Economic reasoning
While many would consider punctuality to be a social rather than an economical problem, economists have tried in vain to apply economics principles to this phenomena. The Game Theory has provided a model of punctuality, based on the assumption that waiting is costly and unpleasant.
Here’s the logic: you don’t know when I’ll show up, and waiting is costly. If you’re early you’ll have to wait. If you’re late you won’t. So you come late. And I do the same thing.
Ergo, we’re both late.
It is therefore economic to be late. Off course many economists have found a discrepancy in this reasoning - as there is technically no equilibrium.
A following explanation is presented: if I assume you’ll show up at noon, I should show up at 12:10. But I know that you’re rational and will make the same calculation and will show up at 12:10 also. So I repeat the calculation and decide to show up at 12:20. And you do the same thing, and so on. These iterations continue… and we never show up.
Punctuality is therefore by nature an economic paradox.
Cultural difference – a nation, which is late
There seem to be different cultural attitudes towards punctuality. Some cultures put a premium on punctuality while others claim to value it when they do not or do not regard it as highly. Sweden, Finland, and the United States generally belong to the former, while to the latter category belong - among others - Spain, most of Latin America, and the Philippines.
Social psychologists have ascribed these differences to deep cultural facts, religion, and "national personalities." One theory, for example, has it that the changing of the seasons in more northern latitudes induces a greater respect for time - plant a little late or early and frost will wipe out your crop.
Some nations perceive there lack of punctuality as too costly. In Ecuador, for example, according to some estimates, habitual lateness costs 4.3 percent of GDP. Thus a national campaign is aiming to change the bad habit.
Other countries seem to benefit from being punctual nationwide. As proof, let me just mention that in numerous surveys of foreign business professionals, they have consistently rated the German habit of paying invoices on time as the quality they like most about doing business in the country.
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punctuality is overrated;) Slight delay is in good taste. If everyone always came on time the world would be a very boring place.
ReplyDeleteIn countries where people live less seriously than we are late to the agenda. If the Poles can accept more delay and more try to avoid them would have been happier.
I will not elaborate further on this because I become hailed as a heretic:)
mañana and Siga, Siga
Very interesting presentation :-) I wonder if we are more or less punctual as a nation- probably somewhere in the middle. Anyway, however sometimes being late may be profitable, I think it's good to respect other people's time. Being late is a bit selfish feather ;-)
ReplyDeleteI think that we are more in the latter category.
ReplyDeleteI like Mediterranean attitude to time. Life is more pleasant and easier. It is more directed towards man not job (like in Japan). Another extremum is South Africa when notion of time is firmly disrupted.
I find it funny when people try to apply some cosmic theories to simplest things. No offence meant to the poster of course. I direct that at people who actually research importance of being late in economy or such.
ReplyDeleteI mean yes, its obvious that people getting late may cause loses in various areas of economy but...
The whole thing about getting late by 10 minutes because other person will also get late? I mean come on...
This is not making it better, it is making it worse because if we do that we encourage others to get late more and more.
As far as I see as long as you come on time, in a job enviroment at least and try to enforce it, people will eventually notice they cant afford being late and theres a chance things will improve. Its as simple as that.
On the other hand if we start assuming people will get late and we will start comming late ourself, its like saying "Come whenever you wish, it doesnt matter".
And then people land surprised that things go wrong, then comming up with funny theories.
Its not a paradox, its just a result of incorrect behaviour and approach to the matter.
Trying to predict what other person does is fine but if we start going like "I think he will think that I thought he thinks...." then all hope is lost.