...Cross Cultural Differences in India Western Governors University India has become a global conduit for business as they have liberalized their economic policies over the past 20 years. Companies are flocking to India because of many factors, including, less expensive labor costs, increasing growth rate, and an abundance of a highly skilled workforce. These factors in addition to other advantages have substantially increased the number of United States businesses looking to grow beyond the U. S borders into the county of India. Dunlop Software Consultant’s goal is to also expand its operations internationally and believes that India has the business environment to meet our goal of expansion globally. Accordingly, I will be examining cross cultural challenges, differences in business practices, and ethical issues that we encounter as by expanding operations into India. As we consider our expansion of our consulting business into India, there are cultural differences that we must consider and understand. There are obvious cultural differences between business and personal standards in the U.S and India. The first major cross-cultural difference to be aware of is communication. India has a culture of hierarchy that can be traced back to the caste systems of 3000 years ago. (Kumar, 2005) The caste system is a rigid and upward mobility is difficult if not impossible. Although India abolished the caste system it continues to have steeped tradition in the culture today. This...
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...Evaluation Essay By Armando Khan Orientalism is something that has shaped the world. It has created the way we see culture. More than that it has placed culture in boxes and has probably led to the awareness of culture. By saying this I mean that the only reason we hold culture in such importance is because of difference. And that difference is caused by the wonder of orientalism. Orientalism is the portrayal off something mostly in a cultural context, in order to show a difference as well as to display something exotic. It overlooks similarities and is used to attract. This attraction comes from the exoticness for we are always attracted to something that seems distant from the mundaneness of our existences. With that being said, what also contributes to the attractiveness of orientalism is that orientalism can be seen by many as an escape. A place where taboos do not exist and one can break free of the shackles of society. Orientalism seemed to be most striking when depicted visually. Whether it be the nubile young boy on the cover of a book. Or a nude Chinese women on a placard , it was a subject of visual intrigue and something ,many in the west could not resist. This is probably why it was used in film which is what I shall get into later. Orientalism first came about with depictions of Arabic and Islamic regions. It became the norm as how this particular culture was to be viewed. This however overlooked the fact that there might have been styles that were incredibly similar...
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...Abstract It’s not only Western enterprises that expand globally, enterprises from emerging countries are doing the same more and more organizations are expanding from a local to a global market space. Especially India is establishing itself as economic center and is rapidly becoming the new global economic superpowers. An understanding of local culture and how it affect Western leadership practices and behavior is key in order to become a successful leader, as Western enterprises continues to establish themselves into these emerging markets. In the very same way as enterprises from emerging markets need to understand the local culture when they establish themselves in Western countries. The aim of this report is to investigate what cultural factors/dimension that affect leadership in the context of multi countries as well as to investigate behavioral styles and practices leaders operating in India and see how Western leadership theories are relevant to these set up. Introduction In today’s world we have emerged from the industrial age, into the information age where knowledge is our most valuable assets. The rapid technological development that have enabled this information age is also affecting the pace at which change is happening in the world. The pace of change is rapidly increasing and in order for organizations to be successful they need to keep up with this pace (Schwarz & Brock, 1998). In a recent business leader review with more than 400 senior executives...
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...Social Structure HUMA 215 – Topics in Cultural Studies 9/8/12 Abstract Cultural syncretism has transformed and shaped our world today; because of encounters years and centuries before our time we have religion and even art. Our modern culture was contributed to by the happenings of yesterday. Social Structure Introduction The legacies of cultural syncretism in the Americas and Africa can be compared and contrasted with the resistance to cultural change that westerners experienced in China and India. These encounters have left many legacies of change and differences in the culture today. Had syncretism not occurred or if syncretism had taken root during earlier encounters in China or India the world today would be different. Various cultural factors in would affect the outcome of syncretism tremendously. Compare/ Contrast Cultural Syncretism Cultural syncretism was active in some societies but not in all; syncretism was not affective in more cultures because some cultures were simply more developed. With the expansion of cultural syncretism, it was easier for Africa and the Americas to adapt than China and India Westerners. Africa and the Americas separated into different tribes which caused them to be weaker than China, India, and the Westerners who created a nation (Sayre, 2013). An example of this cultural syncretism is the Aztec tribe, which was a fairly large tribe; the Aztecs had so many neighboring enemies because of war. As a result, when an attack by the...
