REaCT: Lessons of tolerance - Inclusive teaching of adults

Time has different interpretations between cultures. Some cultures are monochronic and some others polychronic:

·        Monochronic cultures like to do just one thing at a time. They value a certain orderliness and a sense of an appropriate time and place for everything. They do not appreciate interruptions. They like to concentrate on the job at hand and take time commitments very seriously. People from monochronic cultures support and respect the private property and avoid lending or borrowing. This is part of a general tendency to follow rules of privacy and consideration as well as adhere religiously to plans. If you live in the United States, Canada or Northern Europe, you live in a monochronic culture.

·        Polychronic cultures like to do multiple things at the same time. A manager’s office in a polychronic culture typically has an open door, a ringing phone and a meeting all going on at the same time. Although they can be easily distracted, they also tend to manage interruptions well with a willingness to change plan often and easily. People are their primary concern (particularly those closely related to them or their function) and they tend to build lifetime relationships. If you live in Latin America, the Arab part of the Middle East or sub-Sahara Africa, you will be used to this behaviour. 

Cooperation and Communications between the two types can be difficult. Monochronic businessmen cannot understand why the person in meeting is always interrupted by phone calls and people stopping by. Is it meant to be insulting? Polychronic businessmen cannot understand how you can separate working time and personal time.

Recognizing the different perception of time between monochronic and polychronic culture, you can manage to have better communication and better cooperation

Monochronic People	Polychronic People
Do one thing at a time	Do many things in the same time
Concentrate on the job	Can be easily distracted and manage interruptions well
Take time commitments seriously	Consider an objective to be achieved, if possible
Are low context and need information	Are high context and already have information
Adhere religiously to plans	Change plans often and easily
Are concerned about not disturbing others; follow rules of privacy and consideration	Are more concerned about those who are closely related than privacy
Show great respect for private property; seldom borrow or lend	Borrow and lend things often and easily
Are accustomed to short term relationships	Have strong tendency to build lifetime relationships

Source: Adapted from Edward T. Hall, “Understanding cultural Differences: Germans, French, and Americans” (Yarmouth, ME: International Press, 1990).

Monochronic	Germans, Swiss, Austrians Germans, Swiss, Austrians Americans (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) Scandinavians, Finns British, Canadians, New Zealanders Australians, (white) South Africans Japanese Dutch, Flemish Belgian Other American cultures French, Walloon Belgium Koreans, Taiwanese, Singaporeans	ü  Plan ahead methodically ü  Do one thing at a time ü  Punctual ü  Stick to plans ü  Stick to facts ü  Get info from statistics, reference books, database ü  Work within department ü  Writs memoranda, use written record
Polychronic	Czechs, Slovakians, Slovenians, Croats, Hungarians Chines Northern Italians Chile Other Slavs Portuguese Spanish, Southern Italians, Other Mediterranean people Indians, and other Indian subcontinent Polynesians Latin Americans, Arabs, Africans	ü  Plan grand outline / “vision” ü  Do several things at once ü  Unpunctual ü  Change plans ü  Juggle facts ü  Get first-hand oral Information Talk for hours Dislike writing too much, prefer flexibility to commitment

Source: Based on Morden, 1999; Kotabe and Helsen, 2001[1].

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IovSk4cLCd0

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