Diversity measurement for the email content of information workers

Abstract

Since the introduction of computers and the Internet, information processing has evolved to be a major part of many businesses, but factors that contribute to the productivity of information workers are still understudied. Some social network studies claim that diverse information that passes through workers in the positions with diverse sources of information drives performance. However, such claims are rarely verified by empirical data. This study develops a measurement methodology for the diversity of the email content processed by information workers. The diversity values will be used for future productivity studies along with the results from social network analysis. Erik Brynjolfsson George and Sandi Schussel Professor of Management and Director, Center for Digital Business, MIT Sloan School of Management