Monochronic Cultures | One Thing at a Time: In a monochronic culture like the United States or countries in northern Europe, time is a commodity. We have expressions like "waste time" or "lose time" or "time is money". As you have probably already figured out, because time is such a commodity, showing up late, especially for a meeting or a dinner, usually comes across as very disrespectful. A monochronic culture functions on clock time. People like to focus on one thing at a time and are usually concerned with completing objectives in a systematic way. In a meeting, it's often important to stick to the plan or agenda and not to get "off track" by talking about unrelated topics.
Polychronic Cultures | Many Things at the Same Time: Polychronic cultures like southern Europe, Latin American countries and the Middle East, take a very different view towards time. People from these cultures often believe that time cannot be controlled and it is flexible. Days are planned based on events rather than the clock. For many people in these cultures, when one event is finished, it is time to start the next, regardless of what the clock says. In a business exchange in a polychronic culture, sticking to an agenda might not be very important. Instead, many tasks like building relationships, negotiating or problem solving, can be accomplished at the same time.
Monochronic Cultures | One Thing at a Time: In a monochronic culture like the United States or countries in northern Europe, time is a commodity. We have expressions like "waste time" or "lose time" or "time is money". As you have probably already figured out, because time is such a commodity, showing up late, especially for a meeting or a dinner, usually comes across as very disrespectful. A monochronic culture functions on clock time. People like to focus on one thing at a time and are usually concerned with completing objectives in a systematic way. In a meeting, it's often important to stick to the plan or agenda and not to get "off track" by talking about unrelated topics.
Polychronic Cultures | Many Things at the Same Time: Polychronic cultures like southern Europe, Latin American countries and the Middle East, take a very different view towards time. People from these cultures often believe that time cannot be controlled and it is flexible. Days are planned based on events rather than the clock. For many people in these cultures, when one event is finished, it is time to start the next, regardless of what the clock says. In a business exchange in a polychronic culture, sticking to an agenda might not be very important. Instead, many tasks like building relationships, negotiating or problem solving, can be accomplished at the same time.
