Research: Differing Work Schedules Hinder Collaboration, Managers Can Improve It

New research suggests that differing peak productivity windows between early birds and night owls can impede team collaboration. The findings indicate that managers can nevertheless enhance cooperation by influencing employees' perceptions of their own work schedules and their boundaries.

The study explored how employees' internal clocks and sleep patterns affect their perception of available work time, and how this, in turn, influences their willingness to collaborate. While an individual's tendency to be a morning or evening person is relatively fixed, they can, according to the research, stretch the limits of their effective working window through their own beliefs. Lead researcher Ji Woon “June” Ryu, an assistant professor of management at Portland State University, notes that these beliefs can be shifted.

Managers therefore have the opportunity to support their team's productivity by shaping employees' perceptions of optimal working hours. This can include accommodating different needs and utilizing brief mental exercises that reinforce the belief in expanding one's own work window.

In addition to collaboration, a separate economics study examined factors influencing employees' careers. The research found that colleagues can either promote or hinder an individual employee's professional development. Young employees, in particular, are susceptible to the influence of their colleagues, which is an important consideration for managers planning long-term staff development.

The research highlights that not only individual factors, such as sleep patterns, but also the team's internal dynamics and the influence of colleagues are significant factors in an employee's success and the team's effectiveness.