Field Testing of a Self-Instructional Time Management Manual with Managerial Staff in an Institutional Setting

Abstract

Despite the extensive literature advocating the virtues of time management, research demonstrating its effectiveness is almost nonexistent. In this study, a step-by-step self-instructional time management manual was prepared and field tested with managerial staff of a large residential institution for retarded individuals. Experiment 1 used a multiple baseline design across groups to assess the effectiveness of the manual with instructor contact. Questionnaire and corroboration data clearly showed an increase in time management practices of participants as a function of training. These improvements were largely maintained at a four-week follow-up. Social validation measures revealed that participants found the manual to be easily readable and relevant to work and/or personal situations. In addition, improvements in participants' time management behaviors were readily discriminable by colleagues. Experiment 2 assessed the effectiveness of the manual versus a best-selling time management paperback book, under no-instructor contact conditions. Using a two-group pretest-posttest experimental design, results showed substantially greater increases in time management practices in the manual group, especially with respect to the corroboration data. These improvements were sustained at follow-up for the manual group but not for the book group.