The Concept of Time

Everyone has a different concept of time. Some people believe it is acceptable to be five or ten minutes late while others cringe at the idea of even being a few minutes late. Living cross-culturally I have definitely experienced the concept of time differ from my own. To better explain, I will describe two extremes of the concept of time: monochronic and polychronic.

In monochronic time, time is the given and people are the variable. The needs of people are adjusted to suit the demands of time. People do one thing at a time and finish it before starting something else, regardless of circumstances.

In polychronic time, time is the servant and tool of people. Time is adjusted to suit the needs of people. More time is always available, and you are never too busy. People often have to do several things simultaneously, as required by circumstances. It’s not necessary to finish one thing before starting another, nor finish your business with one person before starting in with another.

America is very much a monochronic country, whereas China is a polychronic country. At the bank or post office in America, we form lines and the teller deals with one person at a time. This seems to us the most time-efficient. At the bank or post office in China, the teller may be helping multiple people at one time, with no real line formed. To me this is very frustrating, as I believe a person should be served according to when they arrived. If you arrived first, you should be served first. The Chinese understand time differently and time-efficiency is not a priority. The post office lady will most likely be selling one person stamps, helping another person with a box and making a payment on another person’s bill all at the same time. To me this is inefficient; to them it makes perfect sense.

Here are a few examples of monochronic vs. polychronic:

Mono:

• Time is money
• To be late is rude.
• Schedules are sacred.
• The focus is on the task, getting the job done.
• Plans are fixed, once agreed upon.
• Having to wait is an insult.
• Interruptions are bad.
• People stand in line.
• This attitude is consistent with an individualist viewpoint.

Poly:

• Being made to wait is normal.
• Interruptions are life.
• The focus is on the person, establishing a relationship.
• Deadlines are approximations.
• To be late is to be late.
• Focus on the internal clock.
• Plans are always changing.
• People are never too busy.
• This attitude is consistent with a collectivist viewpoint.

Which kind of person are you, monochronic or polychronic?

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Resource used: Culture Matters: The Peace Corps Cross-Cultural Workbook