Submitted work project after deadline? Study says your manager will judge it even more harshly than others

The study states that missing deadlines or procrastinating at work can affect the opinions of others towards you.

Are you also one of those people who cannot work until the deadline is right on their necks? Well, it might be bad news for you. According to a study conducted on people in US and UK, procrastinating or utilising the entire time limit to put finishing touches to a project or a presentation may not be the right choice.

Procrastinating or utilising the entire time limit to put finishing touches to a project or a presentation may not be the right decision. (Pexels)

The study observed that when work is submitted past a deadline, it is judged more harshly than work submitted within the deadline. Prof Sam Maglio, who researches at the University of Toronto Scarborough and the Rotman School of Management, told The Guardian, “All the research that we could find looked at how deadlines impact the minds and actions of workers. We wanted to know how a deadline impacts the minds and actions of others when they look at those workers.”

Findings of the study:

The study was conducted on thousands of people in US and UK, where they were given pieces of work to judge, such as advertising flyers, art, business proposals, product pitches, photography and news articles. However, they were also told when the work arrived, and if it was late than the deadline. It was observed that when people viewed the same pieces of work but with the knowledge of when it arrived, they seemed to be harsher in rating them.

Can people judge your work harshly based on when you submit it? (Pexels)

The study published in the journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, further mentioned that while missing deadlines are a strict no-no, people who submit their work ahead of the deadline may not boost the opinion of the people judging their work. Also, when people stretch their deadlines to days or weeks, even with prior warnings to their managers, the results are same. Also read | Do you experience more stress than others? You may be a part of HSP, study finds

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.