. The investigated stages in this
dissertation comprise those of information acquisition,
information processing, and information management. The
factors analyzed are measured through experiments and
questionnaires. Regarding the increasing use of diverse
communication channels, particularly email communication has
become an integral part of the everyday communication at
work, so that this dissertation targets not only the
information overload phenomenon within the information
process but also email overload, respectively. The
relationship between contextual factors and decision
makers’ individual factors and measures of different
stages of the information process in corporate
decision-making is depicted in an overarching research
model. Its related superordinate research question is
divided into more detailed research questions, which are
examined in three individual research papers. Therefore, the
dissertation at hand contains two parts: Part 1 gives a
comprehensive overview. It provides the motivation for the
research topic, the research model of the dissertation and
related research questions, the relevant literature and
hypotheses, the research methodologies used within the
respective research paper, the summary of the three research
papers, as well as the conclusion. Part 2 consists of the
three research papers. Research Paper 1 ‘Effects of Time
Pressure on the Amount of Information Acquired’ examines
the influence of time pressure on the amount of information
acquired non-sequentially, i.e. at one point in time. In
addition to this, it researches in what way payoff schemes
and information costs influence the amount of information
used for decision-making when time pressure is present.
Thus, Research Paper 1 considers the stage of information
acquisition. Laboratory experiments were conducted to
analyze these effects. The results reveal that under time
pressure, individuals acquire fewer pieces of information in
the decision-making task. While no effect is shown for the
influence of time pressure in conjunction with a negative
payoff scheme, the results reveal an effect of its
interaction with the level of information costs for
acquirable information. When relatively low information
costs and time pressure are present, more information is
acquired. Research Paper 2 ‘Presentation Format Choice and
Choice Awareness: Experimental Studies Analyzing the Effects
on Underlying Factors of Intrinsic Motivation and Task
Performance’ focusses on the influences of presentation
format choice (i.e., graphs versus tables) and choice
awareness on underlying factors of intrinsic motivation,
i.e. autonomy and competence, and subsequent decision
makers’ performance in symbolic and spatial tasks. Within
this context, aspects of cognitive effort and of cognitive
fit are examined. Research Paper 2 addresses the stage of
information processing and comprises online experiments. The
results within symbolic tasks indicate that task performance
decreases through the provision of choice by itself, but
that it increases when the decision maker chooses tables to
solve symbolic tasks. When the decision maker is allowed to
choose the presentation format in symbolic tasks and
perceives autonomy, performance increases as well. No
important effects were found within spatial tasks. Further,
choice in general was found to contribute to perceptions of
autonomy and competence. By contrast, choice in conjunction
with the awareness of having a choice increases perceptions
of autonomy but decreases feelings of competence. Research
Paper 3 ‘Email Management Strategies: Their Effects on
Email Management Performance’ addresses different email
management strategies (zero-inbox, to-do list, alertness,
prioritization, folder organization) that can be applied by
email users and their effects on email management
performance. Research Paper 3 targets the stage of
information management and its research methodology consists
of an online survey. The results reveal that all
investigated email management strategies are measurable
constructs and that the strategies are applied more often
with higher levels of email volume and of perceived
usefulness of the email client. Of these strategies,
especially the zero inbox, i.e. keeping the email inbox at
zero, and the to-do list, i.e. using the email client as a
to-do list, strategies increase the email management
performance. Overall, the dissertation analyzes the
influence of various contextual factors and decision
makers’ individual factors, that are assumed to influence
an individual’s cognitive load and decision-making, on
measures of different stages of the information process in
corporate decision making in order to identify how this
process can be improved. With this, it provides a holistic
analysis along the information process of how to improve
this process, it extends information overload research, and
it deepens and supports (newer) cognitive theories. Besides
this, the dissertation provides managerial implications for
the information behavior in the workplace and offers future
research implications.},
cin = {812110},
ddc = {330},
cid = {$I:(DE-82)812110_20140620$},
typ = {PUB:(DE-HGF)11},
doi = {10.18154/RWTH-2021-02328},
url = {https://publications.rwth-aachen.de/record/814773},
}
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