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Study Protocol

Effects of time management interventions on mental health and wellbeing factors: A protocol for a systematic review

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

* E-mail: [email protected]

Affiliation School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

Contributed equally to this work with: Aoife Bourke, Sarah Foley, Zelda Di Blasi

Roles Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing – original draft

Roles Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – review & editing

• Anna Navin Young, 
• Aoife Bourke, 
• Sarah Foley, 
• Zelda Di Blasi

• Published: March 11, 2024
• https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0288887
• Peer Review
• Reader Comments

Poor employee mental health and wellbeing are highly prevalent and costly. Time-related factors such as work intensification and perceptions of time poverty or pressure pose risks to employee health and wellbeing. While reviews suggest that there are positive associations between time management behavior and wellbeing, there is limited rigorous and systematic research examining the effectiveness of time management interventions on wellbeing in the workplace. A thorough review is needed to synthesize time management interventions and their effectiveness to promote employee mental health and wellbeing.

A systematic search will be conducted using the following databases: PsychINFO via OVID (1806-Present), Web of Science, Scopus via Elsevier (1976-Present), Academic Search Complete (EBSCO), Cochrane Library via Wiley (1992-Present), and MEDLINE via OVID (1946-Present). The review will include experimental and quasi-experimental studies that evaluate the effects of time management interventions on wellbeing outcomes on healthy adults in a workplace context. Only studies in English will be included. Two authors will independently perform the literature search, record screening, data extraction, and quality assessment of each study included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Data will be critically appraised using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tools. Depending on the data, a meta-analysis or a narrative synthesis will be conducted. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed in the development of this protocol. The protocol has been registered in PROSPERO (CRD4202125715).

This review will provide systematic evidence on the effects of time management interventions on wellbeing outcomes in the workplace. It will contribute to our understanding of how time management approaches may help to address growing concerns for employee mental health and wellbeing.

Citation: Young AN, Bourke A, Foley S, Di Blasi Z (2024) Effects of time management interventions on mental health and wellbeing factors: A protocol for a systematic review. PLoS ONE 19(3): e0288887. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0288887

Editor: Collins Atta Poku, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, GHANA

Received: October 13, 2023; Accepted: February 23, 2024; Published: March 11, 2024

Copyright: © 2024 Young et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study. All relevant data from this study will be made available upon study completion.

Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction

Each year, the consequences of poor employee mental health and wellbeing cost the global economy an estimated $1 trillion [ 1 ]. In 2022, the U.S. Surgeon General raised the issue of workplace wellbeing to national prominence [ 2 ]. Time is a critical factor to consider in understanding the current mental health and wellbeing challenges observed in the workplace. In the European Union’s 2022 Occupational Safety and Health survey, nearly half of respondents reported that severe time pressure and work overload contributed to increased work stress [ 3 ]. Research over the last few decades indicates that work intensification, referring to both the increased pace and increased amount of work, impairs employee wellbeing, health, and motivation [ 4 – 6 ].

Additionally, research on time poverty, or the perception of not having enough time, finds this temporal perception is detrimental to self-assessed mental health and health, emotional wellbeing, work-family conflict, physical activity, life satisfaction, perceived work performance, concentration at work, and turnover intentions [ 7 – 13 ]. Time poverty can also increase stress and stress-related symptoms including headaches, sleep disturbances, and musculoskeletal pains [ 9 , 11 , 14 ].

Time management interventions

Time management interventions are the most common time-focused interventions implemented in the workplace and may support employee mental health and wellbeing by addressing experiences and impacts of time poverty and work intensification. Definitions of time management vary across the literature, often including components related to goal and priority setting, planning, structuring, organizing, and evaluation [ 15 – 19 ]. Time management interventions consequently vary depending on which definition of time management has been adopted [ 15 , 16 ].

There is currently some evidence to suggest that time management interventions can improve wellbeing, however there are limitations with this research [ 15 – 17 ]. For example, a non-systematic review identified 35 time management studies using self-report questionnaires, diaries, and experiments published between 1954 and 2005 [ 15 ]. The authors reported that time management was positively related to perceived control of time, job satisfaction, and health, and negatively related to factors such as emotional exhaustion, role overload, and work-family conflict. This review identified several methodological limitations within the time management literature. First, the majority of study participants were university students, limiting the results’ relevance in a workplace context [ 15 ]. Second, a variety of time management definitions were used across studies, with some studies not providing any definition. Further, ten different self-report questionnaires were used to measure time management behaviors. The lack of transparent and consistent operationalization indicates strong heterogeneity, making it difficult to know whether ‘time management’ is being evaluated consistently across the literature [ 15 ]. Third, only eight of the 35 studies evaluated time management interventions, indicating a limited body of experimental research [ 15 ]. However, these experiments generally found that time management training increased self-reported time management skills and academic and job performance.

A recent comprehensive meta-analysis of 158 studies (n = 53,957) found time management (assessed based on studies using a quantitative measure of time management) to increase wellbeing, particularly life satisfaction, more than academic and job performance [ 16 ]. This meta-analysis further highlighted the limitations identified in the previous non-systematic literature review. First, a majority of studies used cross-sectional designs, thus limiting the relational conclusions that can be drawn between time management and wellbeing outcomes. Second, a majority of studies involved university students and time management was significantly less impactful for worker populations compared to student samples [ 16 ]. Third, there are limited experimental studies done to evaluate the effectiveness of time management interventions. And, finally, there is a lack of clarity, consistency, and generalizability across what is being conducted as a time management intervention [ 16 ].

The meta-analysis addressed the question of whether time management works, revealing that time management may primarily enhance wellbeing opposed to performance [ 16 ]. However, the question remains whether time management interventions (and which interventions) work to improve wellbeing. A review and synthesis of the time management intervention literature is needed to understand the current state of the field and further provide foundations for future research, development, and application of consistent, valid, and generalizable time management interventions. This is the focus and contribution of this systematic review.

Aim of the review

The aim of this proposed review is to synthesize experimental and quasi-experimental studies that evaluated the effectiveness of a time management intervention on wellbeing outcomes among healthy adults in a workplace context. As the need for effective interventions grows alongside rising concern for workplace mental health and wellbeing, this review will contribute to our understanding of whether time management interventions may be integrated into impactful solutions. The proposed review aims to answer the following questions:

• Do time management interventions improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes among healthy working adults?
• What are the characteristics of effective time management interventions?
• The primary objective is to critically synthesize the effectiveness of time management interventions on wellbeing among healthy adults in the workplace.
• The secondary objective of the review is to investigate the types and characteristics of time management interventions that have been conducted in experimental settings.
• The final objective is to evaluate the quality of the evidence.

Methods and analysis

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines were adhered to in the development of this protocol [ 20 , 21 ]. The protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD42021257157). The systematic review will be carried out following the PRISMA-P checklist ( S1 Table ) [ 22 ] and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions guidelines [ 23 ].

Types of studies

The acronym PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes) guided the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the systematic review ( Table 1 ) [ 24 ]. This review will include randomised controlled trials and quasi-experiments (controlled, non-randomised, and pre/post-intervention studies). Non-experimental studies, including literature reviews, case reports, qualitative, correlational, and cross-sectional studies, will be excluded from the review. Included articles will be written in the English language.

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0288887.t001

Types of participants

The review will include studies that involve healthy (non-clinical) adult participants in an organisational or educational context.

Patient and public involvement.

As this research is based on previously published data, participants were not directly involved or recruited for this study. Participant consent for publication of this research is not required.

Types of interventions

Studies will be eligible for inclusion if they evaluated the delivery of a time management intervention aimed at enhancing at least one wellbeing-related outcome. The review will include studies that involved one intervention (single component) or two or more interventions (multicomponent). The intervention must be explicitly referred to as a time management intervention, though the review will not limit study inclusion to a specific definition of time management.

Types of outcome measures

The primary outcomes will be self-reported wellbeing-related outcomes, including life satisfaction, stress, anxiety, exhaustion, burnout, and depression. Studies will only be included in the review if they reported at least one wellbeing-related psychological outcome measure as assessed pre-intervention and post-intervention.

Search method

The search strategy will be carried out through six specialized and general electronic databases from inception for this review: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE) via PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Scopus, Academic Search Complete, and Cochrane Library Central. A range of words related to ‘time management’ and ‘wellbeing’ will be searched ( Table 2 ). The search will aim to identify published experimental and quasi-experimental studies that evaluated a time management intervention in relation to at least one wellbeing-related outcome. The detailed search strategy was developed by the research team in consultation with a Faculty Librarian. The search will be limited to studies published in the English language. The decision to include only studies published in English results from limited resources and the language constraints of our review team. As the aim of this systematic review is to evaluate rigorous experimental studies unpublished grey literature will not be included. The review will include studies published up until 1 July 2023.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0288887.t002

Manual searches of references will be conducted in relevant papers, including the reference lists of any studies assessed for inclusion in the review, in attempts to identify any additional eligible studies. PROSPERO and the Cochrane Library will also be searched for any systematic reviews planned or completed that relate to this review. The reference lists of a recent meta-analysis [ 16 ] and a previous time management literature review [ 15 ] will also be manually searched.

Study selection

The first and second authors will independently screen papers, first by title and abstract and then by full text. Data will be extracted using a data extraction form and recorded in a shared spreadsheet. Both the extraction form and spreadsheet have been designed for the purposes of this review. Any conflicts which arise in the screening and extraction stages will be resolved through discussion or further involvement of a third researcher (ZDB). A flow diagram will present a record of study screening following the PRISMA-P guidelines. Excluded studies, and their reason for exclusion, will be documented within the flow diagram.

Data extraction process

The data extraction form has been designed by ANY to record data from studies during the full-text review stage.

The following information will be included in data extraction:

• Country of origin, author(s), and year of publication
• Study method: design (e.g., experimental and quasi-experimental)
• Sample: number of participants, age, gender, and other demographic characteristics
• Context: Workplace, educational environment
• Type of intervention: single or multi-component
• Delivery form
• Session duration (number of sessions and duration of each session)
• Control group(s)
• Number of participants at follow up and overall retention rates.
• Mean/SD, p-value, and effect size
• Outcome measures used

Missing data.

The authors will attempt to contact study authors in the case of missing or incomplete information. The available data will be analysed as reported should study authors be unavailable.

Risk of bias assessment

In accordance with the Cochrane Handbook, the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool will be used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Randomised controlled trials will be assessed using the Risk of Bias II tool (ROB II), while quasi-experimental and nonrandomised trials will be assessed using the ROBINS I tool. Assessment will include methods of randomisation and intervention allocation. Risk of bias will be independently conducted by the first and second author and inter-rater reliability will be calculated using the kappa coefficient. In the case of disagreements, a discussion with a third reviewer (ZDB) will be used to reach a consensus. Study authors will be contacted in the case of insufficient information. The risk of bias assessments will result in a classification of low risk, some concerns, or high risk.

Data synthesis

Adhering to Cochrane guidelines [ 25 ], ANY will lead the authors’ conduction of a narrative synthesis. The authors will address any conflicting interpretations that arise during the narrative synthesis through discussion until a consensus is reached. The narrative synthesis will be structured around the included studies, the types of time management interventions and topics used, and the intervention outcomes. The characteristics and components of included interventions will also be analyzed and reported. Wellbeing outcomes will be reported along with the measures used in each study. The authors will calculate the percentage of studies that included each intervention and outcome element. Overall, the narrative synthesis will integrate these findings to provide a comprehensive overview of the current evidence of the effectiveness of time management interventions on workplace wellbeing. This will involve a summary of what the included studies reveal regarding effective time management intervention structures, topics, modes of delivery, and outcomes.

