LECTURE 11

Perceiving Time across Monochronic

and Polychronic Culture

• Cultures that follow Linear time perform one

major task at a time
• Cultures that are Flexible work on several
activities simultaneously
• Cultures that view time as Cyclical allow
events to unfold naturally
The dictionary definition of polychronic
is, preforming elements of different tasks
concurrently (as apposed to sequentially).
Polychronic cultures tend to do many things
simultaneously so it’s basically a culture
built on multitasking. P. cultures also value
long term relationships.
Those who view time as linear and scheduled
have a monochronic manner towards time.
Monochromic cultures like to do just one thing
at a time.
Time is perceived differently across cultures.
Often a culture’s sense of time is so ingrained
that few people consider it on a broader context
until they come smack into contact with people
who tick at a different speed and operate under
different assumptions. People who view time in
a polychronic manner may change plans
frequently, consider schedules as goals instead of
imperatives and focus on relationships with people
They value a certain orderliness and sense of
there being an appropriate time and place
for everything. They do not value
interruptions.
Polychronic cultures like to do multiple
things at the same time. We tend to think of
Asian countries and Latin American countries
as being polychronic. France is too. South and
Southeast Asia are considered polychronic;
but Japan is monochronic;
and China is somewhere in between, more
monochronic than polychronic. U.S,
Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands?
Monochronic
How does this difference in time affect us?
Strongly polychronic cultures may have
an aversion to rigid deadlines. With
colleagues and business partners from poly
chronic cultures it can be a mistake to set
rigid deadlines and try to enforce them.
Instead putting a comfortable margin in your
scheduling and maintaining as close relation
ship with you counterpart as possible is key.
In highly polychronic cultures relationships
count for far more than arbitrary deadlines.
Is one style better than the other? It is
implied that monochronic procedures are
superior to polychronic in terms of producti
vity. Monochronic time to be easier to control
and co-ordinate.Monochronicity is seen to be
well suited to the management of large system
Most organizations take monochronocity for
granted as the only way to get things done
efficiently. On the other hand, polychronic
time is considered to be more effective in
building relationships and in solving complex
problems. It’s more suitable in the developmen
tal stages of an organization, for smaller system
and for organizations where one gifted person
is the central point of co-ordination.
Do these 2 ever blend?
Technology enables us to involve ourselves
simultaneously in several tasks which are
located at different places. Tech-ly is enchan
cing the polychronic dimension through
allowing multitasking and the ability to mix
work and personal life through using devices.
Technology allows contingent scheduling of
activities around local circumstances
supporting both monochronic (sequential
ordering) and polychronic (attention to
multiple information sources) action.
 Linear Time
• Importance of schedules:
– Schedules are critical
– Permit planning
– Prevent uncertainty
– People usually make appointments in small segments (15-
30 min) and dislike lateness
• A focus on the future:
– People study time management to get more done every
day
– Future promises greater expertise in oacking more into
each time unit
 Linear Time
• Measuring time in small units:
– Measure time in short periods (minutes, hours,
days)
– Plan for short term and report earnings quarterly
and yearly
• Example expressions:
– “Time is money”, “The early bird catches the worm”
(US), “He who hesitates is lost”, “A stitch in time
saves nine”(UK), “Wasting time is stealing from
yourself” (Estonia)
 Flexible Time
• Emphasis on relationships:
– Schedules are less important than human feelings
– Communication is not regulated by a clock
• A focus on the present:
– It’s not that they don’t value the past nor believe
in future; it’s just that they tend to live very fully in
the present
 Flexible Time
• Example expressions:
– “In sha’a Allah” (If God wills, Arab), “Bahala na”
(accept what comes, Fillipino), “What flares up
fast extinguishes soon” (Turkey), “Profit always
comes with a delay” (Mongolia), “Since the house
is on fire, let us warm ourselves” (Italy)
 Cyclical Time
• Understanding connections:
– People seek to understand linkages and
connections
– Links show the wholeness of life and allow
contrasts or contradictions to exist
Example: Kenyan nomadic tribe call their time of the
day “the red blood period”(sunrise), “when the
shadows lower themselves”, and “the cattle
returns from the river”
 Cyclical Time
• Making decisions:
– Decisions have a contextual background and are
made long term
– View time in cycles, so same opportunity will
represent itself
– Will not tackle problems immediately; they will
allow enough time for reflection, contemplating
possible links between facts and relationships
 Cyclical Time
• Forging relationships:
– Although people may have keen sense of time and
respect punctuality, it will have little impact on
actual speed of business
– Considerable amount of time will be allotted for
repeated considerations of details
– Significant amount of time will be allowed to
nurture personal relationships
 Cyclical Time
• Focusing on the past:
– Planning is very long term (decades) since the
focus is on the unity of human with whole of life
Example: A management consultant on assignment
in Hong Kong reported that the concept of
planning for the short term was quite foreign to
the HK business owners she worked with. “I
continually heard business plans prefaced with the
description of ‘my company in the time of my
grandfather.’”
 Cyclical Time
• Example expressions:
– “Ting” (to listen with ears, eyes, and heart, China),
“nunchi” (an affective sense by which they can
detect when others are pleased, Korea)
 Summary
Linear Flexible Circular
Attitude towards An entity to be saved, Fluid and flexible Circular and repetitive
time spent, or wasted
Task completion Completes tasks Works on multiple Completes tasks over
sequentially tasks simultaneously a long period of
contemplation and
reflection
Task vs. Strives to complete Nurtures the Values the long term
Relationships tasks within a certain relationships in tasks and
time frame represented by the relationships
tasks
Work vs. Separates work from Views work, family, Focuses on the long
Relationships family and social life and social life as one term in tasks and
relationships
Locus of control Controls time by Reacts as the day’s Believes that life
maintaining a rigid events evolve controls time
appointment schedule
 Guidelines
• Conducting business in linear cultures
– Respect schedules
– Focus on the meeting (don’t answer your cell-
phone or perform other tasks)
– Target the short term
 Guidelines
• Conducting business in flexible cultures
– Depersonalize the issue (don’t interpret lateness
as disrespect or lack of commitment)
– Provide wider window of time for appointments
– Clarify expectations
– Avoid strict deadlines whenever possible by
adding some wiggle room
 Guidelines
• Conducting business in cyclical cultures
– Be punctual (lateness is considered impolite)
– Maximize “face” time (face-to-face interaction is
preferable to electronic or written
communication)
– Be patient
– Check comfort level (nonverbal behaviour may
provide much-needed information)