In fact, in some Asian countries such as Thailand where the national motto is "never mind," being on time does not carry the same importance or weight as in even some other Asian countries such as Japan (Thongyou, 2003). Likewise, Perez, Ramirez and Kranz (2007) report that some Latin American countries such as Mexico feature a more relaxed attitude about punctuality, and being a few minutes late is not typically considered to be a significant social faux pas. According to these therapists, "Some Mexican-American families may operate under different time expectations, and an explanation of time limits may be necessary. When the need arises, they should be informed of the importance of punctuality [to Americans]" (Perez et al., p. 22). .
In the United States, then, the importance of punctuality is well established and those who are even a few minutes late for say, a job interview, run the very real risk of losing out to lesser qualified candidates simply because they were unable to find a place to park in time. Similarly, people who are consistently late will be viewed as unreliable by most employers and also run the risk of losing whatever employment they have managed to secure in the first place. In this regard, Corcoran, Danziger, Kalil and Seefeldt (2000) report that, "report that a primary reason participants in a Chicago program lost jobs was that many failed to understand the importance of punctuality and the seriousness of absenteeism, and resented or misunderstood the lines of authority and responsibility in the workplace" (p. 241). Some authorities suggest that the problem of unpunctual workers requires organizations themselves to take the initiative to instill this sense of responsibility in their workers. According to Giampeto-Meyer (1998), "The most pressing ethical dilemmas are those related to the workplace culture, and it is important for the organization's staff to model good employee skills.
