A Cross-cultural Study On Chronemics

With the changing and developing of the world economy, China is inevitably influenced by the growing trend toward globalization. Cross-country and cross-cultural communication and cooperation are broadening and deepening. However, due to the differences in cultures and values, time management techniques which reflect different time perspectives and orientations between Chinese and western countries have their respective characters. Time management, just as the name implies, takes time as a manageable object, and is an important component of the western management science. In business settings which under the globalization environment, time management presents a tendency of dynamic development. With the opening up of Chinese economy, time management brings many advanced management ideas to domestic companies; meanwhile, in the progress of self-development of time management, many Chinese elements of cultural value are added to perfect the management science with traditional Chinese management philosophy. This thesis analyzes the tendency and causes of the development of time management from a completely new angle by using chronemics theory in intercultural communication. It provides some references for the integration of management science and management philosophy in business, as well as the establishment of advanced corporate cultures.This thesis takes a thorough cross-cultural analysis on the real cases collected from participant observation in multinationals and joint ventures on the basis of analyzing the three dimensions in chronemics, i.e. Hofstede's long-term/short-term orientation, Hall's monochronic/polychronic orientation, and Kluckhohn's past/present/future orientation. This study deepens the connotation of time management: not only focus on techniques in practical level, but reveals the relationship between time management and management philosophy in ideology level. Moreover, this study expounds the global significance of Chinese traditional value which is reflected in the current trend of management philosophy; and puts forward an idea of building up advanced corporate cultures with highly effectiveness.The main findings lie in: 1) The Chinese cultural values (long-term orientation and polychronicity) meet with the time management developing direction and reflect a people-orientated management philosophy. 2) The prominence of future-orientation in business settings reaches the society developing requires. 3) Ideas like people-orientation, keeping pace with time, and harmonious society in Chinese philosophy fit the human nature and conform to the need of joint development for all cultures in the trend of globalization.