International Human Resource Management-MJ Version

mean that colleagues will get to know each other’s family. The authority derived
from an individual’s position within an organization will not transfer outside
the workplace – for example, were a manager to meet their subordinate socially,
on the golf course for example, they would acknowledge the subordinate’s supe-
rior skill as a golfer and seek their advice in improving their golf game. However,
in a diffuse environment the various spheres of life (work, family, leisure, etc.)
are more integrated. The workplace status of the manager flows through to all
other areas of activity and the hierarchy/power base is maintained.
The dimension Sequential versus Synchronic time is composed of two
themes: ability to perform in a certain time frame and time orientation. In The
Silent Language, Hall (1959) introduces the terms monochronic (one time) and
polychronic (several times). Monochrony is a perception that time is linear,
sequential and definite whereas polychrony is a perception that time is multi-
ple, synchronic and diffuse. Illustrations can be found in an individual’s behav-
ior, whether they have the ability to do several things at the same time
(polychronic) or the ability to differentiate activities into sequences (mono-
chronic). Trompenaars (1993) develops these themes regarding their implica-
tion for action made sequentially or synchronically in an organization (for

152 International Human Resource Management

Sample items from Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner’s measurement of

Individualism- Communitarianism

Individualism Communitarianism

Which kind of work is Everybody is allowed Everybody works together
found more frequently to work individually and you do not get
in your organization? and individual credit individual credit.
can be received.

A defect is The person causing the Because he or she happens
discovered in one of defect by negligence is to work in a team, the
the installations. It was the one responsible. responsibility should be
caused by negligence of carried by the group.
one of the members of a
team. Responsibility for
this mistake can be carried
in various ways. Which
one of these two ways of
taking responsibility do
you think is usually the
case in your society?
Source: Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner, 1997: 55–57.

TABLE 6.3