A limited scope for meta-analysis is anticipated due to the range of outcomes measured, measurement types, and the small number of existing trials. Where studies have used the same intervention, comparator, and outcomes measures, a random-effects meta-analysis will be conducted with the pooled results.

Depending on the data gathered, subgroup analyses may be conducted to examine the effects of the type of intervention (single component or multicomponent) and duration of intervention.

The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the factors influencing effectiveness of time management interventions aimed at enhancing mental health and wellbeing, based on the evidence of experimental and quasi-experimental studies.

Considering the rise in mental health and wellbeing issues in the workplace and reported time poverty, and despite the popularity of time management tools, little is known about the effectiveness of time management interventions, and what elements of time management are particularly useful.

Effective time management interventions have the potential to promote mental health and wellbeing. However, the history of time management highlights limited evidence-based, empirically evaluated strategies for enhancing time management in work and educational settings [ 15 – 17 ]. The findings of this review are expected to provide an overview of time management interventions that have been conducted using a robust trial design, and their corresponding wellbeing outcomes.

The review will contribute to evaluating these time management interventions from a health and wellbeing perspective, and provide guidance for HR professionals, leaders, and health professionals regarding the current landscape of evidence-based time management interventions and how they may be adopted to support employee wellbeing. Findings from the systematic review will be synthesized and disseminated for relevant stakeholders to promote evidence-based wellbeing initiatives in the workplace.

Supporting information

S1 table. prisma-p checklist..

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0288887.s001

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• 24. McKenzie JE, Brennan SE, Ryan RE, Thomson HJ, Johnston RV, Thomas J. Chapter 3: Defining the criteria for including studies and how they will be grouped for the synthesis. In: Higgins JPT, Thomas J, Chandler J, Cumpston M, Li T, Page MJ, Welch VA, editors. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions version 6.0 (updated July 2019). Cochrane; 2019. Available from: https://www.training.cochrane.org/handbook .
• 25. Ryan R. Data synthesis and analysis. Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group. 2013. Available from: https://cccrg.cochrane.org/sites/cccrg.cochrane.org/files/uploads/AnalysisRestyled.pdf .

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Does time management work? A meta-analysis

Affiliations.

• 1 Concordia University, Sir George Williams Campus, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
• 2 FSA Ulaval, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
• PMID: 33428644
• PMCID: PMC7799745
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245066

Does time management work? We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the impact of time management on performance and well-being. Results show that time management is moderately related to job performance, academic achievement, and wellbeing. Time management also shows a moderate, negative relationship with distress. Interestingly, individual differences and contextual factors have a much weaker association with time management, with the notable exception of conscientiousness. The extremely weak correlation with gender was unexpected: women seem to manage time better than men, but the difference is very slight. Further, we found that the link between time management and job performance seems to increase over the years: time management is more likely to get people a positive performance review at work today than in the early 1990s. The link between time management and gender, too, seems to intensify: women's time management scores have been on the rise for the past few decades. We also note that time management seems to enhance wellbeing-in particular, life satisfaction-to a greater extent than it does performance. This challenges the common perception that time management first and foremost enhances work performance, and that wellbeing is simply a byproduct.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist

Fig 1. PRISMA chart summarizing the screening…

Fig 1. PRISMA chart summarizing the screening process [82].

Fig 2. The strength of the relationship…

Fig 2. The strength of the relationship between time management and job performance increases over…

Fig 3. The link between time management…

Fig 3. The link between time management ability and gender is getting stronger over the…

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It took less than two years in graduate school for me to burn out. I was spending long hours in the laboratory, yet I worried that I wasn’t making satisfactory progress. Overwork-induced exhaustion made me sloppy and impaired my productivity, creating a vicious cycle.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-04364-2

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Assessment of time management practice and associated factors among primary hospitals employees in north Gondar, northwest Ethiopia

Muluken Genetu Chanie

1 School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Medical and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia

Erkihun Tadesse Amsalu

2 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, College of Medical and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia

Gojjam Eshete Ewunetie

3 Dembia General Hospital, Outpatient Department, Gondar, Ethiopia

Associated Data

All relevant data are within the manuscript and its Supporting Information files.

Time management practice can facilitate productivity and success, contributing to work effectiveness, maintaining balance and job satisfaction. Thus, this study aimed to assess time management practices and associated factors among employees of primary hospitals in north Gondar.

An Institutional based cross-sectional study among primary hospital employees in north Gondar was conducted from March to April 2018. A structured and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect the data. Simple random sampling technique was utilized to select 422 employees. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression model were done to identify factors associated with time management practice. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was ascertained to show the strength and direction of association.

In this study, the prevalence of time management practice was 56.4% (95%CI: 49.3, 61.7). Being satisfied with organizational policies (AOR = 2.16; 95%CI: 1.02–4.68), performance appraisals (AOR: 2.11; 95%CI: 1.32–4.66), compensation and benefits (AOR: 4.18; 95%CI: 2.18–7.99), and planning (AOR: 2.86; 95% CI: 1.42–5.75) were statistically significant factors associated with time management practice.

Conclusion and recommendation

The overall time management practice among the primary hospital employees was low. Planning, organizational policy, compensation and benefit, performance appraisal, and residence were factors significantly associated with hospital employee’s time management practice. Thus managers and employees need to carry out interventions on significant factors to improve the employees’ time management practice.

Introduction

Time is described as a measure of the duration and order of events in the past, the present and the future [ 1 ]. Time is a priceless resource and continues to pass by without coming back. Time itself cannot be managed because it is an inaccessible factor rather task in line with time[ 2 ]. The concept of time management started with industrial revolution and became the modern notion of doing things effectively and efficiently [ 3 , 4 ]. Hence its importance has been increasing from day to day [ 5 ]. Effects of time management are a panacea to organizational effectiveness. It is difficult to measure time management practice but largely depends on the outcomes of employees performance [ 6 ].

Time management practice is the act of influencing one’s key behavioral dimensions to complete as many tasks as possible within a given time period. Such behavioral dimensions include organization of work and continuous application of time management techniques as a habit [ 7 ].

According to Donaldson, “the aim of good time management is to achieve the lifestyle balance you want”. Good time at work means doing high quality work, not high quantity [ 8 ]. Good time management such as setting goals and priorities as well as scheduling and delegation of tasks can facilitate productivity and success, contributing to work effectiveness, maintaining balance and job satisfaction [ 9 ]. In contrast, poor time management has been associated with poor work quality, low productivity, negative influence on career path, and high stress levels [ 10 , 11 , 12 ].

A study has pointed out that time management practices in different countries of the world vary. A study conducted on factors affecting time management and nurses’ performance in Hebron hospital, Palestine, reported time management practice was high with rate 69.5% [ 13 ]. A study conducted in Pakistan on time management and organizational performance in 2011 revealed that among 1200 participants overall time management practice was 30% [ 14 ]. A study done in UAE(United Arab Emirates) revealed that time management practice was 49% and the study showed that 56% of employees lack planning, prioritizing and scheduling time for their work [ 15 ].

A study done in Egypt on time management program showed that time management practice was 45% among the studied head nurses at their work site with impacts on their job performances and performance appraisals [ 16 ].

Another study done in Nigeria on time management in Nigerian hospitals showed that time management practice among employees was found 51% [ 17 ].

A study done in Ethiopia on the effect of time management practice among Dire-Dawa university students showed that time management practice was found 34% [ 18 ].

There is prevalent lack of time management culture in many societies especially in developing countries including Africa which may be detrimental to both the organization as well as the employees [ 17 ]. Most people feel like they have too much to do and not enough time and they blame lack of time for their unachieved goals, poor performance and low productivity [ 14 ].

There were several factors known to contribute to poor time management practices. Among these factors effective time management method related factors, personal factors (punctuality, time wasters), administrative and organizational obstacles of time management (organizational policy, Lack of incentives, performance appraisal), and employees performance in an organization are the most important factors which have important role in determining employees’ time management practices [ 13 , 19 , 20 ]. Other variables such as education, age, marital status, and sex also has been determined as factors that contribute to it [ 19 , 21 ].

There was an implementation of time management practices in every organization but still there is a gap in reaching productivity and improved performance of employees.

There were limited previous studies regarding time management practice, but there were no published data about time management practice among primary hospital employees in Ethiopia including the study setting.

Therefore, this study aimed to assess time management practices and associated factors among employees of primary hospitals in North Gondar Zone.

Method and materials

Study setting.

The study was conducted at primary hospitals found in North Gondar Zone, which is one of the 11 zones found in the Amhara National Regional State. This zone is located in Northwest part of Ethiopia and divided into 24 woredas (Districts). There are 9 primary hospitals, 126 health centers and 573 health posts in this zone. In all 9 hospitals there are about 1,071 employees of which 543 were health professionals and 526 were supportive workers according to North Gondar health department’s plan office data.

Study design and period

Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 28, 2018.

Population and sample

Debark hospital, Metema hospital; Delgi hospital, Gohala hospital, Aykel hospital, Mekane-brhan hospital, Amba-giorgis hospital, Koladiba hospital, and Abraha–Jira hospital were selected hospitals from Gondar zone for this study. There were a total of 1,071 employees working in the selected primary hospitals of north Gondar zone. All employees working in primary hospitals of north Gondar zone for at least 6 months period were included into the study. Those employees who had worked for less than six months in the hospital and respondents with incomplete data were excluded from the study. A total of 391 employees which fulfilled the inclusion criteria were participated in the study.

Sample size determination and sampling procedure

Sample size for the prevalence part of the study was determined by using single population proportion (as there were no previous study conducted in the area) formula considering the following assumptions: taking 50% prevalence of time management practices and expected margin of error (d) 0.05 and with 95% confidence level (Z a/2 ) n = ( z α / 2 ) 2 p ( 1 − p ) d 2 = ( 1.96 ) 2 0.5 ( 0.5 ) ( 0.05 ) 2 = 384

By adding 10% for non-respondents the total sample size was 422.

For associated factors of time management practice the sample size was determined by using double population proportion formula using selected three key predictors [ 22 , 23 ] according to the following assumptions and computed by Epi-info version 7 software ( Table 1 ).

Thus the minimum adequate sample size for this study was 422 taken from single population proportion formula.

Proportional allocation of 422 samples was done for each primary hospital based on the number of employees working in the respective hospitals. Then study participants were selected by simple random sampling method in each Hospital. A total of 84 respondents from Debark hospital, 87 from Metema hospital, 36 from Delgi hospital, 28 from Gohala hospital, 44 from Aykel hospital, 29 from Mekanbrhan hospital, 41 from ambagiorgis hospital, 45 from Koladba hospital, and 28 from abraha-jira hospital were selected.

Study variables and data collection procedure

Time management practice was used as a dependent variable. Socio-demographic factors (sex, age, residence, marital status, educational status, type of profession, and work experience), personal factors (time wasters, procrastination, and punctuality), administrative and organizational factors (organizational policy and strategy, work environment, compensation and benefit, performance appraisal, recognition, and promotion), and employees performance (planning, implementation, and responsibility) were independent variables of the study.

Time management practice was defined as scheduled use of time by employees at work site. It is measured by 5 items each scored a 5 point Likert-scale with 1 denoting strongly disagrees and 5 denoting strongly agree. After dichotomous category, responses above and equal to 65% was categorized as good time management practices [ 13 ].

