Time management (science)

After a long research in different libraries and examining various research thesis and studies which share a temporal approach (time), I have highlighted a number of sciences that are closely linked to time programming, whether in terms of their nature or method. Then, I classified them in a list that excluded the sciences related to non-human sides of time, such as: metaphysics time, Mathematics Time, physics time etc. As well as those related to any human science topic tackled away from time programming points of view.      ‘

Some of these sciences are:     

• Time management science.
• Sociology of leisure. 
• Recreational education.
• Time budget.
• Sleep and insomnia studies.
• Chronobiology.    

Science of Time Management:

I am almost certain that “time management” science is one of the most related kind of sciences to time programing, which was rather a branch of it as they both share the same logic and correlate to a number of themes and subjects, while differing in terms of other themes and subjects.   

Time management is a contemporary science, basically established by Fredric Tylor “died in 1911” based on his interests in “time and motion study” ⁽¹⁾, which turned later into a “work study” ⁽²⁾, then into an independent science by time, until it became one of the most prominent characteristics of contemporary technological development.

However, the Arab world marked until the early 1990s a lack of Arab sources, as nothing was written in the topic, except for few local writers and was limited to research or work papers written as exerted personal effort ⁽³⁾.           

The most important themes of time management science are ⁽⁴⁾:  

• Getting to know the best way to spend time, use time records in order to obtain accurate information.
• Analyzing time records in order to identify time wasters.
• Self-assessment, which includes assessing capacities and what can be accomplished.
• Setting goals and priorities.
• Preparing work plans in order to accomplish goals.
• Implementing work plans drawn up according to specific schedules.
• Adopting appropriate methods and solutions to face time issues.
• Follow up and reanalysis for the sake of progress.

Regarding the said aspects and specialized-book indexes, this science also focuses on:  

• Time characteristics.
• Perspective and assumptions of time.
• Recording and analyzing time.
• Setting purposes.
• Determining goals.
• Ranking priorities.
• Times wasters.
• Meeting management.
• Delegation.
• Self-management.
• Effective management.
• Decision making
• Strategic thinking skills and time … etc ⁽⁵⁾.

Concerning my research relation with time management science; it will with no doubt benefit from most of its topics except for some subjects that have nothing to do with time programming, as we previously defined like: meetings management, delegation, decision making and excluding some tables and detailed technical procedures that the manager goes through during his office or company time management. ⁽⁶⁾   

The new thing about time programming as we previously mentioned is dealing with man as one of Almighty Allah’s creature, not as man who claims authority over his deeds, in addition to the generalization of samples not only to managers but also to any man.  

The new thing also includes dealing with Islamic sources – such as Qur’an, Sunnah and their derivatives- in linking between a specific task and a specific time, unlike time management science, which excludes all “theological” ⁽⁷⁾ sources, which are based on experiment, with nostalgia to Greek philosophers in particular.  

I will try to –based on the foregoing- to use the sciences that were never used before in time management science; such as: science of doctrine in determining purposes and goals, principals of Islamic jurisprudence, jurisprudence of priorities for ranking priorities and solving contradiction, at the time when – purposes, goals and priorities are subject to mental opinions and human theories.          

1 – ABU SHEIKHA, Nadir Ahmed: Time Management, Majdalawi publishing house, Amman, 1991, P34-33, SUHAIL Fahd Salamah: Time Management, a developed approach to success; Arab organization of administrative sciences, Amman, 1988; P19.  

2 – JOHNSON and ROBERTSON: Glossary of Administrative Terms; P142, 153.

Ency. Britanica Inc: Britanica, the new Ec/ncyclopedia: ed. USA, 15th ed: l992, Vol 11/p108, 153.

3 – MA’AYAH, Saliba Emad: Time Management, Amman, 1991; P12. The author also notes “the lack Arabic and translation sources which tackled time management in our libraries”, the same source.

4 – ABU SHEIKHA: Time Management, P33-

5 – Look – time management sources indexes, for instance: Lystr Ar Bytl Time Management – Full guide for managers who suffer from time pressure, translated by Muhammad Najar, reviewed by Hicham Abdullah; Al-Ahlia for publishing and distribution, Amman, 1999; P297-289.    

6 – However, these titles/subjects are closer to management art than general time programming.  

7 – I suggested this description considering time management sources and books, although I did not totally agree to use it, but continuous reading of these sources provided me with this judgment.

Translated by Toufik Achour.