Business Across Cultures: Sense of Time

A culture's sense of time is the importance given in that culture to the

past, present or future. In a culture that is past-oriented, it is believed
that man should look to tradition and precedent as a model for living
today. A present-oriented culture believes that the present is
everything and you should enjoy today with little concern for
tomorrow. Finally, a culture that is future-oriented has a belief that
planning and goal-setting make it possible for man to succeed.
Most Western cultures are future-oriented with a very strong belief
that organization, planning and goal achievement are the cornerstones
of success. This is so important to some cultures that people from
other cultures perceive them as being obsessive. For example,
Americans are often seen as workaholics, placing the importance of
success and goal accomplishment over that of personal relationships.
There is a wide gap between the way that mainstream Indonesian
culture and most Western cultures view the sense of time. While
Western cultures look to the future, the Indonesian culture is generally
past-oriented.
For instance, while most Indonesians have a keen perception of time,
it is often focused on the past and includes an interest in heirlooms
and a regard for ceremonies, rituals, history, and pedigrees.
Indonesia has a particularly colorful and often glorious past. Three of
the major kingdoms in Southeast Asian history had their capitals in
what is now Indonesia. Buddhist Sriwijaya, Hindu Majapahit and the
great Muslim Sultanate of Mataram still have strong cultural influences
on modern Indonesia. All three of these kingdoms held sway over most
of what is now present-day Indonesia and some received tribute from
as far away as present-day Thailand and Cambodia. When Indonesia
gained independence after centuries of colonial domination, it seemed
natural that its culture would look to the glories of the past as a guide
for the future.
For Western businessmen with a future-oriented viewpoint, the general
past orientation of Indonesian culture can present many problems in
the workplace. Project completion, production schedules, and

deadlines are areas that often bring Western and Indonesian cultures
into direct conflict. Indonesian culture demands that time be invested
in building relationships, considering ideas, and preparing to act. The
concept is that these important actions should not be rushed and that
time is required to ensure that everything is done correctly. If that
means that a deadline is missed or an order is late, everyone should
understand that this was just the amount of time that it took.
If a Western manager has a time is money mentality, or has the
home office breathing down his neck, or has a line of work that
requires precise deadlines and timing, this is extremely frustrating.
Failing to meet deadlines is a cardinal sin in Western business culture.
It implies incompetence and that alone is often sufficient reason to
dismiss an employee.
One of the reasons that this can become such a problem for foreign
companies is that meeting deadlines is so basic to their culture that it
is a non-negotiable point. Foreign managers may be asked to make
many concessions when working in Indonesia, but this is one area
where Indonesian personnel should conform to mainstream Western
business culture.
Western managers asking Indonesian personnel to meet precise
timetables and schedules have to understand that they are asking for
something that is difficult for many Indonesians. It may be outside
their experience and they may not understand the importance. As a
Western manager, you have to be sure that the concept of goal setting
and deadlines is explained clearly and often. People need to
understand what is expected of them. Too often, Western managers
assume that Indonesian personnel have the same business values as
themselves-and that is wrong.
This article was generously contributed by George B. Whitfield, III
when he was a Technical Advisor with Executive Orientation Services.
Source: http://www.expat.or.id/business/senseoftime.html