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...the dimensions. Individualism and Collectivism Individualistic cultures “offer their members a great deal of freedom, the belief being that this freedom makes it possible for each person to achieve personal success” . Members tend to “put their own interests and those of their immediate family ahead of social concerns” In contrast, members of collectivist cultures “have tight social frameworks in which members of a group . . . feel primary loyalty toward one another and the group to which they belong” . · Todd has his own apartment in Seattle, he lives alone, and he is ambitious and consumption-oriented. As he explains to Puro: “In my world, it just makes sense to work your ass off and go into credit card debt just so you can have that 50-inch plasma.” · Todd also does not see his parents often, even though they live only two hours away from him. This news stuns Puro, who also cannot understand why Todd continues to work for a company and a boss he dislikes. Todd and Puro are at opposite ends of the individualism-collectivism continuum. A series of events at the beginning of the film also highlight the contrast between individualist and collectivist cultures: · When Todd sits down on a crowded train after a boy has given him his seat, the boy unabashedly sits on Todd’s lap, much to the surprise of Todd, who is used to the private personal space of a person from an individualist culture. · When Puro is taking Todd to his accommodations, Puro...
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...Abstract Cultural difference is a driving factor in the development of HRM polices. In order for organizations to be effective globally they must take the time and do the homework to understand the culture of the countries they want to do business in. This paper discusses some detail Hofstede’s theory of cultural dimensions and how understanding the dimensions and as they relate to a specific culture can assist in determining a strategy for designing HRM policies to fit a particular countries culture. Although this paper will focus on India, you will be able to get a good idea of how the theory can be applied to any country with proper research of that countries culture. What is the definition of culture? It sounds like a very simple question, if you search the Internet, read books, talk to different people you will get different responses. However, if you pay close attention the answer is basically the same. To simplify things for the purpose of this paper I will use Merriam Webster Dictionary definition of culture: culture is the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, etc. a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization (such as a business). From an HR/operations perspective understanding cultural differences is key to success in a global organization. This paper will focus on the Indian culture and the differences in US culture and the impacts...
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...Schindler in India. In addition to creating a new subsidiary and new low-cost elevator strategy in India, Napoli also has the added challenges of incorporating essentially three cultures (Italian, Swiss, and Indian) (Bartlett, C., Fagan, P., Yoshino, M. 2006). It is difficult to know Napoli’s level of adaptation to Swiss culture, so I will consider him to be Italian, and thus discuss his interactions with both Swiss and Indian culture. In the below case study analysis I will analyze various cultural assumptions within Italian, Swiss, and Indian cultures and provide Napoli with a specific action plan to incorporate the cultures successfully, gain true consensus among managers, provide insight on strategy deployment and advise him on whether he should share the situation with Luc Bonnard. Cause and Problem Analysis In the below section, I will analyze key assumptions of the three national cultures and discuss strategy deployment. These assumptions include the relationship with nature, nature of truth and reality, controlling vs. adapting strategy, relationships with people, time, language and communication. Assumption 1: Relationship with Nature Italy’s relationship with nature is very different from that of Switzerland and India. Italian culture lends the idea that situations can be controlled by regulations and rules, whereas Switzerland and India have a culture that denotes fewer rules and regulations (Barsoux, JL., Schneider, S. 2003). Additionally, Indian culture encompasses...
