Initially I was wondering why is time orientation part of communication; however, after much thought, I guess I know the reason why. time orientation is very much affected by the culture in which a person lives in. for example, in the case of Singapore, we are a fast moving country; thus, anyone who lives in this society cannot afford to procrastinate or take their time to complete tasks that are being assigned to them. On the other hand, in a more relaxed country such as the Australia, it is known that their lifestyle is more laid-back and they are a slower moving society. In this case, Australians can afford to take their time to complete their assignments, instead of having to stay on after office hours just to complete their assignments.
The two types of time structures in culture include the polychromic and monochromic styles.
The polychromic style states that time can be stretched. This style views time in a more flexible manner and does not attach as much importance to it when structuring the activities of their daily lives. In this case, the priority of the person planning his time is placed on interpersonal relationships. In this case, timelines are more of estimations rather than firm deadlines that have to be met.
On the other hand, the monochromic style states that time is exhaustive. Time in this case is viewed in a straightforward fashion, as a real and tangible phenomenon and is rigidly structured. This means that time is fixed and that punctuality is taken very seriously. Time has to be managed carefully to ensure that it is well divided amongst all the other tasks.
In the case of Singapore, we make use of the monochromic style in everything that we do. When we are in school, we are taught that time management is very important. Thus, we have to split our time carefully amongst the many different modules that we have to juggle in a semester. At the same time, Singaporeans live by the phrase “time is money”. This clearly proves that we believe that time cannot be stretched and that timely deadlines should be met regardless of how tight the deadline is.
On the other hand, as stated, Australia is a more laid back country that makes use of the polychromic style. Being more laid back does not mean that this cultural style is wrong. Polychromic style gives Australians more freedom to do the things that they deem are more important first. In this case, as they assume that interpersonal relationships are important, work often takes the back seat when it is compared with relationships. Employees are not expected to work late, as they believe in family time.
Differences in the two styles do not mean that any one style is superior over the other. It only meant that people would have different priorities.
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Whether we adapt to the polychronic or monochronic style of time management, I think that it is not just culture that affects it, but sometimes more to habit.
ReplyDeleteI have friends who have the habit of being late for most of their appointments, whether formal or casual. And I have tried asking a few them if it was just a habit or that they just simply couldn't make it on time. Most of them use "its just an incurable habit" as an excuse.
I adapt more to monochronic style of time management, as I do hope and attempt to be punctual for my appointments. The few exceptionals are when I know the other party will arrive later than me or when I really couldnt make it on time because of urgent matters.
:)
time management is so important in today's context. Time=$ Just imagine if evrybody was on time. How much resources/time we will get to save.
ReplyDeletebeing brought up in a family where puctuality i very much emphasized, i have grown to become someone who tries my very best to be punctual at all times, unless i really had something urgent to see to.
ReplyDeletethus, i believe that other than society, family upbringing is also an affecting factor in this case.
-j
Yes I agree. B ut maybe not as critical as teh society, perhaps?
ReplyDeletei would believe that culture would affect the time orientation instead of the other way round.
ReplyDeletethe context that people live their way is framed by culture. and this way of living would then reflect on the type of time orientation the individual would adopt, based on the cultural background.
Yes I agree. Culture plays a very important role in this context. In our Chinese culture, we know that Chinese wedding dinners are prone to start late, thus we would then to be more polychromic and to reach just in time to be seated for the dinner.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this is a bad habit, but it is very much shaped by how the culture works I guess.
Qian yi
I personally feel that it is not solely about priorities that determines the style that the person uses. It is also determined by the urgency of the situation. If the person is just going out to meet someone (maybe a friend), then it would be alright to practice the polychromic style. However, when the person is going to meet someone who is important, for example his boss, it would definitely be good for the person to practice the monochromic style.
