How different culture perceive time: monochronic vs polychronic
Do you know there is up to 20% of expats that return home due to failure to adapt to different local values and norms or behavior within 2 years? (Bennett, Aston & Colquhoun, 2000) .
Hence, understanding cross-cultural communication is always the significant key that supports people when working or studying in different countries. Due to its wide concept, culture itself is easily understandable and adaptable that every young student can be involved and engaged as well as avoid cultural shock that drive the efficiency of his or her performance.
How does one monochronic person work with one polychronic within one company?
Below are some general characteristics that may help you understand more about these:
| Monochronic | Polychronic |
| Do only one thing at a time | Do multiple things at a time |
| Focus on task | Easy distracted and interrupted |
| Short-term relationships | Long-term relationships |
| Patient | Impatient |
| Commit to the job | Commit to relationship |
| Work fixed hours | Work at any time |
| Job-oriented | People-oriented |
| Introvert | Extrovert |
| Fixed plans | Change plans often and easily |
| View time commitment as critical | View time commitment as objectives |
When working with inter-cultural team, it is vital essentially that you must pay more attention to their own culture. The monochronic culture can be seen from the United States, UK, Canada and Northern European while people from China, Middle-East, Arabic and Africa are likely to be polychronic.
How about yourself?
Should you define yourself to figure out how can you work with the another type?
It is not too late to turn your attention to polychronic and monochronic cultures that develop your knowledge consciously in order to easily communicate in an effective way with different people from different cultures.
Hence, understanding yourself will enhance your competences when facing with different aspects of cultural diversity.