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...Difference Between High and Low Context Cultures Media Activity-Workgroup Norms Communication 623 Professor Lambert November 27, 2011 In order to communicate successfully you have to consider the cultural differences and the predominating communication process for individualistic and collectivistic cultures. It is best to explain theses differences in terms of low- and high-context communication. Context has to do with how much you have to know before you can communicate effectively. When workers from high-context and low-context cultures have to work together problems often occur as a result of the type of information exchanged as well as how that information is exchanged. These problems can be categorized as differences in “direction”, “quantity” and “quality”. At differences in direction employees from high-context cultures like China and France adapt to their good friends, families and also to close colleagues (in-group members). They communicate with them intensively (quantity difference) and exchange specific/detailed information about many different topics. The result is that every group member is constantly up-to-date with the facts around the business. Edward T. Hall, a respected anthropologist and cross-cultural researcher, identified classic dimensions of culture in his books The Silent Language and The Hidden Dimension. Understanding and applying this concept can help today’s leaders improve their communication skills across cultures. A key factor...
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...think Cultural intelligence is the ability of the person to adapt to different cultures in different countries and it is not just limited to individuals, it is also associated with business and other groups as everyone needs cultural intelligence to succeed in different country. For example if you are travelling to other country say to study you go to that the country and you do things according to the culture you adapt and that's how you become successful. That's what I make of the cultural intelligence. IR: So when you came to Ireland what was the difference that you felt when compared to India in terms of Culture difference. IE: When I first came to Ireland from India I observed a huge cultural change in almost everything from the way people talk, in the way people dress, with the way people eat and even when they pray and the way they spend their time so in India like when we like to spend time in India we usually go to someone's place just to U know go for dinner but out here it is completely different here to spend time u go out for drinks or to a pub which is not common back in India. IR: What do you do to get to know the Irish culture better? IE: I went to places, I travelled with Irish people just to know how they do things in their country and I also read a lot about Irish culture on line but most of all i visited Irish cities like Galloway, Bray so that I can know if there is a difference within the Irish...
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...contrast the legacies of cultural syncretism in Africa and the Americas with the resistance to cultural change Westerners encountered in China and India. What cultural factors caused the differences in outcomes? What legacies have the differences in types of encounters and degrees of cultural change left today? Had syncretism not occurred in the Americas, how might modern culture be different? If cultural syncretism had taken root during early encounters in China or India, how might they be different today? The quest for wealth and power brought Europeans to Indian shores in 1498 when Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese voyager, arrived in Calicut (modern Kozhikode, Kerala) on the west coast. In their search for spices and Christian converts, the Portuguese challenged Arab supremacy in the Indian Ocean, and, with their galleons fitted with powerful cannons, set up a network of strategic trading posts along the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. In 1510 the Portuguese took over the enclave of Goa, which became the center of their commercial and political power in India and which they controlled for nearly four and a half centuries. Economic competition among the European nations led to the founding of commercial companies in England (the East India Company, founded in 1600) and in the Netherlands (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie--the United East India Company, founded in 1602), whose primary aim was to capture the spice trade by breaking the Portuguese monopoly in Asia. Although the Dutch...
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...Managing Oral Communication (Project Report) ‘A critique of issues and challenges for cross cultural communication of a recent Joint Venture’ Submitted To: Prof. V. Chandra Submitted By: Anuj Verma (14PGDM073) Harsimran Singh Sandhu (14PGDM082) Mohak Jain (14PGDM092) Pallak Joshi (14PGDM102) Shikha (14PGDM110) Tanya Kapoor (14PGDM121) Vrashank Sharma (14PGDM131) Dated: 21 August 2014 Table of Contents Serial No. Contents Page No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Introduction Specifics of the Deal Critique Conclusion Exhibits References 1 1 3 7 8 10 ‘ Introduction Joint Ventures represent a combination of subsets of assets, contributed by two or more business entities for a specific business purpose and a limited duration. This can enable a firm to achieve market penetration into new areas over time, enter and develop new product markets, expand into new geographic areas and participate in new technology driven value activities (Sullivan, 2014). For the purpose of this project we decided to analyze the recently concluded Joint Venture between Walmart Inc. and Bharti Enterprises. Bharti Enterprises is an Indian Business conglomerate, which owns various businesses spanning across telecommunications, retail, financial services and manufacturing. It operates in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., branded as Walmart, is an American multinational retail corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. It...
