Planning the use of university faculty time and allocating it to various commitments can be challenging since university teachers typically have a complex mix of different tasks. In this context, some Swedish universities have turned towards time management software solutions as tools for planning department activities. This paper describes the implementation of a web-based time management system at a Swedish university, and discusses its consequences for workforce planning and teachers’ workload.
Planning the use of university faculty time and allocating it to various tasks can be challenging since university teachers typically have a complex mix of different tasks that also often change. In this context, some Swedish universities have turned towards time management software solutions as tools for planning department activities. This paper describes the introduction of such a web-based time management system at a Swedish university, and reports from a system evaluation comprising interviews with department leaders and staff planners. The empirical material implies that the advent of time management systems in higher education give rise to challenges for academic leaders aiming for efficiency, transparency and control, while trying to maintain flexibility and autonomy among faculty members.