Monochronic and Polychronic Cultures

Time in Cross-Cultural Communication

Lecture

Plan

I. Cultural differences and time orientation.

1. Monochronic and polychronic cultures.

2. Monochronic vs polychronic: comparative analysis.

II. Linear, flexible, cyclical concepts of time.

1. Linear time:

-the importance of schedules

- focus on the future

- measuring time in small units

2. Flexible time:

- emphasis on relationships

- focus on the present

- reluctance to measure

3. Cyclical time:

- understanding connections

- making decisions

- forging relationships

- focusing on the past

4. Conducting business in linear, flexible and cyclical cultures: guidelines.

Monochronic and Polychronic Cultures

It is essential when communicating in business to understand chronemics (attitudestoward time), or the way individuals interpret the use of time. Every culture views time differently and how it relates to the communication process. Continuing our series looking at cross-cultural communication issues we now turn our attention to monochronic versus polychronic cultures and the impact they can have on communication.

Cultures differ significantly in their attitude towards “time” and their ideas about its importance in human interactions. While time can be measured objectively by watches and clocks, the importance of time in everyday life is subject to many interpretations. A continuum that is often used to characterize a culture's attitude towards time is monochronic versus polychronic. Low-context cultures can generally be classified as achievement cultures, and they are, as Hall (1989) termed them, ‘ monochronic ’, viewing time as sequential and highly scheduled. To them, time is an absolute. High context cultures, on the contrary, tend to be ‘ polychronic ’, that is they are apt to be involved in a lot of different activities with different people at any given time.

Monochronic cultures like to do just one thing at a time. They value a certain orderliness and sense of there being an appropriate time and place for everything. They do not value interruptions. They like to concentrate on the job at hand and take time commitments very seriously. M-time people are oriented to tasks, schedules, and procedures. As anyone who has had experience with our bureaucracies knows, schedules and procedures take on a life all their own without reference to either logic or human needs. M-time is also tangible; we speak of it as being saved, spent, wasted, lost, made up, crawling, killed, and running out.

In addition monochronic people tend to show a great deal of respect for private property and are reluctant to be either a lender or a borrower. This is part of a general tendency to follow rules of privacy and consideration as well as adhere religiously to plans. Punctuality is considered a positive attribute that conveys the nonverbal message of being respectful of other persons. Tardiness is interpreted as rudeness, a lack of consideration for others, or a lack of interest in the job or meeting. Being late also sends the nonverbal message that you are not well organized.

Polychronic cultures like to do multiple things at the same time. A manager's office in a polychronic culture typically has an open door, a ringing phone and a meeting all going on at the same time. Though they can be easily distracted they also tend to manage interruptions well with a willingness to change plans often and easily. People are their main concern (particularly those closely related to them or their function). For polychronic people, time is seldom experienced as "wasted," and is apt to be considered a point rather than a ribbon or a road, but that point is often sacred. Polychronic cultures are by their very nature oriented to people. Any human being who is naturally drawn to other human beings and who lives in a world dominated by human relationships will be either pushed or pulled toward the polychronic end of the time spectrum. If you value people, you must hear them out and cannot cut them off simply because of a schedule. P-time cultures stress involvement of people and completion of transactions rather than adherence to preset schedules. Their tendency to build lifetime tasks and objectives are more like desirable outcomes than must do's. Punctuality is not widely regarded. In Latin American countries, the “manana” attitude (putting off until tomorrow what does not get done today) has been a source of frustration for time-sensitive U.S. executives when conducting business with people of that culture.

If you live in the United States, Canada, or Northern Europe, you live in a monochronic culture. If you live in Latin America, the Arab part of the Middle East, or sub-Sahara Africa, you live in a polychronic culture.

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