Bangalore: Chief Executive officers of the companies spend about one-third of their work time in meetings, reveals the newest study, ‘Executive Time Use Project’ by London School of Economics and Harvard Business School researchers. The research has done with the time allocation schedule of 500 CEOs around the world. Time management is being the primary skills of an effective manager, researchers interpret the newest findings in terms of time allocation patterns, considering how it is related to the companies priority and the executives’ interests.

In one of the three ongoing data collection, the sample reveals executives spent on an average of 18 hours of a 55hr workweek for meetings. And more excitingly CEOs spent just six hours only for working in a week period, while 3hrs on calls, 5 hrs in business meals, and some of the remaining time on travelling and in personal activities which are not tracked. This data has collected from the Personal Assistance of CEOs in a one week period (Monday- Friday).

The study has found three correlations in the time allocation patterns of the chief executives. One of the findings suggests, CEOs who work for longer hours engaged in activities which profits the company and they significantly spend less time for personal activities.  Also the same effect has found in CEOs who have strong power in their workplace. Another major finding reveals that the longer working hours of CEOs to benefit the firm strongly associate with productivity.

The researchers says if the number of direct reports are more associated with the time spends on meetings and also the CEOs are seemed more involved in internal operations if the direct reports are more in number.

Another finding from CEOs’ time allocation shows they spend considerable amount of time with both insiders and outsiders in average of 42 percent and 16 percent respectively. Among insiders, CEOs spend their time with finance department around 8.6 hours a week while the lowest time schedule for human resources which noted as 5.5 hours. Consultants are topping in the list of outsiders with a considerable amount of time (4.7 hours) while suppliers occupy in the last place of list by consuming 1.3 hours of the chief executive.

According to the researchers the findings are not surprising as the major roles of CEOs to manage employees and meet their customers and consultants.

The researchers said they weren't surprised by the amount of time spent in meetings, since one of the roles of a CEO is to manage employees and meet with customers and consultants.