Organization policy and strategy was described as the respondent’s feeling on the application of organizational policies and strategies. It was measured by using 3 items each scored 5-point Likert scale. It was categorized as satisfied if the responses were ≥ the mean score value and unsatisfied if the responses were below the mean score value.

Responsibility was described as the respondent’s duty to fulfill a responsibility as personal and as member of team work. It is measured by using 3 items each scored 5-point Likert scale. It was categorized as high if the responses were ≥ the mean score value and low if the responses were below the mean score value.

Work Environment was described as the quality of the working environment both its physical attributes and the degree to which it provided meaningful work condition. It was measured by using 5 items each scored 5-point Likert scale. It was categorized as good if the responses were ≥ the mean score value and bad if the responses were below the mean score value.

Compensation and benefit was described as employees feeling of fairness and adequate payment for work done and financial rewards for better performance. It was measured by using 3 items each scored 5-point Likert scale. It was categorized as satisfied if the responses were ≥ the mean score value and unsatisfied if the responses were below the mean score value.

Recognition and Promotion was described as employees feeling of recognition and promotion systems of the hospital. It was measured by using 4 items each scored 5-point Likert scale. It was grouped as satisfied if the responses were ≥ the mean score value and unsatisfied if the responses were below the mean score value.

Performance appraisal was described as the participants feeling on measurement of their actual performance. It was measured by using 3 items each scored 5-point Likert scale. It was categorized as satisfied if the responses were ≥ the mean score value and unsatisfied if the responses were below the mean score value.

Procrastination was described as the employees postponing of scheduled tasks. It was measured by using 4 items each scored 5-point Likert scale. It was categorized as high if the responses were ≥ the mean score value and low if the responses were below the mean score value.

Time wasters were described as the engagement to an activity that spends employees’ productive time at work site. It was measured by using 5 items each scored 5-point Likert scale. It was categorized as high if the responses were ≥ the mean score value and low if the responses were below the mean score value.

For this study the data was collected by using self-administered structured questionnaires adopted from advanced corporate training and legal management consultants [ 24 , 25 ]. Three data collectors (diploma nurses) and two supervisors (BSc Nurses) were recruited. One day training was given by the principal investigator for data collectors about the objectives and processes of data collection. Pre-test was conducted on 10% of total sample size (42 employees) at Addis zemen primary hospital. All filled questionnaires were checked by the principal investigator for its completeness and consistency.

Data management and analysis

Prior to the actual data collection, frequent supervision was done, interviewers were trained, and interviews were performed using the local language Amharic. Reliability test (Cronbach’s alpha) was performed to check reliability of the questionnaire items. Data were checked for completeness, organized and entered into Epi-info version 7, and then exported to STATA version 14 software for analysis.

Tables were used to present the results. Descriptive statistical analysis such as frequencies and percentages were used to describe the characteristics of the study population. As the response variable i.e. time management practice was dichotomous (poor, good), logistic regression was used to identify factors that affect time management practice. Variables with ≤ 0.05 p-values in the bi-variable analysis were fitted in the multivariable model. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) and p-value < 0.05 in the multivariable model were used to declare significant association with time management practice. Goodness of fit was checked using Hosmer Lemeshow test (p = 0.187).

Ethical consideration

Ethical clearance was obtained from the University of Gondar Ethical Review Board (IRB). Before communicating study participants’ official permission letter of cooperation was obtained from Amara National Regional Health Bureau (ANRHB). The purposes and the importance of the study were explained and informed consent was secured from each participant. Respondents were clearly told about the study and the variety of information needed for them. They were given the chance to raise any question about the study and free to refuse or terminate the interview at any moment. Name of participants and any personal identifiers were not included in the study, and the confidentiality of the data was kept at all level of the study.

Socio -demographic characteristics of respondents

From a total of 422 primary hospital employees, 391 of them went into the analysis. The remaining 31 were excluded from the study due to incomplete information. More than half, 232 (59.3%) were males and 234(59.8), highlanders. Regarding educational status, 254 (65%) of the respondents had diploma and below. The median age of respondents were 28.5 years (IQR: 25.82–31.25). Regarding salary, 194(49.6%) of employees earned less than 3137 Ethiopian Birr (ETB) i.e. below 109 USD monthly ( Table 2 ).

Organizational related factors of respondents

In this study majority of employees about 243(62.1%) were unsatisfied with organizational policy. similarly about 239(61.1%) of respondents were unsatisfied with performance appraisal. Regarding compensation and benefit about 348 (89.0%) were unsatisfied. About the working environment, 119 (30.4%) of employees had good Work environment. The finding also showed that about 296 (75.5%) of respondents were unsatisfied with recognition and reward ( Table 3 ).

Employee performance related factors

This study showed that majority of primary hospital employees, 316 (80.8%) had planning for their work. More than half, about 222 (56.8%) of employees showed high responsibility for their work. Regarding implementation about 307(78.5%) had high implementation for their work ( Table 3 ).

Personal related factors of respondents

Regarding punctuality the majority of respondents about, 337(86.2%) was punctual for their work. Similarly majority of employees about, 317(81.1%) had high procrastination. This study also showed that majority of respondents about, 335 (85.7%) were high time waster ( Table 3 ).

The overall prevalence of time management practice among primary hospital employees was 56.4% (95%CI: 49.3%, 61.7%).

Factors associated with time management practice

In the bi-variable analysis punctuality, organizational policy, performance appraisal, work environment, recognition and reward, planning, implementation, compensation and benefit, residence, procrastination, and time waste level were factors found to besignificantly associated with time management practice at p- value≤0.05.

However, in the multivariable mixed effect logistic regression analysis, organizational policies, planning, performance appraisal, compensation and benefit, and residence were factors significantly associated with time management practice among primary hospital employees.

Hospital employees who were satisfied with organizational policies and strategies were nearly two times (AOR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.021, 4.69) more likely to have good time management practice compared with unsatisfied employees.

Employees who were satisfied with performance appraisals were two times (AOR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.32, 4.67) more likely to have good time management practice compared with unsatisfied counterparts.

Similarly employees satisfied with compensation and benefit were nearly four times (AOR = 4.18, 95% CI: 2.19, 7.99) more likely to have good time management practice compared with unsatisfied employees.

On the other hand employees who were good in planning were nearly three times (AOR = 2.86, 95% CI: 1.42, 5.75) more likely to have good time management practice compared with those poor in planning.

Employees working in the highland areas were nearly two times (AOR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.08, 4.01) more likely to have good time management practice compared with those working in lowland ( Table 4 ) .

COR: Crude odds ratio, CI: Confidence interval, AOR: adjusted odds ratio, 1: Reference category

*: significant at p< 0.05

**: Significant at p< 0.001

In this study, the prevalence of time management practice among employees was low. This finding was higher as compared to studies conducted in Nigeria on time management practice 51% [ 17 ], and a study done on time management program on job satisfaction in Egypt 45% [ 16 ]. Similarly, this finding was much higher than studies conducted in United Arab Emirates which was 49% [ 15 ] and Pakistan which was reported as 30% [ 14 ]. The finding was also higher than a study done in Dire-Dawa University Ethiopia which reported the prevalence of time management practice was 34% [ 18 ].

However, it is lower than studies conducted in Palestine on health professionals performance in Hebron Hospital, in which the prevalence of time management practice was reported 69.5% [ 13 ] and in Australia on health professionals the prevalence was reported 64%[ 26 ]. This discrepancy could be resulted from differences in infrastructure in the health institutions, study setting differences, and differences in the respondents which could affect the status of time management practice. In this study the study subjects were primary hospital employees working in public hospitals only, where as in Palestine and Australia the study subjects were health professionals working both in selected public and private hospitals [ 13 , 26 ].

This study identified hospital employee’s time management practices were influenced more by organizational policy and strategy. Hospital employees who were satisfied with organizational policies and strategies had good time management practice. This finding is consistent with studies conducted in Pakistan and Palestine [13, 14[. The possible explanation could be if employees perceived that the policies and strategies of the organization are not fair, they become disappointed and dissatisfied which could affect employee’s time management practice negatively. Whereas satisfied respondents would be motivated and can manage their time effectively in the organization because there is fairness in, and benefits from their organizations [ 14 , 27 , 28 ].

Time management practice was high among the respondents who were satisfied with performance appraisal got from the hospital when compared with unsatisfied employees. This finding is supported by studies done on time management [ 20 ]. This might be due to unfair relationships between some workers and with the department head and/or the hospital manager who may treat some staffs better than others based on some form of personal relationships [ 20 , 29 ].

Another strong significant predictor of time management practice from hospital employees was compensation and benefit. Primary hospital employees who were satisfied with compensation and benefit had good time management practice when compared with unsatisfied. The result of this finding is in line with studies conducted in Egypt about the effect of time management program on job satisfaction [ 16 ]. This could be explained by poor working environment, dissatisfaction with the organization, less professional opportunity because it does not give them a chance to grow and develop their own abilities, which in turn lead to poor time management practices of employees[ 29 , 30 ].

Primary hospital employees who were good in planning were good in time management practice. This finding is in line with a study done on time management and academic performance in United Arab Emirates [ 15 ]. The possible explanation could be good experience in planning decreases employees dependence on others what to do and task leading activities timely [ 27 , 31 , 32 ].

With respect to socio-demographic characteristics, residence was significantly associated with hospital employee’s time management practice. Employees working in the highland areas were more likely to manage their time when compared with employees working in lowland. This finding is consistent with studies done on a cross-cultural investigation of time management practices and job outcomes [ 33 ]. This finding could be explained by the fact that differences in working settings and weather conditions respondents were working [ 32 , 33 ].

The literature is not consistent in terms of the relationship between some associated factors and employees’ time management practice. In this particular study time management practice factors like punctuality, work environment, procrastination, time waster, recognition and reward, implementation, marital status and work experience were not found to be statistically significant associations with employees’ time management practice. This might be due to differences in the content and nature of work in the hospitals and difference in research settings might cause discrepancy results.

The variables used in the study might not be exhaustive and some other variables might be missed that need to be tested for association with time management practice. Use of self-reporting measures may have some potential for reporting biases, which may have occurred because of the respondents’ interpretation of the questions; they may over or under report a phenomenon. Finally, the study lacked the component of follow-up, in which the researcher could compare participants’ time practice versus their actual practice.

The study could have valuable implication to formulate appropriate strategies by different stakeholders involved in hospital administration and management programs, and other related public health interventions. It is also important to enhance and upgrade participants’ understanding about time management; and to equip them with major techniques of time management. This study could also provide information to subsequent researchers on time management practices and factors associated with it.

The overall time management practice among the primary hospital employees was low. Planning, organizational policy and strategy, compensation and benefit, performance appraisal, and residence were predictors significantly and positively associated with hospital employee’s time management practice.

Thus it is recommended that hospital employees must give special emphasis about planning to improve their time management practice. Hospital Managers need to assess and improve organizational policies and strategies and performance appraisal systems practicing in the respective hospitals to treat employees fairly and equally. It is also recommended to conduct further research on the issue by extending the study setting and the study population.

Supporting information

Acknowledgments.

First we would like to thank all study participants for their cooperation in providing the necessary information. We would also thank data collectors and supervisors for the devotion and quality work during data collection for the accomplishment of this work.

Abbreviations

Funding Statement

The authors received no specific funding for this work.

Data Availability

• PLoS One. 2020; 15(1): e0227989.

