Time management training may help workers feel more in control and less stressed
HelpedThe short version
Employees who took the training felt more in control of their time six weeks later than the other group.
- 71
- employees of a German trading company
- Randomised
- groups picked at random
- Self-rated
- people rated themselves
- 2 tools
- tested
The study
Who took part
71 employees at a German trading company. About 6 in 10 were men, and they were about 31 years old on average, with about 9 years of work experience.
What they did
The training group had a one-day time management course in groups of 6 to 11. It covered setting priorities and goals, planning the workday, checking progress, reward, and rethinking time pressure. The other group had the same course five months later.
What happened
Six weeks later, the training group felt more in control of their time and less stressed than the other group. Their time on an important task and their bosses' ratings did not change more than the other group's. Nearly all trainees used prioritising and planning the workday in the sixth week after training.
What the study found
- HelpedTime management
Employees who took the training felt more in control of their time six weeks later than the other group.
Small randomised trial of 71 employees of a German trading company · vs people who were still waiting for training · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished
- HelpedOther outcomes
Employees who took the training felt less stressed six weeks later, while the other group did not change.
Small randomised trial of 71 employees of a German trading company · vs people who were still waiting for training · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished
- No differenceGoals
Time spent on a chosen important task went up in both groups, so the training added no extra time.
Small randomised trial of 71 employees of a German trading company · vs people who were still waiting for training · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished
- No differenceGoals
Bosses' ratings of work performance did not improve more for the training group than for the other group.
Small randomised trial of 71 employees of a German trading company · vs people who were still waiting for training · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished
How solid is this?
- Groups picked at random
- Small group
- People rated themselves
- Only counted people who finished
Source
Time Management Training and Perceived Control of Time at Work (2010)
DOI: 10.1080/00223980.2010.496647 (opens in a new tab)
