Punctuality
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Punctuality is the characteristic of being able to complete a required task or fulfill an obligation before or at a previously-designated time.
Time, as it pertains to punctuality, can be organized into the following substrata that may or may not overlap:
Generally-designated: The individual's punctuality is based upon general societal norms (i.e., waking in the morning hours of the day, sleeping at night).
The individual's punctuality is based on another entity's specific request (i.e., arriving at work no later than 8:00 AM, as specified by an employer).
Psychologically-designated: The individual's punctuality is based on desire (i.e., a personal rule to arrive at a movie 15 minutes before it starts).
Generally, the completion or fulfillment of obligations after the designated time has passed is known as tardiness.
Tardiness as an ambiguous issue should be analyzed within two schools of thought: objective and subjective punctuality.
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[edit] Economic Reasoning
While many would consider punctuality to be a social rather than an economical problem, economics principles can be applied. The Game Theory, as created by John Nash, states that decisions are based upon live variables rather than dead ones. This applies to anti-punctuality--tardiness--because people will make arrival decisions based on live variables. For the sake of an example, Alex Taborrek states, "If you think you are going to be late then it's costly for me to be on time so I will choose to be late. But if I choose to be late then it makes sense for you to choose to be late also. Indeed, if I think that you think that I might be late then I will be late!"
[edit] Objective Punctuality
Objective punctuality can be defined by the following formula:
P = A - T
where P is punctuality, A is the actual moment of task or location fulfillment, and T is the designated time.
In objective punctuality, if P is greater than 0 at any given moment, the subject is considered tardy. If P is less than or equal to 0, the subject is considered punctual.
[edit] Subjective Punctuality
Subjective punctuality can be defined by the following formula:
P = A - T - R
where P is punctuality, A is the actual moment of task or location fulfillment, T is the designated time, and R is the tolerable amount of time beyond the designated time in which circumstantial rules of behavior characterize the individual as punctual. As with objective punctuality, if P is greater than 0 at any given moment, the subject is considered tardy.
[edit] Comparison
As can be seen above, the main difference between objective and subjective punctuality is the insertion of a third variable representing circumstantial conditions. These can range from social customs, extenuating circumstances and general/personal relationships and can vary between different social groups and cultures. Depending on the environment of social interactions, either the objective or subjective methods may be the standard against which punctuality is measured.
[edit] 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. To cultures which value punctuality, being late is tantamount to showing disrespect for another’s time and may be considered insulting.
