Procrastination is Productive, says Rotman School of Management: MBA News

According to new research by the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, procrastination in your work and study life can actually create a productive working environment.

Analyzing the behaviour of a group of students at the Rotman School of Management, PhD candidate Bonnie Cheng and associate professor, Julie McCarthy found that amongst those with work and family responsibilities outside of the school, avoidance strategies aided them in achieving greater satisfaction from their various activities, which in turn helped them manage their various duties.

"Our intuitive notion of avoidance is that it's counterproductive, that it's running away from your problems," says Cheng. However, she points out that there are different kinds of avoidance strategies.

Avoidance, Not Escapism

"We found that while wishing for your problems to magically disappear is counterproductive, the process of taking your mind off the problems at hand actually helped people manage multiple role responsibilities and increased their satisfaction."

The key point to managing multiple roles, according to Cheng, is that people are able to give their minds a break. This is something that places of work, and business schools like the Rotman School of Management can facilitate by providing lounges and social facilities, or places for meditation and relaxation.

Learn more about the MBA program at the Rotman School of Management >