Lewis model of cultures

Richard Lewis, When Cultures Collide, defines three basic poles or types of culture:

• Linear-active (Germany, Switzerland): plan, schedule, take sequences of organized action
• Multi-active (Italy, Latin America, Arabs): plan according to the thrill or importance of actions, organize time according to the people they will interact with
• Reactive (China, Japan, Finland): react to their interlocutor instead of imposing their views

Pretty fascinating. He also has an article about the different views of time between cultures. In general, the entire book would probably be worth reading.