Who Cares about Time? Investigating Personality and Self-regulation in the Relationship Between Religiosity and Punctuality in Nigerian Public Service Organizations

Abstract The study examined the relationship between religiosity and punctuality, and whether self-regulation mediates this relationship. The study also explored whether personality traits moderate the positive relationship between religiosity and self-regulation and between religiosity and punctuality. Using PROCESS model 4, among 734 federal university employees in the South-east Nigeria, the results of the study showed that religiosity related positively to punctuality. Consistent with our proposition, self-regulation mediated the relationship between religiosity and punctuality. Religiosity associated with self-regulation and punctuality for individuals who are low on extraversion. Religiosity was related to self-regulation and punctuality both for individuals high on agreeableness and those high on conscientiousness. Religiosity related positively to self-regulation and punctuality for individuals low on emotional stability. Religiosity related to self-regulation and punctuality for individuals low on openness to experience. These results imply that self-regulation is key to punctuality, while individuals’ personality disposition propel individuals’ punctuality to appointments. These findings have implications for improving punctuality to work and appointments among public service employees and overall service delivery. Future studies should extend the present study by comparing punctuality among private and public service employees and explore the outcomes of punctuality at work.