Factors of Workplace Procrastination: A Systematic Review

Background: Workplace procrastination is associated with a wide range of negative organizational outcomes. Our objectives are to systematically review the factors of workplace procrastination and the instruments used to measure this construct. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched for papers published between 2000 and 2023 through Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Taylor & Francis, using the search terms “workplace procrastination not academic” and “employee procrastination”. Results: After screening, 33 studies were retained for analysis and were also submitted to quality assessment. The factors were grouped into two main categories, i.e., employee-related and external. Several potential factors have been investigated only in a single study, while contradictory findings have been reported regarding the effect of others, especially in culturally diverse samples. Procrastination was measured using ten different instruments, with variations in their conceptual underpinnings. Conclusions: Future advancements in understanding the factors of workplace procrastination would greatly benefit from studies on employee samples from different countries. Moreover, future research should select their workplace procrastination measures based on careful consideration of the specific facets that it aims to investigate. Our findings also suggest that addressing procrastination at work requires a comprehensive approach involving different interventions at both the organizational and individual level.