Decision Letter 0

25 Sep 2019

PONE-D-19-24146

Assessment of time management practices and associated factors among employees of primary hospitals in north Gondar, northwest Ethiopia

Dear Dr Amsalu,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process.

I acclaim the authors for taking their time to study this very sensitive topic especially in Ethiopia set up.

Abstract: briefly articulated and has clearly shown the overall study.

Introduction:

This section has tried to explain time and time management practice at a different perspective. It looks good and explanatory. It would be very good if you quote studies in Africa that could deliver better information about time management. Perhaps, that would give a good picture, avoid bias and pointless conclusion. Similarly, a study conducted on Africans resided in Iran, as mentioned in this study, which might have different social fabrics when compared to studies done in other African countries, could be susceptible to bias. Hence, I recommend using studies that have been done in Africa or at least in a similar setting to offer conceivable information.

As a whole, the literature reviews looks very scanty and insufficient to demonstrate time management and practice especially in Ethiopia settings. Perhaps, it would be very useful to incorporate studies that could at least be related to the study setting to make the study more useful and relevant.

Methodology:

In general the methodology appears so murky and narrow to provide enough information. This section needs outright revision or overhaul. it has short of scientific explanation, doesn’t appropriately depict methods and has overlooked key research tools. i found the following point unclear and need to be addressed.

How did you determine the sample size? How did you allocate study participants? How did you select the study participant? Where did you get or how did you develop data collection tools or questionnaire in this study? How did you measure the validity and reliability of the study tools or questionnaire implemented to collect data in this study?  It is not also clear how the cutoff point made for the Likert scale.  How the questionnaire contents organized and formulate to address the objective?  

What is the dependent variable in this study? It looks like level of time management practice appears to be the dependent variable. However, you have operationally defined time management practice on the next paragraph. You should be clear otherwise it would be very confusing.  It looks like there is misconception between time management practice and level of time management practice in this study. Hence, you need to differentiate or clarify both first, then clearly address dependent variable and provide the proper operational definition. Or else, this would affect the full analysis and study. Similarly, would be good to define those factors indicated in this study as well.

The socio-demography well stated. Maybe, it would be useful if you depict the response rate in percent than numbers for simplicity.

However, the remaining part of the result seems disorganized and superficial. It lacks coherence. It is so difficult to assert the authenticity of the analysis. It looks like there is a kind of mingling between the sub-topics “time management practices, organizational policies, employees’ performance and personal factors” and “factors associated with time management practice”. Either you need to modify the first sub topic or merge with the second topic. This section as a whole needs stringent revision.

Discussion:

In general, this section has tried to compare studies that has been conducted in different places and has made arguments, which is very commendable. However, the arguments are weak, frail and lack of scientific reasoning. It is not clear also, for instance, on the first paragraph you indicated that “ the proportion of time management practice among employees was 56.4%”  what does the word proportion designate in this sentences? There is similar inconsistency throughout the document that has to be fixed.

In addition to this, you need to use studies that are closely related to your study setting at various measuring scale to make plausible comparison. Otherwise, citing studies which never have related to your study setting will affect the analysis and the entire result one or another way.

What is the limitation of your study?

Conclusion:  looks good but what are your recommendations? You have inscribed your suggestion and recommendation at the abstract section, but not in this section.

Make sure you stick with reference regulation of the publisher.

==============================

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Additional Editor Comments (if provided):

How did you determine the sample size? How did you allocate study participants? How did you select the study participant? Where did you get or how did you develop data collection tools or questionnaire in this study? How did you measure the validity and reliability of the study tools or questionnaire implemented to collect data in this study? It is not also clear how the cutoff point made for the Likert scale. How the questionnaire contents organized and formulate to address the objective?

What is the dependent variable in this study? It looks like level of time management practice appears to be the dependent variable. However, you have operationally defined time management practice on the next paragraph. You should be clear otherwise it would be very confusing. It looks like there is misconception between time management practice and level of time management practice in this study. Hence, you need to differentiate or clarify both first, then clearly address dependent variable and provide the proper operational definition. Or else, this would affect the full analysis and study. Similarly, would be good to define those factors indicated in this study as well.

In general, this section has tried to compare studies that has been conducted in different places and has made arguments, which is very commendable. However, the arguments are weak, frail and lack of scientific reasoning. It is not clear also, for instance, on the first paragraph you indicated that “the proportion of time management practice among employees was 56.4%” what does the word proportion designate in this sentences? There is similar inconsistency throughout the document that has to be fixed.

Conclusion: looks good but what are your recommendations? You have inscribed your suggestion and recommendation at the abstract section, but not in this section.

[Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.]

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

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Reviewer #1: Yes

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Reviewer #1: No

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Reviewer #1: Dear PLOS One thank you for the chance given to review a research article titled “Assessment of time management practices and associated factors among employees of primary hospitals in north Gondar, northwest Ethiopia”. Effective time management particular for those who are directly involved in the process of care of human being. Hence, this research will discover the colossal time management problem in the health sector. The following are my comments:

General Comments

Is there an African / Ethiopia perspective of time?

What are the dimensions of time?

Specific Comments

On the abstract Section

The objective is missed.

Avoid use of ‘predictors’ in cross sectional studies.

In key words include Gondar.

On the Introduction Section

Is this definition of time the contemporary definition?

What is special about time management for health care workers?

What are the adverse consequences of ineffective time management practice?

The flow lacks coherence. Global, regional and national data on the matter of interest were missed.

On the Methods Section

Start with study setting and tell us your reference.

You didn’t mentioned study design.

Why you used systematic sampling?

Is there no difference between male and female health care professionals? Between diploma and degree holders? Between nurses and medical doctors?

On the Result section

Why don’t you classify residence as urban and rural rather than presenting it as highlanders and lowlanders?

When do we say an individual is satisfied with performance appraisal?

What is your case to variable ratio?

Present some of your findings e.g Proportion of Procrastination

On the Discussion Section

Avoid presenting frequencies.

Reference for your justification is needed. For example “This might be due to unfair relationships between some workers and with the department..” what does that mean? Do you have data on it?

What does organizational policy? Is that norm or some other guiding document? Is that endorsed from ministry of health or?

What are the types of compensations and benefits ? do you have evidence? Needs reference?

On the Conclusion Section

You collected data of 65% from diploma holders and you are concluding for all types of health care workers?

The word ‘poor’ is not ethical.

Implications were missed

Lacks recommendation

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Author response to Decision Letter 0

We would like to thanks for these constructive, building and improvable comments on this manuscript that would improve substance and content of the manuscript. We considered each comments and clarification questions of editors and reviewers on the manuscript thoroughly. Our point-by-point responses for each comment and questions are described in detailed on the following pages. Further, the details of changes were shown by track changes in the supplementary document attached.

Editor questions/comments Response

Thanks editor for your constructive comments. Even though there were inadequate literatures related with the problem particularly in Ethiopia we have searched effort fully and included them in the main document.

Methodology

How did you determine the sample size? Dear editor thanks for your constructive comments. The sample size was determined using single population proportion formula, taking 50% prevalence of time management practices (as there was no previous study) with the following assumption: 95% CI and 5% margin of error.

For associated factors of time management practice the sample size was determined by using double population proportion formula and computed by Epi-info version7 software. Thus the minimum adequate sample size for this study was 422 taken from single population proportion formula.

Details about sample size determination were put in the main document.

How did you allocate study participants?

Thanks again for your constructive comments. Proportional allocation of study participants (422 employees) was done for each primary hospital based on the number of employees working in the respective hospitals. Details were described in the main document.

How did you select the study participant? Thanks editor for valuable comment. Study participants were selected by simple random sampling method in each Hospital. Details were presented in the main document.

Where did you get or how did you develop data collection tools or questionnaire in this study? Thanks editor for the comment. The questionnaire was adopted from Advanced corporate training (Time Management Questionnaire) and legal management consultants 2010 and put the citation in the main document.

How did you measure the validity and reliability of the study tools or questionnaire implemented to collect data in this study?

Thanks editor for the comment. To measure the validity of the study tools or questionnaires implemented to collect data in this study we have conducted pretest among 42 participants out of the study area (i.e. Addis-zemen hospital) and training was given for data collectors. Reliability test (Cronbach’s alpha) was performed to check reliability of the questionnaire items.

It is not also clear how the cutoff point made for the Likert scale

Thanks for the comment. Cutoff points for independent variables were made based on their mean values as high (i.e. ≥ the mean score value) and low (i.e. below the mean value). But for the outcome variable i.e. time management practice was high/good if ≥ 65% and low if below 65% which was taken from journal of education and practice (Qteat M, 2014).

How the questionnaire contents organized and formulate to address the objective?

Thanks editor for the comment. In this study Questionnaire contents were organized by themes or main concepts from simple to complex for ease of respondents.

What is the dependent variable in this study? It looks like level of time management practice appears to be the dependent variable. Similarly, would be good to define those factors indicated in this study as well.

Thank you editor for this constructive comment. The dependent variable of the study is time management practice not the level of time management practice and it was corrected and operationalized in the main document accordingly.

We have also defined factors in the main document.

Maybe, it would be useful if you depict the response rate in percent than numbers for simplicity. Thanks for the comment. We have depicted the response rate as 92.65% in the main document.

It looks like there is a kind of mingling between the sub-topics “time management practices, organizational policies, employees’ performance and personal factors” and “factors associated with time management practice”. Either you need to modify the first sub topic or merge with the second topic.

Thank you editor for the comment. We have modified the first subtopic in the main document and expressed it correctly as organizational policies, employees performance and personal factors of respondents.

It is not clear, for instance, on the first paragraph you indicated that “the proportion of time management practice among employees was 56.4%” what does the word proportion designate in this sentences? There is similar inconsistency throughout the document that has to be fixed. Thank you editor for the comment. We have changed proportion to prevalence and corrected as “the overall prevalence of time management practice among employees was 56.4%”. We have also made similar change throughout the document.

In addition to this, you need to use studies that are closely related to your study setting at various measuring scale to make plausible comparison. Otherwise, citing studies which never have related to your study setting will affect the analysis and the entire result one or another way. Thank for the comment. Even though there were inadequate literatures we have included almost related studies to our setting in the main document.

Thank you editor for the comment. We have included the limitation of the study in main document.

You have inscribed your suggestion and recommendation at the abstract section, but not in this section Thanks again for the comment. We have included recommendations in the main document according to your query.

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Reviewer #1

General comment

Is there an African / Ethiopia perspective of time? Thanks reviewer for your comment.

Thus the African understands time as consisting of a long past and a present with virtually no future. This contrasts with the Western concept of time which is linear, consisting of an indefinite past, the present and infinite future. For the African, the future is absent since it has not been realized. African time or Africa time is the perceived cultural tendency, in parts of Africa and the Caribbean toward a more relaxed attitude to time.

An African "emotional time consciousness" has been suggested which contrasts with Western "mechanical time consciousness". African cultures are often described as "polychronic", which means people tend to manage more than one thing at a time rather than in a strict sequence. Personal interactions and relationships are also managed in this way, such that it is not uncommon to have more than one simultaneous conversation.

The timezone in Ethiopia is EastAfricaTime (EAT) (UTC+03:00). Almost all Ethiopians use a 12-hour clock system. The daytime cycle begins at dawn 12:00 (6:00:00 AM EAT) and ends at dusk 11:59:59 (5:59:59 PM EAT). The night time cycle begins at dusk 12:00 (6:00:00 PM EAT) and ends at dawn 11:59:59 (5:59:59 AM EAT). The convention is that the day begins at 1:00 o'clock in the morning 12 hour cycle (7:00 AM EAT) rather than midnight (12:00 AM EAT). Therefore, the local population almost effectively observes UTC-03:00.

