You are in a meeting with an international executive at his office. A colleague comes in to talk to him during your appointment and he accepts two phone calls. This probably means that: a.)he thinks you are less important than the other callers. b.)he is disorganized. c.)his culture is monochronic. d.)his culture is polychronic.
Please let us know what YOU THINK -- then someone here will be able to comment on your conclusion.
There's no way we can tell what he "probably" thinks. The meeting could be about tomorrow's golf game. You may not be important. He may be disorganized.
This is probably the answer that's required:
http://hackvan.com/etext/monochronic-vs-polychronic-time.html
i think it's d polychronic.
D is probably the required answer.
To determine the most likely answer, let's break down the situation and the possible explanations:
a.) He thinks you are less important than the other callers: While it's possible that he prioritizes the other callers over you, this assumption may not necessarily be accurate without additional context.
b.) He is disorganized: This could be a possibility, but it's difficult to conclude solely based on the information provided. Disorganization could have various causes, and it would require further observation or knowledge of the executive’s work habits to ascertain this.
c.) His culture is monochronic: Monochronic cultures generally emphasize punctuality and prefer to focus on one task at a time. In such cultures, it would be seen as impolite or disrespectful to accept phone calls or allow interruptions during a scheduled meeting. Given that the executive accepted phone calls and allowed a colleague to interrupt the meeting, this is less likely to be the case.
d.) His culture is polychronic: Polychronic cultures tend to have a more fluid concept of time and place a higher value on relationships and flexibility. In polychronic cultures, accepting phone calls or allowing interruptions during a meeting may be considered normal or even necessary to maintain social connections and address urgent matters. This seems to be the most plausible explanation based on the behavior described.
Therefore, the answer is likely d.) his culture is polychronic. However, it's important to note that generalizations about cultural behavior should be made cautiously, as individuals may have their own personal work habits that do not necessarily align with broader cultural norms.