People work differently in different cultures in relation to
time. One distinction is whether people are 'monochronic' or 'polychronic'.
Monochronic people; they are the kinds who are known for being punctual, giving
great importance to doing things on time. They tend to do things linearly and
orderly, one at a time, and if somebody throws off the schedule by not doing
the job on schedule, they get upset.
Polychronic
people, on the other hand, they focus more on people and relationships, and
they do many things at the same time, and if something doesn't happen at the
specified time, for them, it isn't a big deal. The U.S., England, Germany,
Scandinavia - they're predominantly monochronic cultures. Most other countries
are polychronic like Mediterranean countries, the Middle East, Africa, most of
Asia. In these countries, the fulfillment of the transaction will all depend on
lots of things.
In the
Philippines, particularly in our bureaucracy, Monochronic or Polychronic has no
significance at all. The public officials, in general, do their duties and
obligations in the service for the public, as always, in an inordinate delay as
if there are such things inside them as vampires... energy sucking, draining
vampires that zap all their positive energy. But everything that is in a snail
pace movement can turn into a rocket velocity if grease money lands into the right
palms.
Admittedly,
nobody can change the long-standing norm that money is the alchemy of power to
brew synthetic rule on honesty into dishonesty. In fact, Money is the end that
justifies all means. It is the rationale that permits decent men to make
indecent decisions. It is therefore unlikely that total virtue will ever find
its way into the corridors of men who wield power.
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