Collaborative Research: The Conceptualization, Dynamics, and Impacts of Leader and Follower Temporal Management in Contemporary Workplaces

Time is a fundamental resource in organizations, shaping how work is performed and influencing the overall efficiency and productivity of the organization. However, effective time management remains a significant challenge, particularly in contemporary workplaces featuring rapidity and flexibility. Ineffective time management in organizations is problematic, as it not only hinders project completion and impedes productivity but also leads to poor workload management and increases employee stress and burnout. This project investigates how leaders and followers can collaborate to initiate and coordinate their time management efforts within organizations. The research aims to enhance workplace practices related to time management and develop a workforce skilled in managing time effectively. By doing so, this project seeks to foster a more productive work environment and improve the overall well-being of the workforce. In this project, the research team focuses on the concept of temporal management, defined as the strategic use of time by individuals to affect work patterns, schedules, and productivity within an organization. Through three mixed-methods projects, this research aims to contribute significantly to understanding how leaders and followers collaboratively optimize time in organizational settings. The first project (Project 1) elucidates the conceptual nature and dimensionality of temporal management in leader-follower dyads. The second project (Project 2) advances and tests a formal theory of the dynamic occurrence and influence of leader and follower temporal management. The third project (Project 3) investigates the dyad-centric patterns of leader and follower temporal management and their impacts in the context of contemporary workplaces. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.