| Telework and other forms of autonomous work environments are projected to become forms of work increasingly prevalent in the 21st century. In a work environment without a manager physically present time management is hypothesized to be extremely important to how well an employee functions. Studying time management in an applied setting, however, presents serious challenges because of the lack of theoretical and psychometric development of time management scales. The present study addressed this issue by positing time management is an application of self-regulation processes in the temporal domain. Based on self-regulation theory the Time Management Behavior Scale (TMBS) was modified to reflect the following factors hypothesized to be involved in time management: Goal Setting, Time Mechanics, Cognitive Strategies, Self-Reward, Self-Punishment, and Perceived Control of Time.;A hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis of a sample (n = 120) composed of central office employees and teleworkers, working for a financial firm in the northeast, found all of the above factors, except Perceived Control of Time, to be associated with the higher order time management construct. The total time management scale (excluding the Perceived Control of Time factor) significantly predicted self-reported job productivity and job satisfaction for the teleworker sample, but did not significantly predict work/family conflict or job-induced stress. The total management scale was also positively correlated with positive affectivity and conscientiousness, and negatively correlated with negative affectivity suggesting a dispositional component to time management. |
