I am a Chartered and Registered Occupational Psychologist and Reader at the University of Sussex.
Background
My research focuses on how people manage their e-communications (specifically email) and how this impacts and is impacted by well-being, goal achievement and personality. I have a BSc in Psychology (Warwick: first), MSc in Occupational Psychology (Cardiff: Distinction) and a PhD in Psychology (Surrey). I joined the University of Sussex in May 2019. I have published my work in high ranking journals including Human Relations, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Computers in Human Behaviour, and my research has been funded by the ESRC, Acas, Richard Benjamin Trust, NHS and other private bodies.
Research interests
- The relationship between email actions, resource deployment and goal achievement
- Well-being and new communication technology
- Individual differences (specifically personality) in relation to email use and connectivity
- Email interruptions
Recent publications
Journal articles
Getting on top of work-email: A systematic review of 25 years of research to understand effective work-email activity
Emma Russell, Thomas W. Jackson, Marc Fullman and Petros Chamakiotis (2023), Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology
How rural coworking hubs can facilitate well-being through the satisfaction of key psychological needs
Merrell, I., Füzi, A., Russell, E., Bosworth, G. (2022) Local Economy
Other publications
Research articles
Russell, Emma and Daniels, Kevin (2018) Measuring affective well-being at work using short-form scales : implications for affective structures and participant instructions. Human Relations, 71. pp. 1478-1507. ISSN 0018-7267
Russell, Emma, Lloyd-Houdley, Amy, Memon, Ally and Yarker, Joanna (2018) Factors influencing uptake and use of a new health information app for young people. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 36 (4). pp. 222-240. ISSN 1522-8835
Russell, Emma (2017) Five myths about email at work and how to cope with communications overload. The Conversation [weblog article, 9 November 2017].
Russell, Emma, Woods, Stephen A and Banks, Adrian P (2017) Examining conscientiousness as a key resource in resisting email interruptions : implications for volatile resources and goal achievement. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 90 (3). pp. 407-435. ISSN 0963-1798
Books
Grant, C, Russell, E (2021) Agile Working and Well-Being in the Digital Age Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Russell, Emma (2017) Dealing with work email: what are we doing and why are we doing it? In: Niven, Karen, Lewis, Suzanand Kagan, Carolyn (eds.) Making a difference with psychology. Richard Benjamin Trust, London, U.K., pp. 202-209. ISBN 9781788085670
Working papers
Russell, Emma, Lloyd-Houldey, Amy, Memon, Ally and Yarker, Joanna (2017) An independent evaluation of the NHSGo health app for children and young people in London. Project Report. Wellbeing at Work Research Group, Kingston upon Thames, U.K..
Russell, Emma (2017) Strategies for effectively managing email at work. Project Report. Acas, London, U.K..
Call for papers: Special Issue on digital work in healthcare
The issue will seek to understand what can be learnt from previous manifestations of digital healthcare work.
Parliamentary Office for Science & Technology cites Digit-funded research
Research into the remote e-working experiences of Disabled and Neurodivergent Workers, supported by Digit's Innovation Fund, has been cited in a new briefing from the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology.
New article on the 4-day work week in Harvard Business Review
Researchers address what leaders need to know about the 4-day work week
Digit co-lead quoted in the New Statesman
Digit co-lead Dr. Emma Russell was quoted in an article in the New Statesman on: The development dip: Has remote working stopped us learning?
Agile working and working from home – Digit researcher Dr Emma Russell co-edits new book
Dr Emma Russell has co-edited a groundbreaking new book on agile working and working from home, Agile Working and Well-Being in the Digital Age.
Agile Working and Wellbeing in the Digital Age
Emma Russell's new book is soon to be published.
Remote Work Can Actually Flip the Power Dynamic With Your Boss
Dr. Emma Russell contributes to this article about how video can break down hierarchies by bringing people into each other’s worlds more fully.
From Emergency to Empowerment – special Soldo report featuring Digit researchers
A new Special Report from Soldo discussing the future of hybrid-remote working
Harnessing the power of home working
Emma Russell and Chidi Ogbonnaya discuss the power of home working.
How managers can keep remote teams together in the Coronavirus crisis
Five pointers for how managers can use digital communications to keep their team together when they're spread apart in the Coronavirus lockdown. From Marc Fullman (PhD Student researching digital incivility) and Dr Emma Russell (Senior Lecturer in Occupational and Organizational Psychology) University of Sussex.
Out-of-office emails and work-life-balance
Emma Russell features on the Nature podcast
Switching off – In an increasingly connected world, some are pushing back against being always on call.
Emma Russell discusses an increasingly connected world on the BBC World Service.
Banning out-of-hours email ‘could harm employee wellbeing’
BBC News article
Email killer? For all its qualities, Slack will never replace ubiquitous email
Businessleader.co.uk article