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The impact of COVID-19 on digital communication patterns

Author

Listed:
  • Evan DeFilippis

    (Harvard University)

  • Stephen Michael Impink

    (New York University)

  • Madison Singell

    (Stanford University)

  • Jeffrey T. Polzer

    (Harvard University)

  • Raffaella Sadun

    (Harvard University)

Abstract

We explore the impact of COVID-19 on employees’ digital communication patterns through an event study of lockdowns in 16 large metropolitan areas in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Using de-identified, aggregated meeting and email meta-data from 3,143,270 users, we find, compared to pre-pandemic levels, increases in the number of meetings per person (+12.9 percent) and the number of attendees per meeting (+13.5 percent), but decreases in the average length of meetings (−20.1 percent). Collectively, the net effect is that people spent less time in meetings per day (−11.5 percent) in the post-lockdown period. We also find significant and durable increases in length of the average workday (+8.2 percent, or +48.5 min), along with short-term increases in email activity. These findings provide insight into how formal communication patterns have changed for a large sample of knowledge workers in major cities. We discuss these changes in light of the ongoing challenges faced by organizations and workers struggling to adapt and perform in the face of a global pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Evan DeFilippis & Stephen Michael Impink & Madison Singell & Jeffrey T. Polzer & Raffaella Sadun, 2022. "The impact of COVID-19 on digital communication patterns," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:9:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-022-01190-9
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-022-01190-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Shen, Lucas, 2023. "Does working from home work? A natural experiment from lockdowns," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    4. Divine Q. Agozie & Muesser Nat, 2022. "Do communication content functions drive engagement among interest group audiences? An analysis of organizational communication on Twitter," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-9, December.

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