My Response to a Blog on the CLO Magazine Site

CLO magazine recently published on their CLO Blog an article by Lindsay Edmonds Wickman regarding how email after-hours is a no-no. She quotes Tim Sanders from his Email A-Z Blog regarding the perils of sending email after traditional work hours, that it “steals personal time from employees,” and that it “has a direct relationship on turnover.” I have a somewhat different opinion that I posted back. My response follows:

I think Lindsay is discussing some valid observations regarding the world of today's worker and Tim Sanders' Email A-Z Blog provides some useful tips. However, I would suggest that in a highly competitive economy along with the current global market, to expect to receive email from 9-5 in your time zone only is a bit naive.

Also, although Tim Saunders quotes that the after hours email issue "has a direct relationship on turnover,” this merely suggests just that - a relationship and coincidental symptom - not necessarily the root cause for turnover. For example, it's a statistical fact that the rate of ice cream consumption in NYC is positively correlated and strongly related to higher rates of murder in NYC. Does this mean higher rates of ice cream consumption led to higher rates of murder? No, but it suggests a third variable problem - in this case, heat during the summer months that led to both outcomes. Additional research involving quasi experimental design or multiple regression analysis would better get at the root cause of the after hours email issue; my hypothesis would be that it is more likely that job satisfaction, corporate culture, propensity to leave, and or managerial traits led to higher rates of turnover.

Bottom line, as learning leaders we need to be careful when reviewing and interpreting research, especially when it involves correlations and relationships. Despite the implications, and as Lindsay and Tim recommend, using email in the most positive ways possible makes for sound advice.

You may read and reference the article and my response from the link below:
http://www.clomedia.com/clo-blog/2008/September/2370/index.php

What are your thoughts on the issue?