SynthesisPloS one2021
Does time management work? A meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
44 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Do time management interventions support wellbeing in the workplace? A systematic review.Applied psychology. Health and well-being · 2026Pooled it
- Steady State: A Behavior-Based Educational Game for Time Management.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Development of a Web-Based Intervention Course to Promote Academic Staff Well-Being: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study Design.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Factors that influence joy at work and job satisfaction for allied health professionals in public health services: a theory-informed qualitative study.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Sleep bruxism and daily life behaviors in university students: a cross-sectional analysis of free time management, sedentary behaviors, and smartphone use.BMC oral health · 2026Article
- Feasibility and preliminary effects of an individually customizable ecological momentary stress management intervention: A mixed methods pilot study.Internet interventions · 2026Article
- Leisure time management mediates the relationship between job search anxiety and career planning.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- The relationship between self-efficacy and perceived academic achievement among college students: the chain mediation roles of time management and psychological resilience.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- The relationship between physical exercise and sleep procrastination in college students: the chain mediating role of self-control and time management tendencies.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Mechanisms linking school physical education policies to college students' physical activity: an empirical test of a moderated mediation model.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Article
- Chinese Adaptation of the Nurses Time-Wasters Questionnaire: Reliability and Validity Testing.Journal of nursing management · 2026Article
- Article
- Developing Time Management Competencies for First-Year College Students Through Experiential Learning: Design-Based Research.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Chronic time pressure as a predictor of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Article
- Childhood Maltreatment, Bullying, and Internet Addiction in Relation to Suicidal Ideation Among Adolescents: Cross-Sectional Mediation and Network Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Transforming nursing education: the power of educational leadership in optimizing time management and competency.BMC nursing · 2025Article
- Navigating Uncharted Territory: A Qualitative Analysis of Challenges and Advantages Experienced by Early Career Medical Educators.Medical science educator · 2025Article
- Looking beyond time alone: An examination of solitary activities in emerging adulthood.Journal of personality · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Does time management work? We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the impact of time management on performance and well-being. Results show that time management is moderately related to job performance, academic achievement, and wellbeing. Time management also shows a moderate, negative relationship with distress. Interestingly, individual differences and contextual factors have a much weaker association with time management, with the notable exception of conscientiousness. The extremely weak correlation with gender was unexpected: women seem to manage time better than men, but the difference is very slight. Further, we found that the link between time management and job performance seems to increase over the years: time management is more likely to get people a positive performance review at work today than in the early 1990s. The link between time management and gender, too, seems to intensify: women's time management scores have been on the rise for the past few decades. We also note that time management seems to enhance wellbeing-in particular, life satisfaction-to a greater extent than it does performance. This challenges the common perception that time management first and foremost enhances work performance, and that wellbeing is simply a byproduct.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.