The Influence of Managers’ Temporal Orientation on Employee Autonomy and Burnout

Job autonomy refers to the degree to which the job provides the employee with substantial freedom, independence, and discretion in scheduling the work and in determining the procedure to be used in carrying it out. It has been considered an important job resource that prevents professional burnout.

This research was conducted using two self-administered questionnaires. Project managers were asked to complete the online Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) while their project team members were asked to complete Work Autonomy survey developed by James Breaugh. Data was collected from 17 project managers and 79 project teams members from two companies in the consulting sector in Poland.

Recent investigations indicate that how we perceive time has a profound effect on human behavior and its outcome. In the present study, managers who evidence a future Temporal Orientation appear to generate higher levels of job autonomy in their workplace and consequently lower levels of burnout. These findings highlight the importance in recognizing the dominant time perspective of managers as a predictor of burnout among their employees.