MONOCHRONİC SOCIETIES
.time needs to be controlled
.punctuality is important: TİME is MONEY
.the porject is
.deadlines, schedules and plans can be relied on
.emphasis on past and future
.one thing done at a time
.link with specific culture
SYNCHRONİC SOCIETIES
.everything takes its own time
.punctuality is less important: you GİVE people TIME
.people and relations are important
.deadlines, schedules and plans are frequently changed
.emphasis on here and now
.many things done simultaneously
.link with diffuse culture
In this part of the blog we will talk about the experience of time of Turkish culture compared to Belgium’s. Monochronic cultures prefer doing just one thing at a time but thoroughly. They value a certain orderliness and presence of an appropriate time and place for everything. Synchronic perception of time is exactly the opposite. A culture leaning more towards this model prefers doing multiple things at the same time. A manager's office in a Synchronic culture typically has an open door, a ringing phone and a meeting all going on at the same time.
If we are to describe the differences in the experience of time between Turkish and Belgian culture we could say that in Turkey time is perceived in a more flexible way than in Belgium.
By comparing university policies for instance, schools in Turkey are rather loose when it comes to deadlines, appearance in class, punctuality, etc. If you are not able to reach class in time, or you are just late due to circumstances, teachers will still more easily admit you to attend the class. In Belgium repeated absence will definitely not be taken in gratitude and is often even considered rude behavior. Punishment measures can sometimes be taken.
Another example of a more flexible lifestyle in Turkish culture is the frequent postponing of appointments with the doctor, the dentist, a business meeting...
Cancelling an appointment up to three times is no exception. One can definitely say that this is “not done” in Belgium. Doctors have the authority to charge you a fine for doing so.
When talking about transportation, we can make a very similar comparison. The time schedules of buses, trains, ferries and many other mediums in Turkey are more of a guide of around what time something is departing or arriving. Departure and arrival times are the only times displayed and they are only available in the main and final station or on the internet. None of the stops in between are equipped with time schedules.
By comparing these two different cultures in sense of importance of time, the discrepancies can easily be noticed. In Turkey, when people apply to the courthouse for the necessary documents and letters you need in order to register a new job for example, they will respond to you too late because of the excessive bureaucracy. Because of this and the absence of necessary documents people often don’t get the job. This example only occurs in a culture where flexible time understanding exists. In other words, people are not aware of the preciousness of time and consider it less important
Kadir Can Türkoğlu
Maxime Dewalhens
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