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TERRA ECONOMICUS

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  • No 4
  • The impact of multitasking on labor productivity: An experimental evaluation

The impact of multitasking on labor productivity: An experimental evaluation


TERRA ECONOMICUS, , Vol. 22 (no. 4),

Employers are increasingly seeking workers with multitasking abilities. However, researchers have shown both positive and negative aspects of multitasking. This article presents an experimental study that aims to investigate the effects of multitasking on labor productivity. In this study, we compare the time spent on performing tasks one at a time with the time it takes to complete the same tasks while multitasking. We also attempt to determine how an employee’s gender affects productivity when multitasking. The experiment involved 80 university students from the Faculty of Business at the Novosibirsk State Technical University aged between 18 and 20 years old, including 39 women and 41 men. To evaluate the impact of multitasking on labor productivity, we used a modified version of the OSPAN task. The participant performed two independent tasks simultaneously, competing for their limited attention. One task involved performing arithmetic operations, while the other involved sorting a deck of cards by suit. This experimental design allowed us to model the process of switching between tasks. During the experiment, we observed an increase in the time it took to complete tasks when switching from sequential execution to multitasking. Based on this finding, we concluded that multitasking has a negative impact on productivity. We did not observe a significant impact of gender on productivity loss. However, this does not mean that this effect is absent. Rather, it suggests the need for further research.
Citation: Shmakov A.V. (2024). The impact of multitasking on labor productivity: An experimental evaluation. Terra Economicus 22(4), 75–86 (in Russian). DOI: 10.18522/2073-6606-2024-22-4-75-86


Keywords: multitasking; performance; task switching; multi-tasking ability; error rate; labor productivity

JEL codes: D91, J16, J24, J28

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Publisher: Southern Federal University
Founder: Southern Federal University
ISSN: 2073-6606