What Should Time Be?

Abstract

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.

An extension of the benefit segmentation base for the consumption of organic foods: A time perspective

“…Yet observation of social relationships and of individual choices indicates that time is an all pervasive referent' (p. 171). The evident under-researched attention to studying the notion of time and temporality in relation to consumers may be attributed to the difficulties associated with measuring time as a variable; that is, gauging time is viewed by some researchers as methodologically challenging (Davies, 1994;Halinen & Tornroos, 1995;Jacoby et al, 1976) given the difficulty of encapsulating its various dimensions, such as time points, intervals, duration, structure, extension, use patterns, allocation, perception, emphasis, and orientation, among others.…”

Time and process in business network research

“…How event and clock time perspectives are differentiated and related is discussed next. The idea that time is a human concept is widely accepted in social sciences (Adam 1995;Bluedorn 2002;Davies 1994). Time is an elusive notion, possibly because it is so essential to all human understandings of our world.…”

“…In this perspective, time is a variable that separates any two identical events, so that they are distinguished from each other (Ackoff & Emery 1972). Equally, and as a corollary, x-axis time allows conceptualization of clock time, and together with the institutionalization of clock time they serve the human necessity of a conceptual tool for event synchronization (Davies 1994). …”

Value appropriation in business exchange – literature review and future research opportunities

“…Zajac and Olsen's (1993) transactional value analysis provides one starting point for this research, as value creation and VA efforts are conceptualized as a three-stage process, starting with projecting the exchange into the future to form sound assessments and expectations regarding future VA opportunities. While the amount of research on time and timing within business exchange is limited at present (Davies, 1994), there is increased attention in the broader management literature (Bluedorn, 2002;Orlikowski and Yates, 2002), including that focussed on business exchange (Khoja, Adams and Kauffman, 2010;Medlin, 2004). The research on VA processes and VA timing seems a productive path, especially given the process nature of value appropriation.…”