The effect of time-management training on employee attitudes and behavior: a field experiment

Area of Science:

• Organizational Psychology
• Workplace Productivity

Background:

• Effective time management is crucial for employee performance and organizational success.
• Many organizations seek to enhance employee productivity through targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a formal time-management training program on employee performance.
• To determine if structured training leads to measurable improvements in time management skills.

Main Methods:

• A field experiment was conducted with 56 employees at an Australian manufacturing firm.
• Participants were randomly assigned to either a 3-day time-management training group or a control group.
• Outcomes were assessed via self-reported ratings and supervisor evaluations of diary entries over two weeks.

Main Results:

• The training group reported significantly higher time management ratings post-program compared to the control group.
• Supervisor ratings of diary entries indicated significantly better time management in the trained group.
• Random assignment strengthens the causal inference of the training's effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• Time-management training can effectively improve employees' ability to manage their time at work.
• The findings suggest that investing in such training programs can yield tangible benefits in workplace productivity.
• This study provides empirical support for the efficacy of structured time management interventions in organizational settings.