Perceiving Time across Monochronic and Polychronic Culture

Time is perceived differently across cultures. Often a culture's sense of time is so ingrained that few people consider it in 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 polychromic manner may change plans frequently, consider schedules as goals instead of imperatives, and focus on relationships with people.
Those who view time as linear and scheduled have a monochromic manner towards time.
We tend to think of Asian countries and Latin American countries as being polychromic. France is too! South and Southeast Asia are considered polychronic, but Japan is monochronic, and China is somewhere in between, more monochromic than polychronic. U.S, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands? Monocrhronic
How does this difference in time affect us?

Strongly polychronic cultures may have an aversion to rigid deadlines. With colleagues and business partners from polychronic 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 a relationship with your 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 productivity. Monochronic time to be easier to control and co-ordinate. Monochronicity is seen to be well suited to the management of large systems. Most organizations take monochronicity 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 more suitable in the developmental stages of an organization, for smaller systems and for organizations where one gifted person is the central point of co-ordination.

Do these two ever blend?
Technology enables us to involve ourselves simultaneously in several tasks which are located at different places. Technology is enhancing 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.


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