I tried looking at the different punctuality traits* among people coming from different parts of the world. The general perception (among a few that caught my interest) seems to be as given below
PUNCTUAL | UNPUNCTUAL |
Japanese | Indians |
Chinese | Italians |
Chileans | Moroccans |
Dutch | Indonesians |
I feel the above traits are very well summarised in the below website. All you need to do is click on the country your interested in and it pops up the time and the business punctuality traits of the people of that nation. J
I found that interesting.... What about you?
Punctuality comments on the Web that caught my eye.
‘Punctuality could be considered the Achille's heel of many Italians and the further south you go the less importance is placed on being on time.’
It is inadvisable to expect punctuality in India. Therefore, it is advisable not to schedule too many appointments in one day. Always be prepared for lengthy delays when dealing with the government.
...being on time every time, is the first step towards building trust and reliability in Japan. This is true both in business as well as personal relationships.
Chinese think punctuality is a virtue and try to practice it especially in the business world. Chinese usually tend to come a bit earlier to show their earnestness. And it would not be regarded as being late if you come within 10 minutes.
I created the Punctuality table with references from below sites. They include the quote extracts too.
http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/feb/21japan.htm *Disclaimer: I accept there are exceptions and not everybody can be type casted with the traits of his/her fellow citizens!
I checked the link for punctuality around the world. It is true that middle-eastern like to socialize more than to work. They are intended to worry what others think and do instead work on themselves to improve productivity.
ReplyDeleteHey Salma, your absolutely right! Just as you found the traits specified for middle-eastern countries to be true, I thought that the analysis for Indians was very apt especially in government firms! When in India, if I had any work at the government offices, I usually had to take a day off from work, for a job that should have normally taken only 20 minutes of my time!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting approach. Probably that is the way punctuality works in India. They take it for granted that being half an hour late is a virtue of punctuality. Two people have an appointment at 2 o’clock and both of them are late half an hour. That is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteEarlier that is exactly how things worked out in India. Both parties used to be late and nobody really felt they had to justify their delay. However it's becoming an issue now more than ever because modern generation expects punctuality while the older generation can't get rid of their tardiness.
ReplyDeleteI think the different cultures decide people’s perspective of punctuality. As long as it suitable for that culture environment, I think we don’t need to treat punctuality so strictly, which means no single standard.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the idea of punctuality varies from country to country. Like Yaqin said, as long as it's suitable for that environment than there shouldn't be an issue. When doing business with other cultures (ex. Someone from India travelling to America to meet with clients) it's good to adapt to what they find acceptable in their society rather than arriving as normal. I think when situations like this arrive, then the question is raised of who's right? Who's version of punctuality is right and how the rest should adapt when travelling.
ReplyDeleteAmanda, that's a good question about who is right when punctuality traits of two cultures clash at one meeting. I guess, in a situation like that the best option would be to stick to punctuality.
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ReplyDeleteVery amazing and interesting post, thank you for sharing
ReplyDeleteXyore -
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