Late to Everything? Here's What You Need to Know

A study conducted at the University of Toronto, published in the November issue of Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, reveals a concerning statistic: tasks submitted late are rated lower compared to identical tasks submitted on time. Additionally, people who do not meet deadlines are valued less. The study, which involved 18 experiments with thousands of participants from the U.S. and the UK, examined how outputs like business presentations, artworks, and articles are perceived by different evaluators.

The researchers presented participants with the same tasks but with varying submission times—early, on time, or late. Results indicated that late submissions were rated lower, regardless of the delay duration or whether it was pre-approved. Conversely, early submission did not improve ratings. Moreover, late submissions negatively impacted the perception of the submitter's integrity and reduced chances of receiving future tasks or promotion opportunities.

The findings revealed that in situations where the delay was caused by factors outside the employee's control, such as reservist duty or jury duty, or in cases where the deadline was considered "soft," the negative impact was lessened. However, even in these situations, there was some damage to the perceived quality of work.

The study's findings are particularly relevant to Israeli work culture, where the concept of "deadline" is sometimes seen as a suggestion. It effectively explains why many managers feel appreciation for certain employees even if they do not integrate socially, in contrast to employees who integrate well but consistently fail to meet their tasks and arrive late to work.