What are the dimensions of time? Thanks reviewer for your comments. Time is the dimension that allows things to do it, which is why we can measure the duration that they last or how fast they move. Space is where these things are and happen. Time and space are inextricably connected into what’s called the space-time continuum. The normal three dimensions including up-down, left-right, forward-back, and space-time. Two-dimensions of time would make time travel possible. Instead of being linear, at some point time loops back on itself. In this way, you could travel back or forward in time.

abstract Section

The objective is missed Thanks reviewer for your comments. We have included the objective in the main document.

Avoid use of ‘predictors’ in cross sectional studies. Thank you reviewer for the comment and we have replaced predictors with factors associated with in the main document.

In key words include Gondar Thanks again for the comment. We add Gondar in the key word in the abstract section of main document.

Is this definition of time the contemporary definition? Thanks reviewer for the comment. The definition of time was adopted from Mariam Webster dictionary and it is the contemporary definition used in this study.

What is special about time management for health care workers? Thanks again for the comment.

Time management is about how one manages self. One cannot manage the time; one can only manage how he/she can use it. Organizing and prioritizing the patient care activities is of prime importance for providing quality care and to maintain the personal and professional balance. If healthcare workers spent their time out of serving their patient even within seconds they may lose lives and that is why time management for health care professionals is highly important priority issue.

Thanks again for the comment. Some of the adverse consequences of ineffective time management practice are habitual lateness, overextension, inability to achieve goals, lack of success, and lack of confidence, stress, and ineffectiveness in one’s job as mentioned in many management books.

The flow lacks coherence. Global, regional and national data on the matter of interest were missed. Thanks again for the comment. We have corrected the flow of ideas and incorporated global, national and regional data on time management practices in the main document.

Start with study setting and tell us your reference. Thanks reviewer for the comment. We have started with study setting and put the reference i.e. from North Gondar health department’s plan office data and corrected accordingly in the main document.

You didn’t mentioned study design. Thanks reviewer for the comment. We have mentioned the study design i.e. institutional based cross-sectional study design was used for this study in the main document.

Why you used systematic sampling? Thank you reviewer for this fruitful comment. Systematic sampling was inappropriate technique for this study and we have used appropriate sampling technique i.e. Simple random sampling and corrected accordingly in the main document.

Is there no difference between male and female health care professionals? Between diploma and degree holders? Between nurses and medical doctors Thanks again for the comment. In this study the difference is their profession but regarding to our outcome variable every healthcare worker are expected to have almost the same time management practice for their own task because every task performance according to their time in the health care setting has a great place in the accomplishment of organizations goal.

Why don’t you classify residence as urban and rural rather than presenting it as highlanders and lowlanders? Thanks reviewer for the comment. In this study residence is classified as highlanders and lowlanders but not as urban and rural because all primary hospitals are located in the surrounding rural districts of North Gondar zone. Rather primary hospitals are found in the highlands and lowlands that is why we classified residence as highlanders and lowlanders. Those employees who are working in hospitals found in the highland were classified as highlanders and those working in hospitals found in lowland were classified as lowlanders.

Thanks again for the comment. In this study when individuals are satisfied with performance appraisal if their response to the five items of five point likert scale questionnaires is above or equal to the mean score value of performance appraisals.

Thank again for the comment. In this study case to variable ratio is 0.565 (i.e. 221: 391 or 221/391).

Present some of your findings e.g. Proportion of Procrastination Thanks for the comment. We have presented the findings clearly in the main document e.g. proportion of procrastination was 81.1% (i.e. 317 out of 391), planning was 80.8% (i.e. 316 out of 391) and also for others.

Avoid presenting frequencies. Thanks reviewer for the comment. We avoid frequencies from the main document and corrected it according to your inquiry.

Reference for your justification is needed. For example “This might be due to unfair relationships between some workers and with the department..” what does that mean? Do you have data on it? Thanks reviewer for this golden comment. We have put reference for justifications in the main document.

Thanks again for the comment. It is from the guiding document from ministry of health of Ethiopia that fosters positive working environment in the primary hospitals and the tools were prepared to assess the implementation of the policy and the working cultures of the hospitals as a factor for their time management practice.

What are the types of compensations and benefits? Do you have evidence? Needs reference? Thanks for the comment. Types of compensations and benefits like financial, material, training, educational etc… are expected to be fulfilled for health care workers as to their educational level and performance. The evidence was from the human resource management for health guidelines of Ethiopian primary hospitals (EHRIG, 2014).

Thanks reviewer for the comment. In Ethiopian context most of the primary hospitals are equipped with diploma holders staffs, hence degree and above degree holder staffs are low in number as compared to diploma holders, as our study showed from nine primary hospitals 65% of employees were diploma holders. This is according to the Ethiopian primary hospital standard guideline profession mix.

The word ‘poor’ is not ethical

Thanks reviewer for the comment. We have used good or poor time management practice according to literature’s but now we have changed into high or low time management practice and corrected accordingly in the main document.

Implications were missed Thanks again for the comment and we have included the implications of the study in the main document. The study could have valuable implication to formulate appropriate strategies by different stakeholders involved in hospital administration and management programs, and other related public health interventions. It has helped to enhance and upgrade participants’ understanding about time management; and to equip them with major techniques of time management. This study could also provide information to subsequent researchers on time management practices and factors associated with it.

Thanks again for the comment. We have added recommendation in the main document. Thus it is recommended that hospital employees must give special emphasis about planning to improve their time management practice. Hospital Managers need to assess and improve organizational policies and strategies and performance appraisal systems practicing in the respective hospitals to treat employees fairly and equally. It is recommended that Amara National Regional Health Bureau strengthen regular supportive supervision to the hospitals and time management training programs must be provided to hospital staffs in varies level at different health setting. It is recommended to conduct further research on the issue by extending the study setting and the study population.

Submitted filename: Response to reviewer.docx

Decision Letter 1

15 Nov 2019

PONE-D-19-24146R1

Dear Erkihun Tadesse,

I do appreciated that you tend to incorporate the comments and feed backs given on the first submission. The second submission seems to be more organized and includes opinions relevant information to improve this manuscript. Being said that I have notice  few gaps that need to be address and bridge the gap and move forward to the  next phase of your manuscript.

• The introduction in the abstract section need to be shorten and depict time management and purpose of the study in a clear fashion. In general, this section must show the entire study with limited words if possible with in one page.
• The introduction looks more organized and includes relevant literature that could be useful to make good argument.
• Methods:- I haven't seen a single statement that show the operational definition of your study variable. It would be also very useful to include the dependent and independent variable and its operational definition to provide a clear picture of this study.
• The result section appears to be improved at a different perspective, however, I recommend you to separate the subtopic organization policy, employment performance and personal factors. Perhaps, that would help you to show the detail analysis of this study. 
• The discussion well written and improved significantly. However, still you need to keep the flow of the write up based on the analysis on the result section, which will help you maintain  the coherence of statement in alignment with the result section. 

We would appreciate receiving your revised manuscript by Dec 30 2019 11:59PM. When you are ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file.

I do appreciated that you tend to incorporate the comments and feed backs given on the first submission. The second submission more organized and include opinions relevant to improve this manuscript. Being said that I have notice few gaps that need to be address to move the next phase of your manuscript.

- The introduction in the abstract section need to be shorten and show time management and purpose of the study. Overall, this section should briefly depict the entire study as least in one page.

-The introduction looks more organized and includes relevant literature that could be useful to make good argument.

-Methods:- I haven't seen a single statement that show the operational definition of the study variable in this study. Would be also very useful to include the dependent and independent variable and its operational definition to provide a clear picture of this study.

-The result section appears to be improved at a different perspective, however, I recommend you to separate the subtopic organization policy, employment performance and personal factors. Perhaps, that would help you to show the detail analysis of this study.

-The discussion well written and improved significantly. However, still you need to keep the flow of the write up based on the analysis on the result section, which will help you maintain the coherence of statement in alignment with the result section.

Author response to Decision Letter 1

29 Nov 2019

The introduction in the abstract section need to be shorten and depict time management and purpose of the study in a clear fashion. In general, this section must show the entire study with limited words if possible with in one page.

Thanks editor for your constructive comment. We have corrected this section by depicting time management practice and purpose of the stud in the main document according to your query.

I haven't seen a single statement that shows the operational definition of your study variable. It would be also very useful to include the dependent and independent variable and its operational definition to provide a clear picture of this study. Dear editor thanks for your constructive comments. We have included the dependent and independent variable, and its operational definition in the main document as shown in the truck number from 146 – 192.

The Result section appears to be improved at a different perspective, however, I recommend you to separate the subtopic organization policy, employment performance and personal factors.

Thank you editor for the comment. We have separated the organization related factors of respondents, Employees performance related factors and personal related factors of respondents separately in the main document.

The discussion well written and improved significantly. However, still you need to keep the flow of the write up based on the analysis on the result section, which will help you maintain the coherence of statement in alignment with the result section.

Thank you editor for the comment. We have arranged the discussion section according to the result section in the main document.

Submitted filename: Response to reviewer final.docx

Decision Letter 2

27 Dec 2019

PONE-D-19-24146R2

Assessment of time management practice and associated factors among primary hospitals employees of in north Gondar, northwest Ethiopia

We would appreciate receiving your revised manuscript by Feb 10 2020 11:59PM. When you are ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file.

I would like again to commend authors for the prompt work to improve the manuscript. The manuscripts appears to be further improved from the original submission.

Briefly illustrate the overall of the study and provides precise information.

I have noted the significant change made on the background section. I advise you to remove the last statement after the purpose of the study that appears to be a recommendation and the quote to refer previous study, you don’t have a tangible assertion whether the same topic conducted or not in Ethiopia setting. Please remove the following paragraph “which was not studied previously. Thus the findings from the study would provide valid information for policy makers, managers and stakeholders for taking appropriate action to improve time management practice.”

This section seems well written and have significant improvement. It composed of necessary tools to undertake the study.

It seems to have included the comments provided by the reviewers. The statistical analysis sound and genuine.

The big gap I have noticed in this section is most of the arguments have never been supported by study or evidence. Your arguments need to have reasonable evidence. Your assumption to elucidate the discrepancy originally inferred based on what you thought about it, which is not scientifically sound even if your arguments are correct. There is plenty of research out there that would support your assumption, hence I recommend you to rewrite this section using references that bolster your assertion.

Conclusion:

Make sure your conclusion and recommendation based on merely on the finding of this study. Don’t try to additional points out this study context.

Author response to Decision Letter 2

31 Dec 2019

Rebuttal letter Date: January/01/2020

Erkihun Tadesse

I advise you to remove the last statement after the purpose of the study that appears to be a recommendation and the quote to refer previous study, you don’t have a tangible assertion whether the same topic conducted or not in Ethiopia setting.

Please remove the following paragraph “which was not studied previously. Thus the findings from the study would provide valid information for policy makers, managers and stakeholders for taking appropriate action to improve time management practice.” Thanks editor for your constructive comment. We have removed the paragraph “which was not studied previously. Thus the findings from the study would provide valid information for policy makers, managers and stakeholders for taking appropriate action to improve time management practice.” Expressed as Therefore, this study aimed to assess time management practices and associated factors among employees of primary hospitals in North Gondar Zone.

