TY  - JOUR
AB  - The current paradigm of time in the marketing literature is one where
time is linear, quantifiable and predominantly chronological in nature.
This is merely one construct of one aspect of time and a construct that
is largely specific to a western, industrialized society. The
associated theory of time allocation assumes individuals seek to
compress time‐consuming activities. Time compression and the speeding‐up
of activities are a current feature of both consumer and industrial
marketing. Discusses other constructs of time, drawn from the fields of
sociology, psychology and anthropology. Time is two concepts, duration
and succession. Time can be cyclical rather than linear and is seen as
such within concepts such as the product life cycle. It can also be
episodic, as in the celebration of events. Questions whether time is
ever truly linear, as our perception of duration varies with the content
of the activities that fill that duration. This suggests an alternative
to time compression, to fill empty time so as to make duration appear
faster. Discusses the limitations of current theory and concepts.
Suggests a relativistic approach of describing or scoping time‐consuming
activities as an alternative towards developing a more universal
understanding of time allocation. Argues that progress is needed in the
area to meet the needs of a society where time in general and leisure
time in particular are ever more significant.
VL  - 28
IS  - 8/9
SN  - 0309-0566
DO  - 10.1108/03090569410067604
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/03090569410067604
AU  - Davies Gary
PY  - 1994
Y1  - 1994/01/01
TI  - What Should Time Be?
T2  - European Journal of Marketing
PB  - MCB UP Ltd
SP  - 100
EP  - 113
Y2  - 2024/04/23
ER  -