Cross-cultural meetings often have periods of inactivity where nothing seems to be achieved, or where important decisions are made without proper discussion. One reason is that participants from different cultures differ in their attitudes towards time.

Consequently, they have different ideas about the importance of time-keeping, and the correct pacing of business negotiations.

Such differences emerged when three senior managers from a large Indian manufacturing company made a business trip to the United States. The managers were surprised by how quickly things got done in American companies. Business negotiations that would have taken weeks or months in India took just a few days to complete in the United States.

Other major differences became obvious to the managers. As they pointed out to their American counterparts, in India many people are usually involved in making important decisions and, as a result, important business deals take a long time to set up and complete. But the Indians discovered that in the United States managers are able to make decisions quickly. Often they don’t even need to consult their colleagues or even their boss before taking the decision.