Time Management Behaviors of Healthcare Managers and the Effects of Demographic Variables

Background Using time effectively has become increasingly important in terms of the successful performance of healthcare managers. Objectives In this study, the time management behaviors of healthcare managers and the effects of demographic variables on these behaviors are determined. Methods This cross-sectional and descriptive research was carried out on managers from five hospitals in Tekirdag, Turkey. The data was collected with the survey method. The research population of 175 managers were targeted with an initial invitation to participate in the study. However, only 163 managers accepted the invitation to complete a questionnaire. SPSS for Windows 15.0 package software was used to analyze the data. Results For managers, general planning, meeting management, determining priorities, substitution, table and file folder set up, procrastination, and answering unnecessary phone calls were found to occur frequently; general time management was also found to consume a significant amount of time, whereas saying “no” to visitors was determined to be of only an average level of time consumption. With respect to the scores of women, determining priorities, saying “no” to visitors, table and file folder set up, and procrastination took up more time than they did for men. Conclusions It was determined that demographic variables do affect the time management behaviors of healthcare managers.