Polychronicity in modern Madrid: an interview study

This research is the result of 30 interviews with middle-management and senior executives from several different organizations in Madrid. The focus was on different aspects of time use in a professional context:

- Monophasia or polyphasia,
- Time tangibility
- Attention to people.

The results indicate that the work style of modern executives in Madrid does not fall clearly into the category of a polychronic (P-time) culture (Hall, 1959, 1976, 1981 & 1990) on all the three dimensions, if it ever did so. Spanish business culture in Madrid was found to be definitely polyphasic, more time tangible than was expected, and stressed the aspect of attention to people as a work style.