In today’s dynamic business environment, the ability to manage tasks effectively has become a key skill for professionals. Two opposing approaches—multitasking and deep work—are often presented as strategies for increasing productivity. Multitasking involves performing multiple tasks simultaneously, while deep work focuses on intense, uninterrupted concentration on a single complex task. Scientific research conducted by renowned institutions clearly indicates that while multitasking is widely practiced and valued in many organizations, deep work leads to significantly higher-quality results, fewer errors, and ultimately greater productivity.
The Scientific Foundations of Deep Work: Definition and Importance
Cal Newport, a professor at Georgetown University, defines deep work as “the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task.” This skill enables individuals to achieve outstanding results in complex intellectual tasks. Newport emphasizes that the mental strain accompanying deep work is essential for skill development, as confirmed by decades of research in psychology and neuroscience.
The value of deep work largely stems from its rarity in today’s world filled with distractions. Newport argues that deep work is “hard to replicate,” “becoming increasingly rare,” and therefore “one of the most valuable skills in our economy.” In the digital era, where the average office worker checks emails dozens of times a day and constantly switches between tasks, the ability to sustain long-term, uninterrupted focus becomes a true competitive advantage.
A key element of deep work is the concept of “deliberate practice,” which performance psychology researchers have identified as the factor distinguishing experts from others. This term, coined in the 1990s, describes a specific type of practice that requires two key elements: focused attention on a specific skill and receiving feedback for improvement. Notably, research on the neural basis of deliberate practice indicates that our brains cannot learn complex skills in a state of low concentration.
Multitasking in Light of Research: The Myth of Efficiency
Contrary to popular belief, numerous scientific studies indicate the low efficiency of multitasking. In their 2015 study, Fischer and Plessow concluded: “Performing two or more tasks simultaneously usually results in significant performance costs in the form of increased response delays and/or error rates.” In practice, this means that multitasking slows us down and leads to more mistakes, contradicting the common assumption that doing multiple things at once saves time.
Research published in MIT Sloan Management Review provides empirical evidence of multitasking’s inefficiency. Researchers Decio Coviello, Andrea Ichino, and Nicola Persico analyzed the work of Italian judges with similar workloads and discovered that those working on fewer cases simultaneously completed more cases quarterly and spent less time per case. This study clearly shows that focusing on fewer tasks leads to higher productivity.
Another interesting study by Sinan Aral, Erik Brynjolfsson, and Marshall Van Alstyne found that the relationship between multitasking and productivity is nonlinear. Initially, a certain degree of multitasking increased recruiters’ productivity (measured by revenue generation), but after exceeding a certain threshold, the marginal benefits of additional multitasking diminished and eventually became negative. This suggests the existence of an optimal level of multitasking, which differs significantly from the widespread belief that “more is better.”
The Problem of Attention Residue and Cognitive Limitations
One of the primary mechanisms behind multitasking’s inefficiency is the phenomenon of “attention residue.” Sophie Leroy from the University of Washington conducted research showing that when we switch from one task to another, part of our attention remains focused on the initial task. This phenomenon explains why checking emails while working on a complex project is so harmful—even if we spend only a minute on it, our attention remains partially engaged, lowering the quality of work on the main task.
David Rock, author of *Your Brain at Work*, puts it bluntly: “When people try to perform two cognitive tasks simultaneously, their cognitive abilities can drop from Harvard MBA graduate level to that of an 8-year-old child.” This drastic reduction in cognitive abilities is supported by neurobiological research, which shows that our brains need 15 to 20 minutes to fully transition from one complex mental task to another. During this transition period, tasks take longer, we are more prone to errors, and we feel overwhelmed.
Interestingly, research indicates that people who believe they are highly effective at multitasking actually perform worse on multitasking tests than those who prefer focusing on one task at a time. Data shows that “great multitaskers” have more difficulty maintaining focus, organizing thoughts, and filtering out irrelevant information. This is an example of the Dunning-Kruger effect, where less competent individuals overestimate their abilities.
Impact on Well-being and Workplace Burnout
Research published in the *Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology* found that “on days when employees’ working time was heavily fragmented into many tasks, they experienced less flow, and as a result, their work performance was lower that day.” This state of “flow,” described as the optimal experience of full engagement and satisfaction, is nearly impossible to achieve in conditions of constant task switching.
According to the transactional model of stress and coping by Lazarus and Folkman, responses to workplace stressors, such as time fragmentation due to multitasking, depend on how we assess these stressors and what resources we have to cope with them. Multitasking is a significant source of workplace stress, which in the long run can lead to burnout.
Practical Implications for the Workplace
Carl Reader, a British entrepreneur, conducted a naturalistic study in his accounting firm, discovering significant differences in the time required by different employees to complete the same task. Those who took the longest were engaged in multiple activities simultaneously—working on a large project while also writing emails, responding to social media inquiries, and answering phone calls.
Reader identified what he called the “acceleration and slowdown effect.” By interrupting their work to complete another, less important task, employees became distracted, and returning to the original task took them about 30 minutes. This time difference was the key factor in productivity gaps between employees focused on one task and those practicing multitasking.
Despite this evidence, multitasking is still perceived as a desirable skill in the workplace. Surveys conducted among Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS) employees found that most respondents acknowledged multitasking as a job requirement. However, over 70% admitted that they made better decisions and concentrated more effectively when working on one task at a time.
Strategies for Implementing Deep Work in Organizations
To support deep work in organizations, researchers and experts recommend several evidence-based strategies:
1. **Time Blocking:** Dividing the day into short time slots dedicated to specific tasks to minimize context switching.
2. **Gradual Adaptation:** Starting with shorter, 30-minute deep work sessions that can be gradually extended to 90-120 minutes.
3. **Mental Preparation:** Clearly defining goals before each deep work session and gathering necessary materials in advance to minimize distractions.
4. **The Pomodoro Technique:** Working in 25-minute intervals with short breaks, helping build concentration stamina.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Scientific research overwhelmingly supports deep work as a superior approach for tasks requiring complex information processing. Organizations and employees who understand this and create environments conducive to deep work can achieve significantly higher productivity and job satisfaction.
For employers, this means rethinking workplace culture, reducing unnecessary meetings, limiting distractions, and educating employees about the cognitive costs of multitasking. For individuals, developing deep work skills through regular practice, minimizing distractions, and managing time effectively will lead to higher-quality results and improved well-being.
In a world that increasingly values speed and multitasking, the ability to engage in deep, focused work is becoming a true competitive advantage—for both organizations and individuals.
