Aspects of Time in Organization

The paper examines temporal aspects of organization. It argues that a major element of human socialization is the structuring of time-sense within formal organizations. Notable here is the process whereby family, school, and workplace teach us rigid time disciplines. These institutions segment activities into precise temporal units and condition us to an "organized" time-consciousness. This conditioning sees us subscribe to times which are external and specialized. The paper argues that in industrial societies, the external and highly specialized organization has become not only the main regulator of time, but also its primary claimant.