Working hours and creativity: practical research experience

Abstract

The history of studying working time is directly related to the development of working relationships. Strict industrial accounting of every minute is increasingly receding into the background, due to the development of new post-industrial relations. The new economy is called in different ways, one of its names is "creative". The name emphasizes the special non-material contribution of a person to the development of the economy. The same "human", personal or anthropological focus, acquires consideration of working time. Problems arise when considering government organizations whose working hours are more subject to administrative and bureaucratic rules than others. This article is devoted to the consideration of such organizations, using the example of libraries, cultural centers, and institutions of additional education. The research is aimed at studying employees as carriers of the creative principle we are interested in, rather than organizations. In this regard, an interview was chosen as the main research method. The work is based on 8 interviews conducted by the author in June 2020 in the cities of Kemerovo and Polysaevo and 12 interviews in 2021 in St. Petersburg. The projective techniques “Lifeline” and “Workplace image” were used as auxiliary methods. The findings indicate the relationship between the amount of creative work in an organization and the amount of freedom that its employees have, the special importance of self-control among employees, which is transformed taking into account the specifics of creative work. The interrelation of the social life of the city and biorhythms is demonstrated.