Effective management of time is described from a cultural viewpoint, using examples from four case studies based on a one-year research project on college and university decision-making. Three dimensions of time in colleges and universities are important: formal/informal; historical; and seasonal/ceremonial. The environment, external constituencies, historical traditions, and participants all influence organizational time. The concepts of formal and informal uses of time can be illustrated by a president's "open door" policy and the formalized procedures of a unionized faculty. Historical time places present actions in the context of the organizational past. Seasonal and ceremonial time generates activities that demand administrative awareness of the culture. Time can be viewed as a critical element in an organization's socially constructed reality. The view accounts for how society affects change and how the inner processes of the organization focus time within larger spheres. Institutional conflict can be precipitated by different frames of time being in tension with one another (e.g., a traditionally slow-changing institution can come into conflict with a rapidly changing environment). It is concluded that managers who assess their colleges from a cultural viewpoint can better understand how to effectively manage time. (SW)