AEA Papers and Proceedings
ISSN 2574-0768 (Print) | ISSN 2574-0776 (Online)
Assessing Information: The Content of Asynchronous Communication in Hybrid Work
AEA Papers and Proceedings
(pp. 212–217)
Abstract
Organizations are often viewed as information processors, and an efficient, robust information architecture can be a source of competitive advantage. However, measuring the content and flow of information is challenging. We describe three metrics for capturing aspects of these products and processes, analyzing intraorganizational email data from the perspectives of production, consumption, and pure novelty. We then leverage a field experiment to determine how the structure of work—specifically, hybrid work arrangements—affects these metrics, finding that workers who split their time between home and the office may be particularly effective at transmitting information their audiences find useful and new.Citation
Schirmann, Kyle, Miguel Espinosa, Prithwiraj (Raj) Choudhury, Tarun Khanna, and Christos A. Makridis. 2026. "Assessing Information: The Content of Asynchronous Communication in Hybrid Work." AEA Papers and Proceedings 116: 212–217. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20261010Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- C93 Field Experiments
- D23 Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
- D83 Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
- J22 Time Allocation and Labor Supply
- M12 Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation
- M54 Personnel Economics: Labor Management
- O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration