Perception of time changes between cultures, and this is particularly the case in Chinese culture. Many times the Western people do not understand the subtly of time in the Chinese culture. The difference can be as easy as knowing monochromatic time utilization. This type of time orientation is doing only one thing at a time. As opposed to multitasking or doing several things at one time as most Western cultures use, the Chinese focus on one task... You can read the full blog post here. https://www.laowaicareer.com/blog/tik-tok-time-perceptions-china/

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2. Time is something that all share but as a
cultural norm, the way that we look at it
changes from culture to culture. To many
Americans time is money as most who use
the services of a lawyer or doctor realize all
too quickly.

3. Americans value their time and exchange
hours for dollars as a matter of course. To
the Chinese, though, time is not linear. It is
part of a lasting culture in which the
individual is a pawn and time is very much
a valued commodity. Time isn’t capitalized
because it equates to money but it’s
valuable.

4. For example, after a meeting, the Chinese
will express the sentiment of gratitude
that you have taken your time to meet
with them. Time is highly valued, so it is
important not to be late to a meeting with
the Chinese as the tardiness is akin to
stealing or wasting their precious
commodity.

5. Cycle time is the day and night schedule that
we all share and that regulates most of our
lives. Cyclical time, though, is thought of
differently in the West as in the Eastern
cultures because the Western will view the
cycle of day and night as boring and take it for
granted. However, to Chinese, the chance to
rise again and have the precious commodity of
time is important in their life-cycle.

6. The cycles of time extend to seasons
and years. To the Chinese, the endless
cycle of birth and death is all part of
one great being and not separate as in
the West where birth is the beginning
of a new person and death the end.

7. Cycle time relates to a Chinese proverb
that states “When God made time, he
made plenty of it.” All of us share time but
in the Chinese view of time as a
monochromatic linear cycle, they only do
one this at a time. This primary activity is
deemed important enough to warrant
your time, and it is imperative to finish
the task in an exact time frame.

8. In the Western view of time as polychronic
flexibility is the key component. Several
activities are going on simultaneously. Their
importance in the whole scheme of life is not
critical or the order of completion not always
determined by each other. Many tasks end
naturally.

9. It is in part due to the belief regarding
the time that there are different
innuendos when the Chinese and the
westerns meet to do business. One
critical aspect is punctuality in various
cultures. To Chinese, being late to a
meeting is a grave insult.

10. The meeting is a critical time for the
businessperson and so to disregard the
importance of being on time is akin to
shooting yourself in the foot. It is best to
plan an agenda to get to the meeting
early to avoid any pitfalls that could
happen due to traffic or last minute tie-
ups.

11. Understanding the Chinese belief of the
importance of time and its value to life it
visualizes punctuality in different cultures
in of important so some cultures and not
to others. What comes along with the
understanding of the philosophy of time
trickles down to the decision in a meeting.

12. The Chinese are not prone to a commitment
after the first or second meeting, and they
tend to take their time to decide. A hierarchy
of decision makers is often used to come to
the result. Remembering the monolithic
nature of the view of time and the process of
values that the various cultures have will help
to understand why it takes so long in Western
terms to make a decision.

13. Perceptions of time are different for
cultures and for the international business
to proceed in a precise manner all must
understand and respect the cultural
differences of those in attendance. The
issue of respect clears up when you are on
time or even early for a business meeting.

14. You are respecting the time of others.
Thanking them after the meeting for
sharing of their time is another method of
showing abatement with the members of
the meeting. As a rule of thumb arrive at
least 15 minutes before the scheduled
time of the meeting.

15. In the business world, the notion of time
is also conveyed by the manner of dress
and some nonverbal communication. In
business situations, proper attire is
required. Clothing is so important for the
perceptions of time to other members of
the meeting that it is worth your time to
clarify the particulars before arriving at
the meeting.

16. Cultural time orientation is essential to the
intercultural communication research and
reflects the values of culture. The time
orientation issue is a lifestyle and in particular
with the Chinese, time has its unique benefits.
These values are deep-seated in the Chinese
culture, and as we learn from Confucius, the
cultural legacy transcends the individual’s time
sequence.

17. It is the process through which
generation after generation passes
through their time on earth. The
Chinese culture’s time can provide
insight and new ways of thinking for
the Westerners who equate time to
money.

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