Worker procrastination has received very little attention in organizational behavior research, despite the potentially serious impact of such behavior on organizational productivity and effectiveness. This study examined the degree to which variance in procrastination at work is explained by a personal predisposition to delay; by characteristics of the job; and by interactions between such predispositions and job factors A predisposition to procrastinate measure was collected from 280 employees of a diversified organization where work functions included varying conditions of self-paced, machine-paced, and consumer-paced operations. The personal predisposition accounted for significant variance in procrastination on the job as reported by each focal worker's immediate supervisor. Employee perceptions of characteristics of the job explained additional variance. Perceived inadequacy of time and resources were positively related to procrastination. Perceived job autonomy and job satisfaction were negatively related to procrastination, as was a measure of the perceived instrumental relationship between timely productivity and work rewards. Instrumentality of rewards produced a significant interaction with the predisposition, such that individuals who were most highly predisposed to delay showed the greatest reduction of such behavior under conditions of high instrumentality of rewards Other variables measuring workers' perceptions of their job-related competence, and characteristics of job feedback, variety, analyzability, and information did not assist in explaining variance in reported procrastination behavior. Among personal and organizational demographics measured, only worker salary level was significant. Supervisor reported procrastination was greater when worker salary was low or approaching a peak in the salary scale Worker perceptions of job factors were found to be more important than worker predispositions to delay in explaining procrastination at work. Particularly important was autonomy. Where workers perceived autonomy on the job, delay was less prevalent. Results suggest the need for continued research on managerial manipulation of affective and support variables in the work environment, particularly those variables relating to workers' autonomy, satisfaction, rewards, and the adequacy of resources and time in controlling procrastination at work / acase@tulane.edu
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TULANE/oai:http://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/:tulane_26010 |
| Date | January 1987 |
| Contributors | Coote, Elizabeth A (Author), Sulzer, Jefferson L (Thesis advisor) |
| Publisher | Tulane University |
| Source Sets | Tulane University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Access requires a license to the Dissertations and Theses (ProQuest) database., Copyright is in accordance with U.S. Copyright law |
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