The Influence of Time Management Ability on Budget Disbursement Efficiency Among Supporting Staff at Mahasarakham University, Thailand

Abstract

This quantitative study utilized a survey research method to: 1) examine time management ability levels among supporting staff at Mahasarakham University, and 2) evaluate the influence of time management ability and personal characteristics on budget disbursement efficiency based on disbursement plans. The study population comprised 2,237 supporting staff members at Mahasarakham University. A sample size of 327 participants was calculated using Krejcie and Morgan’s table, and selected via simple random sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, yielding 105 complete responses (32.11% response rate from the 327 sampled staff). The research instrument demonstrated reliability with Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients ranging from 0.694 to 0.923. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that: 1) overall time management ability among supporting staff was at a high level, with the highest mean scores observed in goal awareness, followed by time evaluation; 2) time management abilities and personal characteristics collectively predicted budget disbursement efficiency with statistical significance (R² = 0.548, Adjusted R² = 0.510, F = 14.547, p < 0.05). Specifically, goal awareness (B = 0.523), time evaluation (B = 0.478), work experience (B = 0.144), and job position (B = 0.499) exerted statistically significant positive influences. Conversely, implementation of planned tasks (B = -0.441) and age (B = -0.254) showed statistically significant negative influences. Time adjustment and educational level demonstrated no statistically significant influence. Recommendations include skill development through goal-setting training, establishing a mentoring program, and promoting digital tools for planning and tracking tasks. Additionally, operational manuals should be developed in alignment with the New GFMIS Thai system, operational planning flexibility should be increased, and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology should be applied to reduce document verification steps and sustainably enhance budget administration efficiency.