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  • October 2020
  • Article
  • Nature Human Behaviour

Why Time Poverty Matters for Individuals, Organisations, and Nations

By: Ashley V. Whillans, Laura Giurge and Colin West
  • Format:Print
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Abstract

Over the last two decades, global wealth has risen. Yet, material affluence has not translated into time affluence. Instead, most people today report feeling persistently “time poor”—like they have too many things to do and not enough time to do them. This is critical because time poverty is linked to lower well-being, physical health, and productivity. For example, in our analysis of 2.5 million Americans, subjective feelings of time poverty had a stronger negative effect on well-being than being unemployed. However, individuals, organisations, and policymakers often overlook the pernicious effects of time poverty. Billions of dollars are spent each year to alleviate material poverty, while time poverty is often ignored or exacerbated. In this Perspective, we discuss the organisational, institutional, and psychological factors that explain why time poverty is often under appreciated. We argue that scientists, policymakers, and organisational leaders need to devote more attention and resources toward understanding and reducing time poverty to promote psychological and economic well-being.

Keywords

Time Poverty; Health; Welfare; Human Needs; Global Range

Citation

Whillans, Ashley V., Laura Giurge, and Colin West. "Why Time Poverty Matters for Individuals, Organisations, and Nations." Nature Human Behaviour 4, no. 10 (October 2020): 993–1003.
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About The Author

Ashley V. Whillans

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • May, 2021
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    Joy and Rigor in Behavioral Science

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    • March 29, 2021
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    Research: A Little Recognition Can Provide a Big Morale Boost

    By: Shibeal O'Flaherty, Michael Sanders and Ashley V. Whillans
    • 2021
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    Extension Request Avoidance Increases Time Stress among Women

    By: Ashley V. Whillans, Jaewon Yoon, Aurora Turek and Grant E. Donnelly
More from the Authors
  • Joy and Rigor in Behavioral Science By: Hanne K. Collins, Ashley V. Whillans and Leslie K. John
  • Research: A Little Recognition Can Provide a Big Morale Boost By: Shibeal O'Flaherty, Michael Sanders and Ashley V. Whillans
  • Extension Request Avoidance Increases Time Stress among Women By: Ashley V. Whillans, Jaewon Yoon, Aurora Turek and Grant E. Donnelly
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