ReplyDeleteI personally feel that society that he is in does not impact a person much in the style that he uses; conversely, it is the society which he is brought up in that shapes the style that he practices. This is evident when Singapore students go overseas to study and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteFrom my understanding, Singaporean students who go overseas to study (for example to Australia), would bring along their monochromic style and to ensure that they are always able to meet tight deadlines regardless of how much work they have. They understand that time is an important factor and that it cannot be stretched. Thus, from what I understand from my friends who went overseas, they often tell me that they are always early for lessons in school. On the other hand, the local students in Australia would always be late for class. This is because living in a laid-back country, they tend to feel that the amount of time that they have can be stretched over and beyond what was initially given to them. By being able to bring our Singaporean culture over to the Australia, it clearly shows that our students are not being influenced by the environment that they are in, but by the environment that they are brought up in. this is because Singapore has already shaped and mould their beliefs that time is money and that it should not be wasted.
Ming li.
I do not agree that there is no one style which is superior over the other.
ReplyDeleteIf polychromic and the monochromic style is the same, there would thus no longer be any motivation for people to continuously be on the move and to try to save time for themselves. I feel that the monochromic style is still somewhat superior over the polychromic style because it helps to inculcate in the person’s mind that time is precious and we should not waste it. When time is wasted, it is almost impossible to get it back anymore.
Be it in a laid back country or a fast moving society, I feel that time should never go to waste. If we have more time, we can then make more time for our family and friends. thus, ultimately the monochromic style is still more superior.
les
Being in a fast moving society, I still notice that I have many friends who practice the polychromic style. They often are not punctual for meetings and always have excuses for being late. Thus I do not agree that it is the society is the sole contributor that shapes the method that we use.
ReplyDeletejolin
The style that one uses is very reflective of the time management skill that the person will possess. This is because if the person believes in the polychromic style, he/she would then have very poor time management since he/she feels that time can be stretched. There is no need to plan ahead; everything can wait. On the other hand, if the person believes in the monochromic style, he/she would then have very good time management because he/she would constantly be planning his/her time properly to ensure that everything would run smoothly.
ReplyDeleteI think that a monochromic form of time orientation would induce more low contextual forms of communications and vice versa. Here's why:
ReplyDeleteWith time being inflexible in a monochromic time orientation, I think people are often more concerned about the direct meaning of the message. They would not have the luxury of time to decode a high context message as it would probably leave them frustrated; which again, isn't a surprise with all the date lines on their heels.
Time orientation really reflects a lot about a person, be it in our private lives or when we are outdoors. The main focus that time orientation places on is punctuality. If a person is able to be punctual all the time, it clearly shows that this person practices the monochromic style. On the other hand, if someone is always late, he practices the polychromic style.
ReplyDeleteLiving in Singapore, where everyone is so competitive and is constantly on the move, it is really surprising to be able to see people who practice the polychromic style. Don’t you ever wonder why? I guess a lot of emphasis is placed on attitude. How the person views the situation and his priorities. If the situation is deemed as something which is not important to him, he would tend to be more stretchy in his time.
As stated, neither style is more superior to the other. It only depends on the situation that the person is in at that point of time.
ReplyDeleteIf a person is supposed to attend a meeting, it is nonetheless natural that the person will make use of the monochromic style. On the other hand, when it is time to relax and take a break, for example when the person is on leave, it is natural that he would want to take things easy, and thus practice the polychromic style.
Thus, in conclusion, I believe that both styles can exist in a person. it is just a matter of when he practices which style.
I guess time management communicates a lot about a person. if there is someone who is perpetually late for no appropriate reason, it clearly shows that this person is someone who takes things very lightly. And this is also true for the reverse, that if someone is always punctual or early eve, it shows that the person is someone who takes things very seriously.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I must state that this does not fully reflect everything about the person. there is someone who can be perpetually late, but he is able to produce very good work. It is true that this person should be faulted for his inability to be punctual, however, we must bear in mind that he is someone who works well. Thus, a polychromic style person may not necessarily be someone who is incapable. At the same time, someone who practices the monochromic style may not necessarily be the best employee in the office.
Thus, time orientation should not be used as a factor to judge people.