Carried out on behalf of Siemens Communications, the survey assessed the views of almost 600 workers, to establish whether new technologies had changed patterns of acceptable business etiquette.
It found that the demand for instant, almost constant, communication is adding to workplace stress, can cause anger among colleagues and strangers alike, and is proving to be a distraction for all, both in meetings and in public places.
The use of mobiles and e-mail has in some ways made life easier for workers, researchers found, given that they make the transfer of information to colleagues so much easier.
But when work is constantly interrupted by calls and texts, or when workers are unable to contact clients, colleagues or suppliers as quickly as expected, stress and anger levels go up, says the study.
An evolving business etiquette is also building up around the new technologies, according to the research, with 60% of respondents revealing that there were informal rules governing the use of IT equipment at their place of work and two-fifths of respondents being subject to a mobile phone ban while at work.
Only 11% of respondents felt that it was acceptable to have a mobile phone switched on during a meeting, while more than half said it was not acceptable to use IT equipment, such as e-mail, in a meeting or while speaking to someone at work.
Most respondents recognised that taking a call from one person while talking to another implies that the phone call is more important than the person, while taking a call in a meeting implies that the meeting is not important, said the survey.
In general, younger respondents were more likely to find IT interruptions acceptable, and men were more likely to use IT equipment in meetings than women.
Commenting on the findings, Professor Michael Warren, University of Surrey said: "I'm afraid the research survey shows that we all want to have our cake and eat it."
"We become stressed and impatient when we can't reach someone, and we expect instant responses from co-workers and business contacts. And yet we become annoyed when our own meetings or discussions are, for example, interrupted by a mobile phone," he explained.
"The survey shows a clear need to establish workplace rules and for management to take a lead in setting examples and standards for each organisation. And I think that technology has its part to play too – tools and processes are needed that will allow us to manage our communications with the maximum degree of availability and the minimum degree of frustration," he added.