Nearly 9 out of 10 executives say it’s common for business professionals to check their e-mail during meetings, although about a third of them totally disapprove of the practice and say e-mail devices should be turned off and not brought to a meeting.

In a survey of 150 human resource, marketing and finance executives by Robert Half International, 86 percent said reading and responding to e-mail messages during meetings is common.

About 31 percent disapprove of the practice altogether and another 37 percent believe it is acceptable only if the message is urgent. One in four executives believes meeting participants should excuse themselves from the meeting to attend to their e-mail.

Only one in 10 executives said it is perfectly acceptable to read and respond to messages during the meeting, especially at a time when what’s being said doesn’t pertain to them.