If someone has a polychronic time orientation

The difference between "clock time" and "social time" is made in all societies, but in general, a society tends to operate most of the time on the basis of either monochronic or polychronic time. The more rigid monochronic cultures tend to be found largely among Euro-American nations, while polychronic time is characteristic of much of sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, large areas of South and Southeast Asia, the Pacific islands, the Middle East, and among tribal populations everywhere.  

For a study abroad student to avoid constant frustration, it is essential for them to have some idea about how a culture is likely to view time. If what you define as "chronic lateness" is perceived in the host culture as "reasonably on time," it is clear that you will need to adjust your expectations of how long things will take to accomplish. It would also be advisable that you prepare to ease up a bit, if you are a monochronic type, on obsessing over maintaining strict schedules in cultures with a more relaxed approach towards timetables and punctuality. On the other hand, you might be a polychronic person even though you have grown up in US-American culture where the majority is not. In that case, going to, say, Argentina or Mexico would be relatively easy and suit your personal preferences, while going to Germany, France, or England might be somewhat more of a challenge. 

Obviously, no culture is exclusively one way or the other in time preferences, but understanding the general approach that local people will take towards management of time will help in reducing frustration in everyday life. Time is going to have a fairly immediate impact upon every study abroad student, including how classes are scheduled, and when and how long they meet; how long (and when) stores will be open for business; when meals are scheduled; office hours of governmental and administrative offices; local transportation schedules, and hundreds of other common circumstances. 

Conceptions of time are closely related to another "contrast set" that is useful to know about termed �High and Low Context� cultures. Continue to the next section (1.4.6) for an explanation of High and Low context cultures and a quiz to help you figure out which type of culture seems most natural to you (and why you might want to adjust your behavior if you turn out to be a Low context type (US-Americans tend towards a more low context style) but are about to enter a High context study abroad site (e.g., Japan, China, Brazil, Nepal among many others).

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Research by Harvard Business Review found that

“between 10% and 20% of all U.S. managers sent abroad returned early because of job dissatisfaction or difficulties in adjusting to a foreign country.”

One of the primary adjustments to make as a manager in a foreign country is adjusting one’s bodyclock to the culture’s time perception.

As we’ve learned these past few weeks, polychronic and monochronic cultures operate according to clocks that have been set very differently – not just in two different time zones, but more like in two different space-time continuums.

Polychronic cultures have a more fluid view of time, while in monochronic cultures, time is linear.

If you’re sent to manage a company in another country, you might need to acquire – or at least adjust to – their view of time.

But you can’t just reset your watch, so how do you make these adjustments actionable?

Being a Monochron

For those coming from a polychronic culture into a monochronic culture, you might proactively focus on these aspects of time perception:

• Punctuality and organization – both the manager and the staff know their schedule in advance and are expected to be prompt at meetings. Punctuality is key to keeping everything else on track, like a well-oiled machine.
• Time management tools – many countries in monochronic cultures use time management tools to keep joint calendars as a team and stay on task. Tools like Scoro, Asana, and Trello come to mind.
• Linear activities – monochronic time systems move one step at a time. Once one task is completed and accounted for, an employee can move onto the next, ensuring focus and efficiency.
• Individual drive and achievement – individual successes are celebrated, both personally and by the company (think “employee of the month”). This motivates personal drive and performance.
• Meeting deadlines – deadlines in monochronic cultures are hard stops. Work is expected to be completed promptly by deadline in a task-oriented fashion.

If you, as a polychron, can tune into these time- and motivation-related aims, you will be a more successful manager in a monochronic culture.

Being a Polychron

For those coming from a monochronic culture into a polychronic culture, you might proactively focus on these aspects of time perception.

• Interaction – relationships and personal connections are a normal part of the workday. While tasks are set, personal interaction with colleagues and clients is expected and often prioritized.
• Integrated activities – multitasking is common, and tasks are completed in an integrated and often leisurely fashion, with those who have finished their tasks pulling in to help others.
• Group effort – as mentioned above, tasks are more often a group effort, as polychronic businesses often have a flat management structure where peer support is encouraged. Thus, individual recognition isn’t so important as group recognition.
• Flexibility – there is a more flexible agenda in polychronic cultures, with employees not worrying too much about a hard deadline.
• High context communication – all crucial information is shared, along with background information, and often in a manner where tone and visual cues are emphasized and interpreted.

When stepping into another culture’s time perception, making pointed actionable adjustments will help you adjust your bodyclock in a concrete way to a foreign culture.

What is Polychronic time orientation?

What is a Polychronic person?

What are the traits of a Polychronic individual?

Which of the following statements best describes a polychronic time orientation?