In order to understand how a supposedly black-and-white concept can be interpreted in different ways, you first have to understand how different cultures perceive time. Western cultures tend to view time as linear, with a definitive beginning and end. Time is viewed as limited in supply, so Western people structure their lives, especially business operations, by milestones and deadlines. Failure to meet them could be interpreted as having a poor work ethic or being incompetent.
Other cultures perceive time as cyclical and endless. More importance is placed on doing things right and maintaining harmony, rather than worrying about getting things done “on time.” In India, for instance, deadlines are viewed as “targets” to be met in the context of competing tasks and priorities and the potential damage a delay would have on a particular relationship.
This isn’t to say deadline-oriented cultures aren’t concerned with doing a job well or nurturing relationships, but getting the job done on time is the primary capitalistic driver of being first to market. It often takes precedence over whether relationships may be negatively impacted. Time often literally equals money, in terms of costs, profit margins, and beating the competition for market share.
2 thoughts on “HBR: Different Cultures See Deadlines Differently”
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There’s a piece of advice given me by those folks who trained me to argue Young Earth Creationism that, I think, was very, very good and really should be taken by pretty much everybody (no matter who they are):
“Take evolution seriously.”Report
there are many varied time orientations even within the united states. mid atlantic culture, with some exceptions (DC, mostly) feels “slow” compared to NYC; it often gets even “slower” as you go further south.Report