TimetostopexcusesforlatenessTherearealwaysacoupleofpeopleineveryofficewhoarehabituallylateforwork.Howshouldamanagerhandletheprobleminamulticulturalenvironment?Shouldhebepat

　　Timetostopexcusesforlateness

　　Therearealwaysacoupleofpeopleineveryofficewhoarehabituallylateforwork.Howshouldamanagerhandletheprobleminamulticulturalenvironment?Shouldhebepatientbecausedifferentcultureshavetheirownconceptsoftime?Orshouldhetakedisciplinaryaction?

　　ScholarstellusthatWesternersandAsiansapproachtimedifferently.CulturallyWesternerslivemoreinthepresentandthenearfuture.Asianslivemoreintheancientpastorinthedistantfuture.

　　Asianstrytoavoidaneurotic(神经过敏的)slaverytotimeviewinglifeasapassingmomentineternity(来世).Theyenjoythesenseof“zerogravity”thatcomesfromtravelingwithoutanimmediategoaloranurgentobjective.

　　TomanyAsianslifeisalongjourneyandhappinessissimplynotamatteroftime.Insteadofrushingtheyprefertomaintainasteadypace.Quietlywatchingtheseasonschangeorchildrengrowiscertainlynotconsideredawasteoftime.

　　Westernersbelievethathappinessisjustoverthenexthill.Alittlemoretimemoneyorstrugglewillgetthemthere.Americansinparticularlivebytime-pressingschedulesanddeadlines.

　　Buthowdoesthisinsightrelatetotheneedforpunctuality(守时)intheoffice?Shouldweinferfromthisdifferenceinculturaloutlookthatit’sjustifiedforsomeemployeestobelateintoday’sofficelife?Doesitmeanthatamanagershoulddisregardpunctualityasanofficediscipline?

　　Onthesurfaceitmightseemthatamanagermayhavetobemoretolerantaboutpunctualitywithsomeculturalgroupsthanothers.Butthisisunwarrantedinanurbancivilization.Itwouldhavebeliefintheacademicliteraturethatimpliesthetimeorientation(定向)insuchacultureisinferiortothatinthewest.

　　Thisconfusestwoentirelydifferentthings:observanceofpunctualityandthephilosophicalopinionsoftime.

　　Aperson’sbeliefthattimeismeasuredincenturiesratherthaninsecondshasnothingtodowithhisabilitytoshowupontimeattheofficeeveryday.NoAsianemployeewouldeveruseaculturalexcuseforbeinglate.Hemaycertainlyemploymoremodernexcusessuchasatrafficjamaslowwatchoraparkingproblem.TheseexcusesarethesameasthoseusedbytheofficeworkerintheWest.Whyisitcons