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...Cultural Differences Introduction Cultural diversity is the norm in today’s workplace. If you work for a large corporation, you most likely deal with people from various backgrounds and countries all day long. It is a difficult enough situation to have such cultural diversity amongst your peers but if you are a manager facing these demographics, you really face the challenge of learning the make-up and background of your team. In order to be an effective leader you will have to use various management styles as every team has different personality types, however, you will also have to be sensitive to and educated on what the cultural differences on your team are and how to tie it all together. Relationship building within your teams and reaching a diverse group with effective communication is a daunting challenge but necessary for success in today’s workforce. Millennials are the most ethnically and racially diverse generation ever in the history of the U.S. One out of three or thirty percent of Millennials is ethnically or racially diverse (Blain, 2008). The workforce is getting more and more diverse requiring effective communication, tolerance of others, and education about cultural differences. This paper will take a closer look at the cultural differences in Hofstede’s Five Dimensions between the United States and India. Cultural Differences in Hofstede’s Five Dimensions The workplace is getting more challenging to manage but Dr. Geert Hofstede and his Five...
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...The East India Company and Perceptions of Indian Culture Throughout the 16th century, the Indian Ocean was filled with lucrative trade. Incredible amounts of capital and resources were exchanged all throughout the Indian Ocean from the Middle East to the shores of Japan. At the heart of all this trade stood the Indian subcontinent, whose merchants and monarchs accumulated vast amounts of wealth by taking advantage of their geographic position relative to the international market. Although the larger dynasties of Europe had learned of the vast material wealth of Asia through the travels of Marco Polo and other European explorers as early as the 14th century, it wasn’t until the 1600s that the first legitimate European trading companies set up shop in the east to bring Asiatic commodities to the European continent at a large scale. The first of said companies, the British East India Company, created under Elizabeth I of England, would bring not only great wealth, but also eventual colonization to the people of the India. The British East India Company arrived in the Indian subcontinent with purely economic goals. The merchants in the company adapted to Indian culture extremely well, quickly making friends with the monarchs of different Indian states, adopting and practicing Indian religions, marrying Indian women, and learning the vernacular languages of the continent so that they could seamlessly blend into the already thriving market. As English influence in the Indian economy...
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...possible if the communicators are sensitive to each other’s cultures” (Chapter 3). There are some basic principles that should be used when communicating cross-culturally. The first is that greater cultural and language differences will increase the likelihood of communication breakdowns. Another important principle is to understand cultural differences enough to recognize what may be considered taboo within a particular culture. An example would be; it is customary to offer a small gift to a Japanese visitor, but also to know that if the gift offered is a knife, it represents a suggestion for the receiver to commit suicide (Cheesebro, O'Connor, & Rios, Chapter 3, 2010). To be effective in cross cultural communication, more so when information is intended to be persuasive in nature, one should make the effort to learn the style differences in cross culture communications. Learning Team C has prepared a persuasive document in regards to the legalization of marijuana. The content is designed with American cultures in mind and with the understanding that if it were to be communicated cross-culturally some changes would be applied. Our study of cross cultural differences between the American and Indian cultures discovered a difference in tactics for initial approach. For example; Americans move directly toward business, whereas this approach may be seen as aggressive in many Indian cultures. The Indian culture focuses on the individual rather than their business...
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...arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement. Culture is like mental software and it has been defined as “the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from others” Geert Hofstede, (2009). Culture diversity and multiculturalism are the problems faced by business firms who tried to do business globally. Cultural diversity related to variety of human societies like dress, language, traditions and cultures on a particular region or particular part of the world or as a whole, while multiculturalism with organizational promotion of multiple cultures. Multiple cultures mean giving respect to different types of culture at same time. All the aspects regarding the culture have to be considered when a concern is going to launch its products globally. So in the case of international business, understanding culture of different countries is important because then only a company can put forward its globalization strategies, marketing strategies as well as organization structure. Without proper foundation a company can’t keep moving globally and launch products since cultural world operates in its own internal dynamic, its own principles and its own law-written and unwritten. Understand words, material things and behaviour since culture is communication. Understanding the VINEETH KAKKANATTU AYYAPPAN: 000697414 4 cultural differences is not an easy purpose because each country has its own hidden...
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