Your arguments need to have reasonable evidence. Your assumption to elucidate the discrepancy originally inferred based on what you thought about it, which is not scientifically sound even if your arguments are correct. There is plenty of research out there that would support your assumption, hence I recommend you to rewrite this section using references that bolster your assertion. Thank you editor for the comment. We have supported the arguments/assumptions using references and corrected according to your inquiry in the main documents.

Thank you editor for constructive comments. We have presented the conclusion and recommendation based on the finding of this study and corrected according to your inquiry.

Submitted filename: Response to reviewer [email protected]

Decision Letter 3

PONE-D-19-24146R3

Dear Dr. Erkihun Tadesse,

We are pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it complies with all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you will receive an e-mail containing information on the amendments required prior to publication. When all required modifications have been addressed, you will receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will proceed to our production department and be scheduled for publication.

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With kind regards,

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Acceptance letter

10 Jan 2020

Dear Dr. Amsalu:

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Time Management Statistics (New Research in 2022)

New time management statistics in 2022, 30-second overview:.

We asked 300 employees across a wide range of industries in the United States and the United Kingdom to uncover new time management statistics in 2022. To achieve this we asked:

• How many people use a time management system at work
• What time management systems people use
• How often they feel they have things under control at work
• How much time is spent in a day looking at email and working on unimportant tasks
• What people feel are the benefits of better time management
• What the maximum amount of time people would be prepared to spend to gain the benefits of better time management

Key Takeaways Of This Study:

• 1 in 8 people (12%) use a dedicated time management system
• 88% of people don’t use a proper system, but make do with a calendar, their email inbox, a to-do list or work it out as they go along
• Time blocking is the most common time management system use (5%), followed by the Rapid Planning Method (3%) and the Eisenhower Matrix at 2%
• 44% of people feel they have things under control at work 5 days a week, but 46% feel they don’t have things under control for one to two days a week, 11% feel they don’t have control for three or more days
• We asked people what they thought of 9 specific benefits of time management: 91% agreed that better time management would reduce stress at work, 90% agreed it would increase productivity, 86% that it would improve focus on tasks, 82% agreed it would give more confidence a work, 74% that it would result in better workplace relationships
• 32% of people say they are constantly looking at email, 31% say they look at email whenever they see a notification and a further 20% say they are looking at least every hour
• 38% of people say they spend up to an hour a day on tasks or meetings that aren’t important to their role, 32% say they waste 1-2 hours and a further 17% waste 2-3 hours
• 76% of people said they would be prepared to spend between 15-30 minutes a day if better time management saved them 90 minutes, reduced stress and improved their reputation at work

Lets take a look at what we asked and more details of the new time management statistics we found:

How do you manage your time at work?

• 12% of people have a dedicated time management system
• 88% do not have a dedicated time management system
• 38% use a to-do list to manage their time
• 23% use their calendar
• 14% do what they feel is most important
• 13% use their email inbox
• 5% use Time Blocking – where you break your day into time blocks and assign a task to each block
• 3% of people use the Rapid Planning Method – where you define the outcome you want to achieve, why you want to do it and what you need to do to achieve it to help you keep focus on that task
• 2% use the Eisenhower Matrix – categorize tasks into one of 4 types – important and urgent items you do straight away, important but not urgent you schedule to do later, the un important items you delegate or delete
• 1% use the Pomodoro technique – where you choose a task you need to get done, set a timer for how long it should take to do, focus on that task until the timer goes off, then take a short break and re-evaluate.

Key Takeaways On How People Manage Their Time:

• The to-do list is the most common time management technique people use. It is one of the simplest yet most effective time management techniques as you prioritize tasks, so they become manageable. It is often overlooked as a time management technique (as people did in this study)
• The next three highest methods are also a form of to do list. Scheduling everything in a calendar creates a to-do list of tasks in date order, it also uses techniques in Time Blocking (blocking time in a calendar) and the Eisenhower technique (scheduling important tasks in a calendar)
• People who are doing whatever feels most important are using the top row of the Eisenhower technique, the important row
• Using the email inbox is yet another form of to-do list
• 88% use some form of to-do list (38% that say they use a to-do list + 23% schedule in their calendar + 14% that do what is most important +13% that use their inbox)
• 77% use part or all of the Eisenhower matrix (38% use a to-do list + 23% schedule things in their calendar + 14% that do what is most important + 2% that use the full 4 quadrant matrix)
• 27% fully or partially use time blocking methods (23% that schedule in their calendar + 5% that use time blocking)

How well do people manage their time at work?

We wanted to know how well people manage their work tasks. To gauge this we asked “how often do you feel you have things under control at work?”.

• 56% of people say they do not have things under control at work every day
• 23% say the having things under control 4 days a week
• 23% say they have things under control just 3 days a week
• 10% say they only have things under control up to 2 days a week

What do you feel are the benefits of time management?

We wanted to understand what people felt were the main benefits of time management. To achieve this, compiled a list of nine unique benefits, then asked people whether they strongly agree, agree, somewhat agree, disagree or strongly disagree that these are benefits of time management. In the summary below we’ve provided the percentage values of those that either agree or strongly agree that these are benefits:

• 91% say better time management will lead to reduced stress at work
• 90% say better time management will lead to increased productivity (You may also be interested in our recent research on employee productivity )
• 86% say it will lead to improved focus on tasks
• 83% say it will lead to better decision making
• 84% say it will help in reaching goals faster
• 82% say it will give people more confidence at work
• 76% say it will bring a better reputation at work
• 75% say it will lead to better workplace relationships
• 73% say better time management will lead to more free time

How often do you look at your email in a day?

To many, email is the main communication system at work, but to many email can be a distraction. We found that:

• 1 in 3 people live in their email system (32%), keeping it open and accessible continually through the day
• 1 in 3 people (31%) use notifications to look at emails the instant they come in
• 5% say they look at their email at least every 10 minutes
• 1 in 4 (24%) say they look at their email at least every hour

TIP: Email notifications can be distracting, take you off task and waste time. Turn notifications off and plan your tasks in order of importance or urgency or both. Schedule reminders for work that can be done later, and try to stay focused on each task until complete or for a set minimum amount of time and then take a break. Look at emails in your break.

How much time do you spend per day on tasks that aren’t important?

For the people that weren’t using time management, we wanted to find out how much time they waste in a day on tasks that are not important to their role at work.

• 38% waste less than an hour a day
• 32% waste 1-2 hours a day
• 17% waste 2-3 hours a day
• 7% waste 3-4 hours a day
• 6% waste 4-6 hours a day

Having asked people to think about how they currently manage their time, how much time they spend on unimportant tasks and the benefits better time management provides, we wanted to see how much time they would be prepared to spend every day to improve their time management. We asked the following question:

TIP: Upgrade to Windows 11. The new taskbar has a bar under your open app icons that turns pale red when there are new items. This is great for Outlook and Teams as you can work without notifications, but with a quick glance to the bottom of your screen you can see if there is anything new to deal with without having to flip over to that app.

If better time management saved you 90 minutes a day, reduced stress, and improved your reputation at work, what is the maximum time you would spend per day for that gain?

• 4% said they would spend a maximum of 5 minutes
• 15% said they would spend a maximum of 10 minutes
• 27% said they would spend a maximum of 15 minutes
• 21% said they would spend a maximum of 20 minutes
• 28% said they would spend a maximum of 30 minutes
• 67% of people say they would spend 15-30 minutes a day to gain the benefits of better time management

Time Management Research Details

Timewatch carried out this research in late June 2022 with Pollfish. 300 people were surveyed in the US and UK. The poll was split as follows:

• Male 53%, Female 47%
• 11% 18-24 years of age
• 39% 25-34 years of age
• 34% 35-44 years of age
• 10% 45-54 years of age
• 6% > 54 years of age

Some Surprises In Time Management In Business

Ignoring the people that already have a dedicated time management system, 74% of us use some form of time management system (a calendar (23%), to-do list (38%), inbox (13%)), but don’t recognize it as a time management technique.

• Although only 5% of people say they use time blocking, a further 23% are using time blocking techniques, scheduling things in their calendar
• Although just 2% say they use the Eisenhower Matrix, a further 78% are actually using some elements of the system, giving the possibility that they could improve their time management
• 56% of people say they do not have things under control at work 5 days a week
• on average people waste 100 minutes on unimportant tasks each day
• more than 63% of people are distracted at work by emails
• 89% agree that better time management will increase their productivity at work

People do recognize the benefits of better time management though and say they would be prepared to make the effort to better manage their time:

• on average 82% of people agree or strongly agree the benefits we listed would be gained through better time management
• 76% say they are prepared to invest between 15 and 30 minutes a day to gain the benefits of better time management

How Can Timewatch Help?

If you are interested in better time management and saving time for your employees, there are a few ways Timewatch can help.

• We will soon be releasing an article explaining how people can better utilize their Outlook or Google system for time management using the Eisenhower technique.
• We are investigating creating a tool that would make it incredibly easy for anyone that uses Outlook or Google calendars, uses to-do lists or their inbox for time management to use the full blown Eisenhower Matrix within their calendar. If you are interested in this, we’d love to hear from you.
• As our timesheet systems integrate with Outlook and Google , we today help any organization that uses these tools turn people’s Outlook and Google calendars into timesheets, which typically saves people 1-2 hours a week compared to other timesheet and time tracking systems.

Want to Learn More?

Want to learn more about these time management statistics? Contact us or complete the form to arrange a call with a Timewatch specialist.

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Importance of time management in the workplace in 2024

Introduction

The importance of time management in the workplace cannot be denied. Time is one of those things working professionals can’t get enough of. Whether you’re a newbie or a veteran, you always need another hour to tick tasks off your to-do list.

It’s difficult to take control of every minute of your day, especially when there are too many distractions. Since childhood, our parents and teachers have advised us to spend time and money wisely.

In this article, we will take you back to the importance of time management but with a little spinoff. Today, we will discuss the importance of time management at work.

Before delving straight into what is the importance of time management, let’s first see what time management is:

What is time management?

Time management is the process of planning and exercising conscious control of the time spent on specific activities to work smarter rather than harder. It is a juggling act of various things that help you increase efficiency and strike a better work-life balance.

Improving time management at work allows you to enhance your performance and achieve your desired goals with less effort and more effective strategies. However, failing to manage time or poor time management skills at work can result in:

• Missed deadlines and appointments .
• Procrastination and lack of focus .
• Lack of professionalism .
• Inefficient workflow and low work quality .
• Unwanted stress .
• Poor professional reputation .
• Strained workplace relationships .
• Financial penalties .
• Work and life imbalance .

Why is time management important in the workplace?

Effective time management in the workplace is crucial for both individual and organizational success. It’s not about working harder, but working smarter to achieve more in less time. This translates to meeting deadlines , boosting productivity, and delivering higher-quality work.

Employees feel less stressed, achieve tasks with greater focus, and gain time for personal well-being. For businesses, this means projects stay on track, resources are optimized, and customer satisfaction improves. Ultimately, good time management fosters a culture of efficiency and achievement that benefits everyone.

What are the important benefits of time management in the workplace?

Timewatch in its time management statistics report highlights the main benefits of time management. 

91% of survey respondents agreed that better time management would reduce stress at work. 90% agreed it would increase productivity, 86% think it would improve focus on tasks, and 83% say it will lead to better decision-making.

