Travelling time, waiting time or
commuting time is more likely to be
filled with email activity than ever before,
says lead researcher the University of
Sydney's Dr Kristine Dery.

A University study has found while BlackBerry users cannot agree on whether they love or hate the device, the one thing they do all agree on is they now have very little corporate downtime.

Travelling time, waiting time or commuting time is more likely to be filled with email activity than ever before, says lead researcher the University of Sydney's Dr Kristine Dery.

Interviewees typically commented that they felt "switched on to work" from the moment they left home in the mornings. "I don't read anymore on the way to or from work" reported one senior employee of a major Australian financial services firm as he described how his two hour commute each day had become his time for clearing emails.

Dr Dery conducted 30 in-depth interviews with two major banks based in Australia and Paris, with the help of colleagues, Dr Judith MacCormick from UNSW, and Charles-Henri Besseyre des Horts from HEC Paris. She said while some interviewees liked being able to clear emails in cabs, in lifts or on the way to work so they can "hit the ground running" when they arrive, others resented losing valuable reading and thinking space.

"Interviewees often spoke about the love/hate relationship they had with their BlackBerries, using terms such as 'Faustian pact' and 'Trojan Horse'" she said. Unlike a laptop, BlackBerries were seen as more accessible and mobile, and therefore more prone to blur the lines between work and personal lives.

One interviewee said he took holidays in remote parts of China to avoid being contacted. But others who were given BlackBerrys when they went on holidays were unwilling to hand them back when they returned.

BlackBerry use had grown rapidly in the last six years, from being a senior management status symbol to a basic tool of trade, said Dr Dery. "Some companies felt they needed to be seen by competitors and customers as using the latest technology. But we found most organisations treated BlackBerries as an extension of the mobile phone, thus assigning the management of this technology to purchasing departments.

"The BlackBerry is changing the way we work significantly, but with the exception of time management training and email policies, companies gave little thought to the impact of the BlackBerry.

"There is a real problem for organisations where stress, burn-out and addiction to 'CrackBerries' are real threats to the long term talent retention and organisational effectiveness. Management needs to think about how to harness the benefits of BlackBerries, increasing productivity and efficiency, while minimising their downsides."