Abstract

This study on “The Effect of Time Management on Employees Performance” was set to investigate how Time Planning, Time Prioritising and Time Control affects employee’s performance. Time Prioritsing and control serves as a tool for time management to know how it affects Employee Performance which is measured through employee’s productivity, employee’s turnover and work quality. In carrying out this project, the secondary data was consulted and the primary data was used as form of questionnaires, with a sample size of 60 respondents from the University of Buea in the south west region of Cameroon. Tables were used to present the findings. Regression model were used in analysing the data where ANOVA was used in running the relationship between the terms. The Cronbach’s analysis was also used to test the reliability of the study and it was proving that the study is very reliable. The result found out that Time Planning positively have an effect on employee’s performance and that Prioritizing also have a positive effect on employee’s Performance. This therefore affirms the fact that Time Management has an effect on Employee performance. As per such, it is advised that the University of Buea should implement on their workers the act of Time scheduling and improve on their control system as this will employee’s performance and productivity so as to improve the time management in the institution and lead to increase in the performance of the institution.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Timeis a very important asset to an organization and the proper and efficient use of time is a vital role to the management. Unlike energy, money and skill, time by no means returns nor be able to be recreated. Wilkin Sona advocate that, “begin to managed and invest time, it could be the best speculation you will ever make for yourself and your organization.” Time is capital, when it is saved it result into saving of fixed overhead cost reducing the final total and per unit cost of output. It is debatable whether time can be saved and invested. Jitendram Mishre and Prabhakar Mishra [2010] holds an opposite view. According to them, time is an outstanding resource, it cannot be saved; it can only be spent wisely. Time is a non- renewable resource and once it is gone, one cannot recover it. Time is predetermined and identical for everyone. It elapses at a standardized rate. Time may be divided into two that is commitment time and discretional time, but only the discretional time can be managed. With this in mine, it makes sense to make the best use of the available time by prioritizing and doing the more important activities first. H. Baker and Steven Holmberg [1996] have also opinioned, “time management is really self- management”.

The objective is not to become super-efficient or super-productive. Time should be used to achieve one’s objectives, to work matters, not harder, as the saying goes “time management requires self-management in terms of change of habits, perception, attitudes. This change is difficult. It requires efforts, patience, commitment and a willingness to change. To effectively manage time employees, need to have good time management skills. Time management is defined by DeJanasz et al. (2006, p84) as “the ability to allocate our time and resources to accomplishing our objectives”. Time management try to come out with the most efficient manner in which to utilize the time that employees have available. Time is an infinite commodity and it

Proper use may increase employee performance in an organization. To better manage time, employees needs to know how vital each job activities holds in an organisation. According to the pickle jar theory, a scale of preference of activities need to be develop. He says we are supposed to do the important things first and then move to the least important things and finally if we have the time, we can do the other things which are important or critical to our job success.

Also Vilfredo Pareto an Italian economist brought the 80-20 rule in what we call the Pareto principle. The 80-20 rule could be applied everywhere time plays a major role to uplift productivity and the success of organization. If one considers all the things he does the entire day, you will actually find out that it the 20% of your work that produces net result. Thus employees should try different ways that will allow them to effectively manage the minor portion. Within the limited time (20%), you have to categorize your work and activities for achieving the goal in your life. Business owners need employees that are able to get the job done, because employee performance is critical to the overall success of the organization. Business leaders need to understand the key benefits of employee performance so that they can develop consistent and objective method for evaluating employees. Doing so help determines strength, weaknesses and potential managerial gaps in the business organization. Although performance evaluation are never fun, they help business leaders determine performance levels for each employee.

Time is the most precious resources in business and society, unlike alternatives resources like labor and capital. However, few organizations really know how time is an important resource. This study is out to investigate the connection between time management and job performance. Time management helps improve employee productivity, makes jobs easier, employees will perform tasks efficiently, help employee attain the necessary tasks and finally to record and guide the organization toward achieving its goals. Cordiner (1990) says that effective use of time management is everything in every viable organization. There exists variety of techniques that organization can employ to ensure effective and efficient management of time by employees to enhance it productivity. This study is an attempt to identity those techniques and how the impact of time management enhances an employee performance in an organization.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The recent evolvement in technology and increase in the number of hours spent on social media by employees during normal working time, instead of maximizing or management managing time at work has become an issue of great concern in most organization, as many managers do not know what to do to overcome it and some are still in doubt with what method to use to effectively manage their time to improve their employee performance. Management in most cases are not helping issues in their organizations through proper enforcement and schemes for good time usage by employees. It is for this reasons that, the researcher carries out a study on the impact of time management on employee performance specifically in universities in Cameroon.

The performance of an organization may depend on how well its employees can effectively utilized it available time in their various activities. Also, most organizations tend to experience the problem of management of time in what is set in motion to achieve with the university of Buea not being an exception.Cordiner (1990) says that effective time management is everything every viable organization can employ to ensure effective, efficient management of time by employees to enhance productivity.

The success of all whole of the management process of planning, organizing, directing and controlling depends significantly on the appropriate management of time. In life, it is not all about doing the right thing, but doing the right thing at the right time.  It has been noted from previous studies that the effective management of time is a major factor for individual and organisational success (Devos et al., 2008).

Despite all the positive contributions of time management to an organisation, employees still find it very difficult to appear for work on time especially in the University of Buea where late coming has become the order of the day. And as such, this study is out to investigate the effects of time management on employees’ performance, so as to continuously sensitize the employees in the University of Buea about the benefits of managing their time properly.

Hence the research intends to find out the role of time management or the absence of it in achieving employee’s performance among employees in the University of Buea. The study intend to provide solutions to the problem of time wasting among workers in the manufacturing firms in Cameroon and to bring out ways that employees can plan their time to improve on their performance.

1.3 Research Questions

1.3.1 Main Research Question

What is the effect of time management on employee performance in the University of Buea?

1.3.2Specific Research Questions

1. what is the effect of time planning on employee performance in service firms in Cameroon?
2. What is the effect of prioritizing on performance of workers in service N firms in Cameroon?
3. What is the effect of time control on employee performance in service firms in Cameroon?

1.4 Research Objective

This study has one main objective and three specific objectives which are drawn from the main objective.

1.4.1 Main Objective

To investigate the effect of time management on employee performance in the University of Buea.

1.4.2 Specific Objective

1. Evaluating the extent to which time planning affect employee performance in service firms in Cameroon.
2. To examine prioritizing of time management and how it affects employees performance in service firms in Cameroon.
3. To analyze the effect of time control on employees’ performance in service firms in Cameroon.

1.5 Research Hypothesis

H1: Time planning has no significant effect on employees’ performance.

H2: Time prioritizing has a significant effect on employee performance

Ha3: Time control has a significant effect on employees’ performance.