Many advantages come along with proper management of time. In your professional life, time management can benefit you in the following ways:

1. Deliver work on time

Effective time management at work helps employees to deliver work on time. It also helps them to manage their workload most effectively. When they have time-boxed tasks, their brain gets rewired to follow the structure and accomplish those activities within the desired time frame. Thus, employees can easily deliver work on time if they have managed their time well.

2. Provide a better quality of work

As a dedicated employee, you are expected to provide work of certain quality and standards. With the proper utilization of time and prioritization of activities, one can easily provide a better quality of work. Prioritization helps you focus on important tasks by keeping them in the highest priority which enables you to work on them with full attention and focus. Hence, the quality of the work is improved.

3. Boost productivity

The goal of time management is to improve workplace productivity. It is no secret that effective time management skills at the workplace make you more productive and efficient as a working professional. These skills help you finish tasks as early as possible without compromising on the quality of work.

Your overall productivity often goes for a toss when you’re working on unimportant tasks but effective time management skills let you tick off tasks that are both important and urgent on time.

Read more: Explore these 22 must-have time management apps for 2024.

4. Manages procrastination

“I will do it later ” – This is an excuse that we all have made at some time. The meaning of time management is not just about doing more in less time but also reducing the urge to delay and procrastinate over important tasks.

Applying good project time management tricks enables you as a founder, leader, or employee to work smarter rather than harder. It instantly eliminates procrastination by ensuring that you’re familiar with the tasks added to your to-do list and when they need to be finished.

5. Reduce stress and anxiety

Another goal of time management is to reduce employee stress and anxiety that people face while working. There are times when employees feel overwhelmed due to too much work on their plates.

This can not only hamper your productivity but also take a toll on your overall health. Excessive stress and hypertension can lead to heart disease, depression, obesity, and more. By knowing what to do we can reduce unnecessary stress and tensions in our life.

6. Improved quality of life

Effective time management skills don’t just benefit your professional life but can also improve your life outside of the office. If you keep things under control on the professional front, you get more time to focus on your personal life and relationships.

Knowing the fact that tasks and activities are on track will bring a sense of calmness to your personal life. As you feel calmer and less stressed out, your quality of life improves automatically.

7. Provide opportunities and career growth

Being punctual with your work will not only increase your effectiveness but will also help you earn a good reputation at work. When managers know that you always complete your tasks on time, it could lead the way for more promotional opportunities at work.

8. More time for leisure and recreation

When was the last time you had time for yourself to do things that you enjoy? Can’t remember, right? Fortunately, with good time management at the workplace, you get more free time in your day to do the leisure and recreational activities that make you happy.

Ultimately this helps you to create the perfect balance by working smart all day and having a reward of your choice in return.

8 steps to improve time management skills at work

Time management is not rocket science. Frankly, anyone can learn this art with a little practice and learning. So here are a few steps that tell you how to become a time management expert and how to improve time management skills in the workplace:

1. Plan your work

Best-seller author Brian Tracy once said, “Every minute you spend in planning saves 10 minutes in execution; this gives you a 1,000 percent Return on Energy.”

Planning plays an important role in time management as both go hand-in-hand with each other. You can make the most of your time only when it is thoroughly planned. When we talk about planning, you don’t necessarily have to follow a strict routine, instead, it means making smarter decisions by knowing the right time to do a task or an activity.

The idea behind time management is to work smarter rather than harder and make time to do other things as well. You can use project planning software to plan your tasks and save time smartly. 

Pro tip: List down all the tasks you need to accomplish. Break them into smaller, manageable steps. This provides a visual representation of your workload.

33% of people employ a to-do list as a tool for organizing their time and tasks.

2. Prioritize your tasks

Prioritizing your daily tasks is the key to successful time management. That said, many employees start their day with unimportant tasks or something that can be easily done later.

Prioritization helps you realize that not everything you do is important. It is important to focus on your priorities to achieve success at work. Figure out the most important tasks and the urgent ones. This categorization will help you focus on what needs to be done. You can use various project management tools that help you set your priorities straight from the day a project starts.

Pro tip: Start your day by creating a to-do list, then use a prioritization framework (like the Eisenhower Matrix) to identify the most critical tasks that align with your goals. 

The Eisenhower matrix is a highly effective time management technique , with 100% of users experiencing a sense of control over their work 4 to 5 days a week.

3. Avoid multitask ing

Multitasking is one of the biggest time-wasting activities. Instead of accomplishing too many things, you end up achieving nothing out of them. The best way to utilize your time is to take one thing at a time and accomplish it before jumping to the next thing. Make a list of tasks that need to be accomplished in terms of their priority. Not only you would be able to focus better but there would be fewer distractions as well. And no distractions mean less likelihood of mistakes.

Pro tip: Avoid multitasking – it reduces productivity. Instead, dedicate focused time blocks to each task, using techniques like the Pomodoro Method.

4. Minimize distractions

In our everyday life, distractions cost us many valuable hours in a day. Mobile phones, chatty coworkers, and social media are some of the common distractions at work that almost cost us three hours a day.

To not let these distractions eat up your time, it’s better to cut them off completely from your schedule. Take a moment to learn about the things that distract you. If social media and mobile phones are halting your productivity, set a fixed time in a day when you can check your social media.

Pro tip: Identify your biggest time sinks: Social media, email, unnecessary meetings? Schedule dedicated time slots for specific tasks, minimizing distractions during focused work periods.

5. Schedule breaks

Taking regular breaks while working is an effective way to stay productive all day. But its effectiveness is subject to management risk, especially when you start taking too many breaks. You can’t power through a big project or task in one go, you need a break. What’s even better is having a well-scheduled break time. 

Pro tip: Take a walk, do some quick stretches, or plug in earphones and listen to your favorite music, do whatever helps you to relax and get back to work with energy later – but don’t take more than 10 minutes.

6. Find your most productive hours

The next time management hack is to match your highest priority work to your highest productivity hours. The basic idea here is to check in with yourself frequently to track when, where, and how you’re the most productive. Research clearly shows our day is driven by cycles that affect how alert and motivated we are.

For example, you might be at your highest brain capacity, with your best focus and attention, before lunch hour, and slow down significantly in the evening. So, if you have a project that involves critical decisions and complex thoughts, the best case scenario is to manage it in your “golden hours”. 

Pro tip: Schedule important tasks when you’re most energized and productive, whether it’s early mornings or focused afternoon blocks. Listen to your body’s natural rhythms.

7. Accept your limitations

Even with 110% effort, there will be occasions when you simply cannot get things done within the specified time frame. This is the point where you accept that there are limits to how productively and efficiently you can manage your time.

For example, outsourcing and delegation are your best shots if you have twice the normal workload in a day. Don’t just assume that you can get everything done that you want in any given time frame. Remember, doing this will only make it harder to manage your time effectively.

Pro tip: Don’t overload yourself.  Know when to say no and delegate tasks. Learn to politely decline tasks that don’t align with your priorities or workload.

8. Use a time tracking software

This is the best thing you can do to significantly improve your time management skills without making things complicated. Smart time management is the need of the hour for project managers and teams juggling multiple tasks at the same time.

Without using a good time-tracking tool , you are putting yourself and your team at a great disadvantage. When you don’t know where exactly your team’s time is going, and which tasks are taking how much time, how are you supposed to detect time wastage at the workplace?

On the other hand, using a powerful time-tracking software , like ProofHub, that also offers a suite of project management and team collaboration features enables you and your team to stay on top of your schedule. 

Learn how to use ProofHub’s time tracking system to keep track of your team’s time and productivity effectively in the video below. 

ProofHub key features as a time-tracking software

• Add timesheets: Add multiple timesheets to record time data and use them for accurate client billing, payroll processing, estimation, and management accounting, and save money for your company by tracking the efficiency of your team members. 
• Set time estimates : Give your team a clear target time by setting time estimates for different tasks. Define how much time it should take to get work done. Know if the time taken exceeds the estimated time or is completed within set time limits.
• Have a Bird’s eye view for all time data: Using time tracking software provides you with a Bird’s eye view of all time data of individuals across all projects without having to jump through projects.
• Track time manually or using timers : Track how much time you are spending on each task by tracking time manually or using timers. Start and pause timers every time you switch tasks or take a break.
• Time reports: Create custom time reports of people and projects. See billable hours, billed hours, and non-billable hours from your timesheets. 
• Improved privacy: You can limit the visibility of your timesheets to selected people to prevent unauthorized access. 
• Export and Archive timesheets: You can export timesheets and archive them for later use.

P.S. Time is an irreplaceable asset. It is more valuable than money, especially in today’s fast-paced, overly competitive business world. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time. Be sure that you spend your time where it matters most to you.

Take control of your time with precise tracking. Experience how our time-tracking software transforms workflows.

In conclusio n

Effective time management at work is important for optimizing productivity and achieving goals effectively. By prioritizing tasks, setting deadlines, and avoiding distractions, individuals can efficiently utilize their time, reduce stress, and enhance work-life balance. It enables better decision-making, improved efficiency, and increased overall satisfaction in personal and professional pursuits.

And with ProofHub teams can manage their time effectively at the workplace. The platform allows for seamless task delegation, time tracking, and progress monitoring, ensuring that everyone is on the same page.

I hope this post will help learn about the importance of time management in the workplace.

Also read –

• 22 Effective time management strategies for work
• 12 Time management tips for work to achieve more
• 20 Ultimate time management apps for productivity
• 9 Powerful Time Tracking Tools to Stay on Top of Your Projects

What is time management in the work field?

Time management in the workplace refers to the process of planning, organizing, and controlling how you spend your time at work to achieve your goals and responsibilities efficiently and effectively. It’s not just about working faster, but rather working smarter to maximize your productivity and minimize stress.

What are the 5 keys to time management?

• Planning & prioritization : Define your goals and set clear priorities for each day or week.
• Focus & avoid multitasking : Dedicate focused time blocks to each task, minimizing distractions and multitasking.
• Effective scheduling: Utilize tools like calendars and to-do lists to schedule tasks and manage your time efficiently.
• Mindful breaks & self-care: Schedule regular breaks to refresh and avoid burnout. Prioritize your well-being for sustained productivity.
• Leveraging technology & delegation : Use time management software and delegate tasks when appropriate to optimize your workflow.

What are the goals of time management?

• Increased productivity: Complete more tasks in less time, achieving your goals more efficiently.
• Reduced stress & improved well-being : Feeling less overwhelmed and having more control over your time leads to lower stress levels.
• Enhanced job satisfaction: Meeting deadlines, delivering quality work, and feeling productive fosters positive job experiences.
• Improved decision-making : Focused time allows for clearer thinking and more informed decisions.
• Career advancement : Effective time management skills are valued by employers and contribute to career development.

What are the 4 main principles of effective time management?

• Clarity: Set clear goals and objectives for your workday.
• Prioritization: Identify the most important tasks and focus on them first.
• Planning & organization: Organize your tasks and schedule your time effectively.
• Action & discipline : Take action on your tasks and avoid procrastination.

What are the 3 key concepts of time management?

• Time tracking : Understanding how you spend your time to identify areas for improvement.
• Task management: Choosing the right tools and strategies to organize and prioritize your tasks.
• Personal awareness : Identifying your strengths, weaknesses, and work style to optimize your approach.

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McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning

Principles of effective time management for balance, well-being, and success.

The principles below are derived from research on time management, motivation theory and much experience working with university students. Think of time management techniques as tools to help you do what you value the most. Make these tools into an expression of your values—what’s most important to you—not just a schedule to get more stuff done. Try to keep these principles in mind as you schedule and calendar your time, and when making the moment-to‐moment decisions that are crucial to effective time management for balance and well-being.

