How much time is left? Examining construal level in teams

Time plays a crucial role in life at work. While there are only 24 hours in a day, each person has their own way of using those hours. This highlights the importance of the perceptions of time and how each person's perceptions are slightly different. However, research to date has only examined objective or subjective time within a given study. To better understand time and its influence on individuals and teams at work, this dissertation examines the influence of both types of time concurrently. Using a construal level theory framework, I examine how temporal psychological distance and abstraction to also help to enhance our understanding of time. I first develop measures to examine the different individual processes of perceptions of time and thoughts with respect to how one is thinking about their work. Then, I build on the idea that time is an inherently subjective experience, I examine how differences within a team around how people are perceiving time and how individuals are thinking about their tasks influence team interactions and performance. While hypotheses with regards to specific processes and performance are not supported, the steps taken in this dissertation help to enlighten how differences within the team influence different team processes, as well as helping to predict individual outcomes that are proximate. This dissertation helps build the understanding of how different situations influence how people perceive time and how they think about what they need to do to get their work done.