The Importance of Future Time Perspective in Theories of Work Motivation

The ability to foresee and anticipate, to make plans for and organize future possibilities, represents one of the most outstanding traits of individuals. Theories of work motivation, however, appear to have ignored the construct of future time perspective. In this article, the relationships between future time perspective, the capacity to plan activities, and proximate goals that intervene between one's present state and the desired ultimate, distant goal are explored. Several methodological concerns pertaining to the study of future time perspective are discussed.