• Commitment —if you can’t commit to devoting time to a task, don’t put it in your schedule. Only schedule tasks you WILL do. Be brutally realistic, not idealistic when making your schedule. Creating a schedule you can’t actually keep is setting yourself up for frustration. If you don’t actually stick to your schedule it will soon become useless. This may have happened to you in the past.
• Pursue fun with a vengeance —Make time for enjoyable, rejuvenating and satisfying activities like organizations, sports, and entertainment. Organize your academic and other obligations AROUND these commitments to fun.
• Time vs. task focus —Think of your day in terms of time, not the tasks you have to do. Devote time to important tasks every day. It’s hard to predict how long a task will take, so it’s hard to schedule with great precision. But you can reliably schedule regular intervals of time and get into a routine. Make an appointment with yourself for a particular time period, and when playing or working, set your purpose “I'll get the most out of this time.”
• One thing at a time —Current research shows us that multi-­‐tasking is a myth. In actuality, we are switching back and forth between tasks. With each switch we pay a cognitive cost and a time cost: It takes time to get mentally back into the task, thus making us less efficient. When switching we lose the depth of our engagement, absorption. This depth is necessary at Princeton where you are expected to gain conceptual mastery, not merely a superficial understanding.
• Block out time —devote, on a regular basis, chunks of time to a specific class. Make it part of your schedule, your routine. Estimate how many hours per week you want to devote to a class. Set aside this many hours for working tasks in the course Slice up your task into pieces and allow specific blocks of time for specific pieces of a big project.
• First Things First —if you can do so, schedule the things that are most important to you first thing in the day, or at the first available time slot. Anything that gets scheduled later in the day has a greater chance of getting interrupted, put off and never gotten to. You won’t be thinking or worrying about your work during your leisure time if you get academic tasks done first.
• Routine —It takes 30 days to create a habit, but good habits make your life easier. With good habits in place you don’t have to make as many hard decisions, thus you are less likely to make unproductive ones such as talking yourself out of doing what you had planned.
• Flexibility —How do you incorporate flexibility into your schedule? Don’t schedule every hour of the day, leave empty time slots, and schedule in recreation time. Create a two-hour or three-hour block on Friday as a catch all makeup time. When things come up and you are deciding whether to diverge from your established schedule, survey future hours and days to see where you can make up lost time. Switch blocks of time so that your schedule reflects your new commitments.
• Respond vs. react —In the moment of decision-­‐making, when faced with a decision or an impulse to diverge from your schedule, don’t just react, RESPOND. Pause, take a moment to think. Remember what’s most important to you and do what will help you get it. For example, if exercise is a top priority for you, don’t let a sudden fear about a grade prevent you from exercising. Be ready to reduce the amount of time, but don't compromise on your health. Don’t let “mindgames” in which you create justifications get in the way or lead you astray.
• Choose carefully where you study and do other tasks: minimize distraction; maximize focus.
• Use physical reminders. If you want to work out more, but are getting bogged down in email or Facebook, put your running shoes on top of your laptop. Make it harder to get off track and easier to stick to your plan by changing your environment.
• Study buddy/group—work on problem sets, readings, etc. in your shared course together.
• Get a study/writing partner—same place and time, but not the same course.
• Ask friends NOT to call you at specific times. Ask them to help you stick to your schedule. Say, “tell me to leave your room” or the dining hall after one hour, etc.

More From Forbes

Exploring the positive impact of time management on workplace productivity.

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José Luís González Rodriguez  is a Partner of ActionCOACH Spain, as well as a mentoring and business consulting expert.  

This article is a follow-up to my article published under the title “When Technology Turns Into Wasted Time: How To Get Your Productivity Back at Work,” which highlighted the inefficiencies associated with the misuse of new technologies. In my experience working with companies in the process of business coaching, this is perhaps one of the inefficiencies that have surprised me the most. I'm surprised because of the negative effect it has and at the same time because entrepreneurs and managers see it as a normal part of the day-to-day business. It becomes a dangerous loop that is given absolute normalcy. This is what I have referred to in another article as “Inertia Mode.”

That is why I have continued to study this phenomenon, which is causing serious damage to companies due to the enormous decrease in productivity and increased stress on equipment, with the intention of being able to provide basic and simple formulas that will help to avoid, as far as possible, the associated disruptions.

By working to improve time use, there can be a substantial improvement in productivity and, more importantly, a reduction in stress levels. It can reduce the use of the phrase “Today I have done nothing” — and the feeling of discouragement that accompanies it. It can reduce the need to stay at the office after 6 p.m. just to have some quiet and be able to knock out remaining tasks.

These practices generate anxiety, which accumulates day by day and causes us to transfer our discomfort to our family environment, generating a hostile environment with medium-term consequences on the family and emotional stability of the individual. If we can get the feeling to be the opposite, staff will return the next day clearer and more relaxed, with effects on productivity improvement.

I have seen the effects that good time management has on the improvement of the working climate, the competitiveness and the growth of the company. The most productive companies I’ve seen are those where executives dedicate half a day to the operation and the other half to the strategy and improvement. This is the result of good time management and awareness of the proper use of time. This is a key factor that makes the difference between efficient and inefficient companies.

In order to confirm and support the bad results that I have observed in the day-to-day of my management as a business coach, I have carried out research involving 1,458 entrepreneurs and executives from different sectors of activity to analyze the use of time and what I call "digital cancer," which is nothing more than the damage that the misuse of new technologies is doing to people’s productivity.

The questions were as follows:

• How many hours pass per day talking on the phone?

• Do you have a pop-up window on your computer that alerts you when emails arrive?

• Do you have email and other social media notifications on your mobile phone?

• How many times a day are you interrupted by your peers in your activity, causing a distraction?

• What do you think of work meetings?

In my next five articles, we will analyze the results and, importantly, we will look at solutions to prevent the occurrence of such behaviors that are so harmful to the results of companies and to the well-being of workers.

Once corrective measures are put in place to prevent these losses in productivity, companies can make enormous progress and employees can start to enjoy reduced stress and increased motivation. Worrying trends can be drastically reduced.

Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?

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More Than Half of U.S. Employees Say Performance Management Feels Like a Waste of Time, According to Quantum Workplace Research

September 4, 2024

Employees s ay current performance management processes don’t motivate them to improve performance .  

OMAHA, Neb. —  51% of U.S. employees say their organizations’ performance management process is not an effective use of time, according to new research from Quantum Workplace. The research also showed 52% of employees say current performance management doesn’t motivate them to improve their performance. Quantum Workplace is a leading employee success platform and the employee engagement partner for the nationally recognized Best Places to Work Programs.  

"The whole purpose of performance management is to inspire high performance. Employees don’t feel that inspiration. They feel like they’re just wasting time tracking performance,” Quantum Workplace Director of People Insights Anne Maltese said.  

The new research emphasizes the need for organizations to improve their performance management systems so that processes are easy, efficient, and effective, and employees are motivated to improve their performance.  

Key findings from the research include:  

• More than 2 in 3 employees say feedback from their managers is vital to improving their performance.  
• Managers want more clarity about how their performance is measured, more time with their teams, more management training, and more recognition for their accomplishments as a manager.  
• A majority of managers say that using engagement and performance technology helps them feel more effective.  
• Most organizations follow a traditional approach to performance, with an annual review as opposed to quarterly or monthly performance conversations.  
• When employees have a more continuous performance approach, they are more engaged.  
• Effective performance reviews that are engaging and feel fair include: recognition of accomplishments, review of performance data, have a clear understanding of performance rating, provide actionable advice, and discuss career growth.  

Read more performance management research and trends in Quantum Workplace’s Not Another Employee Engagement Trends Report .  

About Quantum Workplace

Quantum Workplace helps organizations make work better every day by creating a culture of employee success. Our employee success platform empower s organizations to understand employee experience, inspire employee impact, and create a magnetic culture that attracts and retains top talent. Solutions include employee surveys, 1-on-1s, goals, recognition, feedback, talent reviews, succession planning, and the nationally renowned Best Places to Work contest. We’ve partnered with thousands of top workplaces on their employee success strategies including Fossil, Getty Images, FORVIS, AtriCure, and more.

To learn more, visit www.quantumworkplace.com or connect with the Company on LinkedIn , Facebook , Twitter or Instagram .

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Data Analyst - Research

Date Posted: 09/05/2024

Requisition Number: 8362

Location:  1035 Cambridge Street 

Work Days:  9am-5pm, Monday-Friday  

Category:  Professional and Management  

Department:  Research    

Job Type: Full Time  

Work Shift: Day 

Hours/Week: 40.00 

Union Name: Non Union

Location: Health Equity Research Lab, Cambridge Health Alliance

The Health Equity Research Lab is a health services research center connected to the Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Psychiatry that is made up of an interdisciplinary group of researchers and clinicians dedicated to conducting research to improve physical and mental health in diverse communities.

Description: 

The Data Analyst aids the Director and Principal Investigators in completing methodological and statistical tasks. This position involves collaboration with multidisciplinary teams in pushing forward innovative research on health services disparities at a research center with several large NIH-funded studies. 

Responsibilities include the following:

• Performing data cleaning, management and analyses, and implementing and learning new statistical methods as necessary for the successful completion of research projects; 
• Communicate/present analyses findings to relevant stakeholders
• Providing input on experimental designs for clinical and service interventions; 
• Working with large real-world data, e.g., electronic health records, claims, and registry data; 
• Mentoring trainees in statistical methods and research design; 
• Participating in the interpretation and writing of analyses for papers and progress reports; 
• Supporting in the development of new proposals; 
• Supervising and overseeing statistical and econometric analyses; and
• Ability to explain methodological matters to internal and external team members. 
• Qualifications: 
• Masters in economics, statistics, data science, quantitative psychology, or related fields preferred.
• Interest in health equity research, excellent communication skills, and ability to function well as a member of a team. 
• Expertise in at least two of the following necessary: SAS, Stata, SQL, R, or Python. 
• Expertise in data science.

In keeping with federal, state and local laws, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) policy forbids employees and associates to discriminate against anyone based on race, religion, color, gender, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to establishing and maintaining a workplace free of discrimination. We are fully committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not tolerate unlawful discrimination in the recruitment, hiring, termination, promotion, salary treatment or any other condition of employment or career development. Furthermore, we will not tolerate the use of discriminatory slurs, or other remarks, jokes or conduct, that in the judgment of CHA, encourage or permit an offensive or hostile work environment.  

Cambridge Health Alliance brings Care to the People - including your neighbors, friends and family. Our local hospitals and care centers serve our vibrant, diverse communities, and play an integral role in improving health. As passionate advocates for the underserved, we actively partner with our communities to take on challenging public health issues, and conduct important research to help reduce barriers to care. We believe that everyone deserves access to high quality, convenient health care. This is why our employees believe in where they work and why many build long, rewarding careers at CHA.

Healthcare is changing rapidly. CHA has a strategic plan that charts a proactive course for our future. It is built on a vision of equity and excellence for everyone, every time. It also recognizes that our workforce is our most valuable asset and prioritizes competitive salaries, benefits and professional development opportunities for employees. The strategic plan is changing the way we provide care and improving the health and experience of our patients; we are looking for smart, committed, compassionate people who want to be part of making our vision of better health and equity a reality.

At CHA, you can believe in where you work and go home every day knowing you made a difference. Join our team and help us bring Care to the People.

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