Concept of time

Cultures handle time differently. On one end of the spectrum, we have polychronic cultures, and on the other end we have monochronic cultures. The terms monochronic and polychronic have to do with how the people of one culture perceive and manage time. To polychronic cultures, time is continuous, with no particular structure. Polychronic people see time as a never-ending river, flowing from the infinite past, through the present, into the infinite future. Monochronic cultures relate to time differently. To them, time is discrete, not continuous. Monochronic cultures see time as being divided into fixed elements — seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, and so on — temporal blocks that can be organized, quantified and scheduled.

The table below summarizes the essential differences:

Monochronic people	Polychronic people
Do one thing at a time	Do many things at once
Concentrate on the job	Are highly distractible and subject to interruptions
Take time commitments (deadlines, schedules) seriously	Consider time commitments an objective to be achieved, if possible
Are low-context and need information	Are high-context and already have information
Are committed to the job	Are committed to people and human relationships
Adhere religiously to plans	Change plans often and easily
Are concerned about not disturbing others; follow rules of privacy and consideration	Are more concerned with those who are closely related (family, friends, close business associates) than with privacy
Show great respect for private property; seldom borrow or lend	Borrow and lend things often and easily
Emphasize promptness	Base promptness on the relationship
Are accustomed to short-term relationships	Have strong tendency to build lifetime relationships

Northern Europeans tend to have a monochronic view of time. Mediterranean, Latin American, and Arab cultures tend to have a polychronic view.