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The purpose of this paper is to explore experiences of e-learners in relation to their time preferences, and to examine how technology changes temporal culture in e-learning.

A pilot study using multiple methods of data collection to provide a rich picture of the experience of e-learners in relation to temporal flexibility. Taking a narrative approach it analysed data from a survey, time tracking data as well as data from online discussion boards, learners’ assignments and short telephone interviews.

The study found e-learners may experience temporal culture shock when starting to study online for the first time. It highlights the need to explore an individual's time preference and to consider the temporal culture of the e-learning programme.

It highlights that the issue of time is still missing from educational studies and suggests that temporal aspects are included in e-learning research studies. This is a small exploratory study but it indicates the need for further research to explore the potential for temporal culture shock and influence of e-learner time preferences.

Designing an e-learning environment for learners needs to consider learner time preferences to ensure that temporal flexibility is a realised benefit, not a barrier to learning. The temporal culture of the online learning environment also needs to be made explicit so that learner expectations can be managed.

It contributes to the literature on e-learning in the higher education context by providing a temporal lens to explore learner experiences. It is of value to educationalists and learning technologists designing, delivering or evaluating e-learning programmes. Online learners may also benefit from its findings.

This chapter draws on recent literature in I/O psychology, management and sociology to posit a relationship between organizational structure and temporal structure and develops the construct of layered-task time. Layered-task time is similar to polychronic time (P-time) in the inclusion of simultaneous, multiple tasks but includes additional dimensions of fragmentation, contamination and constraint. The chapter links the development of this new time and its resultant time-sense to variation in the degree to which organizations are hierarchical and centralized and develops propositions about these relationships. The chapter contributes to the growing literature on workplace temporalities in the contemporary economy.

This paper is an investigation of the interrelationship between organisational culture and financial control systems (FCS). A comparison is made between three local government organisations using an interpretive research methodology. Several researchers have advocated the adoption of an interpretive approach, among others, to accounting research. The first part of the paper discusses the relevant literature and outlines the research framework used to analyse the empirical data. This framework is based on the approach to studying organisational culture developed by Whipp et al. in 1989 which views culture in terms of a set of core beliefs and four modes of expression of these beliefs. Further, the framework acknowledges the dynamic nature of culture and uses the concept of social dramas to study the interrelationship between culture and the FCS. The second part describes the cultures and the financial control systems of the three organisations and discusses the interrelationship between them using the research framework. The final part summarises the findings, discusses a general model of the interrelationships and suggests some directions for more research in this area.

This paper discusses national differences in the interpretation of time in mixed motive decision contexts, such as negotiation. Specifically, we consider how members of different national cultures (Portugal, Turkey, and the United States) experience temporality in these situations. We argue that cultural temporality such as polychronicity, future orientation, and uncertainty avoidance form part of a broader national environment. The national environment is also expressed in national stability factors such as legal systems, family ties, and homogeneity of populations. We propose that temporality and stability aspects of national environment determine negotiation paradigms, which subsequently influence temporality in negotiations. We conclude by suggesting that inclusion of complex and interdependent national environment factors in the study of negotiation has the potential to substantially advance our understanding of mixed motive decision situations.

As part of the developing attention being paid to time in organization science, this chapter discusses two temporal dimensions – polychronicity and speed – and develops propositions relating these two temporal dimensions to other organization science variables. The propositions are specified according to levels of analysis, at least three of which are considered in propositions presented for each dimension. Two other temporal dimensions – punctuality and temporal depth – are also described, albeit not as extensively as polychronicity and speed. A fifth temporal phenomenon, entrainment, provides insights into organizational processes as well as the four temporal dimensions. The chapter concludes by outlining some reasons for caution for both theory and practice.

Temporal dimensions of work is about how individuals perceive the concept of “time”. Time is the critical success factor in any organisation. This article focuses on the theme time, diversity and team performance with an attempt to emphasise that time acts as a mediator between the group and its performance in organisations. The question addressed in this paper is whether the different temporal dimensions of the diverse work force affects the team performance. The study also attempts to understand the impact of task meaningfulness, performance norms and organizational temporal orientations on the team performance in diverse work force.

States that today, the corporate environment is characterized by complexity, uncertainty, contingency and evolution. In these conditions, the design of a learning organization should be based upon Einstein’s conception of time, which represents a dramatic shift from our traditional organizations built upon Newton’s time. In this research, the author defined nine temporal dimensions of organizational culture (for instance schedules and deadlines) which could be managed in order to facilitate change and learning and examined them in relation to individuals’ polychronic behavior, a temporal orientation. Polychronic people do many things at once and experience time as a relatively intangible phenomenon that emerges from specific events. This empirical investigation shows that polychronic time use is related to several dimensions of temporal culture. These results can be used to make the development of learning organizations more effective, particularly when applied to human resource activities and programs.

Examines two temporal elements of organizational culture, polychronicity and speed values, and their effects on organizational performance. The study of these dimensions of culture and their effects on firm effectiveness is especially relevant for leaders who are responsible for the implementation of a firm’s culture as one of the firm’s strategic resources. The impacts of these temporal elements are examined individually and within the context of hypercompetitive industries.

The purpose of this paper is to explain how managers incorporate long-term thinking in their decision-making processes as an antipode to a widely criticized managerial short-termism. For this purpose, the authors present a model of the influence of institutional, cultural and individual temporal factors on managerial long-term orientation (LTO).

This conceptual paper is based on a multidisciplinary review of the literature on the causes of managerial LTO.

It is proposed that managerial LTO is influenced by cultural and institutional factors on both a societal and an organizational level, as well as by managers’ individual temporal predispositions and the strengths of relational commitments with different stakeholder groups. It is further expected that managerial LTO has an influence on sustainability-related managerial behavior.

As the presented model reveals the main factors that orient managers toward the long run in their decisions, it can also be used as a framework to evaluate policies to curb managerial myopia on both an organizational and a societal level.

As sustainability is intrinsically linked with the ability to think and act in the long term, understanding the factors that influence managerial LTO can also contribute to building more sustainable organizations.

One of the main contributions of this paper is that it highlights the link between reciprocal relationships and LTO, an aspect that has not yet been the focus of the literature on the temporal orientation of managers.

This paper aims at analyzing salient cultural transformations and their implications for business and management.

First, the interpretative approach is explained, and its adoption is justified. Then, seven major cultural transformations associated with globalization are identified and analyzed. Finally, business and management implications are discussed.

The cultural trends/transformations caused by or associated with globalization include convergence, divergence, hybridization, the clash of cultures/civilizations, diversity, multiculturalism, time-space compression, temporal acceleration, short-termism, risk, insecurity and uncertainty.

This study, like any other interpretative study, is limited in its internal validity. Furthermore, some scholars may have different perspectives on cultural transformations, such as clash of cultures, diversity, multiculturalism and risk society.

At the methodological level, this paper adopts an interpretative research design and takes into consideration historical, contextual and social components of culture. While the culture in management is often conceptualized as bipolar and mutually exclusive dimensions, this study offers a more versatile conceptualization of culture.