Abstract:
1. Introduction
Procrastination, the act of delaying tasks, is a pervasive issue affecting
individuals across various domains, including higher education. Despite its
global prevalence, the factors underlying academic procrastination among
undergraduates remain underexplored, particularly within specific
contexts. This study seeks to bridge the contextual gap by investigating the
reasons behind academic procrastination behavior among undergraduates
at the Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Sabaragamuwa University of
Sri Lanka (SUSL). By identifying these contributing factors, the research
aims to offer valuable insights to academia, administration and student
community while contributing to the broader academic literature.
2. Research Methodology
This study adopted an inductive approach and qualitative research
methodology under the interpretivism research philosophy. A preliminary
study was conducted to identify undergraduates with higher levels of
procrastination behavior. Following this, in-depth interviews were carried
out with eleven selected undergraduates from the Faculty of Management
Studies at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka by following purposive
sampling. The data were then analyzed using thematic analysis to uncover
key patterns and themes related to procrastination behavior.
3. Findings and Discussion
The study revealed three key themes contributing to procrastination
behavior among undergraduates at FMS, SUSL as interpersonal, personal,
and university-related distractions.
4. Conclusion and Implications
This study addresses existing knowledge and contextual gaps in
understanding the reasons of academic procrastination behavior among
undergraduates. The findings provide practical insights for
undergraduates, academia and administration at FMS, SUSL, offering
guidance for academic decision-making, curricular designing and mentor
support to reduce procrastination tendencies and improve student
performance
