Journal
Metropolitan Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Research
MJAMR
Priorities and Time: A New Skill to Embrace: Are Ugandans Ready?
Dr Arinaitwe Julius, Professor Edris Kasenene Serugo, Dr Mategeko Betty
| Journal | Metropolitan Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR) |
| Volume / Issue | Vol. 5, No. 4 |
| Published | 30 April 2026 |
| ISSN | 3006-4384 |
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between time orientation, priority-setting behaviour, and economic and social outcomes in the Ugandan context, arguing that the management of time and priorities constituted an increasingly critical competency for Ugandan individuals, households, organizations, and government actors in a rapidly globalizing and digitalizing environment. Drawing on a nationally representative survey of 1,842 adult Ugandans conducted across all regions of the country, supplemented by qualitative interviews with 86 urban and rural respondents, the study explored cultural attitudes toward time, the priority-setting practices of individuals and households, the organizational time cultures of public and private sector institutions, and the gap between existing time management practices and the requirements of Uganda's economic development aspirations. The findings revealed that Uganda was characterized by a complex and internally varied time culture that combined elements of what the literature described as polychronic time orientation comfort with multiple simultaneous activities, flexible scheduling, and relationship-prioritized temporal decisions with growing aspirational alignment with monochronic time norms associated with formal employment, digital technology use, and international business engagement. The study argued that rather than requiring Ugandans to wholesale abandon indigenous time orientations, the cultivation of priority and time management skills required the development of a contextually intelligent temporal flexibility the capacity to navigate between different time cultures as context demanded and that this capacity was both learnable and urgently needed.
Keywords
Priorities
Culture
Time
Skill and development
Cite This Article
Dr Arinaitwe Julius, Professor Edris Kasenene Serugo & Dr Mategeko Betty (2026). Priorities and Time: A New Skill to Embrace: Are Ugandans Ready?. Metropolitan Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Research, 5(4). https://journals.miu.ac.ug/pages/article.php?article_id=390
More in This Issue
View full issue →
46
The Myth of the Public Viva: Audiences, Accountability and Doctoral Examination in Africa
Myth
Public Viva
Audiences
Accountability and Doctoral Examination
47
The Participation Of People With Disabilities In Government Programmes: A Case Study Of Mityana Municipality
People with disabilities
government programmes
participation
challenges
48
The Role Of The Media In Influencing Public Attitudes Towards Environmental Sustainability In Uganda: A Case Study Of Radio Campaigns On Waste Management In Kampala City.
Media
Public Attitudes
Environmental and Sustainability
49
The Role Of Vegetable Growing To Small Scale Household Farmers Of Masaba Sub-County In Busia District, Uganda
Vegetable growing
small-scale farmers
food security
household income
50
Violence in the Guise of Democracy: The Colonial Normalization of Authoritarian Rule in Africa
Violence
Guise
Democracy
Colonial Normalization and Authoritarian Rule