Conducting business with or in India is relatively common these days. According to Moran, Abramson, & Moran (2014), two-thirds of all custom software programming for the United States is done in India. With that being said, many IT companies are India-based, and their employees are mainly Indian. Take, for example, companies such as Wipro and Oracle. These are two Fortune 500 India-based IT companies that operate largely in the United States (Fortune India, 2019). So, what exactly does that mean for individuals stepping into roles that are responsible for managing these employees? It means there must be an understanding of the cultural and behavioral differences that exist, but also a sensitivity to those differences in order to be an effective leader and create a comfortable work environment.
Moran, Abramson, & Moran (2014) suggest that India is a collectivist culture. They state, “Interpersonal relationships may be governed by collectivist values. Individuals prefer to work in teams, and team members tend to participate in activities together” (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014). Although the United States operates in a more individualistic culture, there are several ways managers can promote team membership. For example, Tata Consultancy Services, another large India-based IT company, puts together several employee engagement programs throughout the year in order to promote team membership and create support systems (TCS, 2016). The company creates volleyball teams, cricket teams, company marathons put together by a team of event planners, video game competitions, etc., all of which promote a collectivist agenda (TCS, 2016). Especially for managers who are responsible for expatriate employees (such as Indians moving to the United States for work), it is important to create a work environment that is comfortable, familiar, and involved.
Moran, Abramson, and Moran (2014) also suggest the differences in greetings, such as shaking hands. They suggest using the more universal greeting that is used in India which is saying “namaste” rather than extending one’s hand out or any other physical contact (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014). There are several reasons why managers should study the differences in physical contact and body language, as these are often important forms of communication. Nair (2012) suggests decoding the Indian head wobble to be one of the most important tasks to accomplish before communicating with someone from India. He states, “How the people of India shake their heads to communicate is a life- and game-changer. Let me share two intensely personal experiences. A gruff guy at the New York airport immigration almost deported me because I was answering with various shakes of my head instead of speaking up. A woman (from North India) once proposed to me (from South India) and I nodded my head. Now that she is my wife she understands that, often, my Yes nod is a No nod. The Bobble can be a nod, shake, slow turn, raise or spasm of an Indian’s head. It can be vertical, horizontal or circular. It can be one or many. It is as simple as that” (Nair, 2012). It is important to understand that many Indians communicate with their bodies and one must be sensitive to this form of communication as it can be very telling of how one is feeling or what one is thinking.
The culture that exists in India is nothing less than remarkable, beautiful, and full of history. Indian culture is deeply rooted in the Hindu religion which is flexible, tolerant, and socially important (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014). Those who travel to the United States for work come with rich differences that must be treated with respect by those who wish to create comfortable work environments for their employees. It does not take much. Simple research, a basic level of sensitivity, respectful curiosity, and an effort to create a familiar work environment is all it takes to be a great leader in regard to managing these differences in culture. Body language and forms of communication, as well as the collectivist culture versus an individualistic culture, are the most significant differences in culture. Managers must have full comprehension of these differences before conducting business with Indians.
Fortune India 500 (2019). Oracle Financial Services Software. Retrieved from https://www.fortuneindia.com/fortune-500/company-list/oracle-financial-services-software?year=2018
Fortune India 500 (2019). Wipro. Retrieved from https://www.fortuneindia.com/fortune-500/company/wipro?year=2018
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). Oxford: Routledge.
Nair, M. (2012). The great Indian head bobble. Retrieved from http://travel.cnn.com/mumbai/life/great-indian-head-bobble-054242/
Tata Consultancy Services (2016). TCS wins top employee engagement and social responsibility awards. Retrieved from https://www.tcs.com/tcs-wins-top-employee-engagement-social-responsibility-award
smn5378 says
Hi Madeline,
Very intriguing blog post! I especially liked you your explanation of body language and head nodding in Indian culture. I would like to expand on one of the topics in your post, greetings. You mentioned that handshakes are not the preferred greeting in India and suggested “using the more universal greeting that is used in India which is saying “namaste” rather than extending one’s hand out”. This line made me wonder if there are any greetings that could be considered truly universal. While saying “namaste” is an acceptable greeting in India, it would not be understood in many other countries.
According to Moran, Abramson, & Moran (2014), the preferred greeting method varies greatly between cultures. For example, in Chinese culture a slight bow and a brief limp handshake would be preferred (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014). In Arab cultures, it’s proper to greet someone by placing your right hand over your chest and men often kiss one another on both cheeks (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014). I believe it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find a truly universal greeting. In these cultures, saying “namaste” would be considered strange.
References
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.).
Vincent Anderson says
Madeline,
Your post was intersesting, as we transitioned from how an american based leader will lead those team members who reside in india and then went to how a gesture of a head nod can mean something different. Assuming that the leader is not going to have that much face to face interaction with the team member as they are stationed thousands of miles apart, I am a bit confused on the connection. I guess my question would be you stated that the reasons for why a person nods their head is strictly because of a difference in how they respond to yes and no, is that the only reason? In my experience, I nod my head yes no matter what as a nervous response, however, I have worked with indian team members and found that it is not a yes or no endeerment, it is a cultural twitch per say. Where I have found that when an indian nods their head, a brazillian or african will let out a grunt. It is due to the second, or third language communication similar to that of what we as americans use the word um for. Also you speak of tardiness, is each cultural interpretation of “on time” the same in that culture between different context of meetings being an interview, date, meeting, work assignment, etc.? If it is not, could you give me examples of an appropriate differentiation in being on time in each culture?
When we discuss the indian workforce being a more collectivist society, there is a big peace missing in how a leader can better accomodate this culture, what is the biggest thing an american leader can do to apease this culture? If you were that leader, what would you do? What would your fears be? How would you overcome these obsticles?
cxp57 says
Hello Madeline,
I find myself to be profoundly drawn to read about how body language, or non-verbal cues are interpreted across different cultures. Dr. Carol Kinsey Gorman suggests that “body language is the management of time, space, appearance, posture, gesture, touch, facial expression, eye contact and voice.” (Corman, 2011). I always considered it to be appropriate to arrive timely at an event, for a meeting or to participate in a conference call. I considered punctuality to serve as an expression of responsibility, or as setting a good impression rather than a symbol of body language communication. Punctuality, however has different culturally accepted interpretations depending on where you are working, or the cultural norm of a business person you may be hosting.
As an example, being just one minute late in South Korea is considered being late and is a sign of disrespect, whereas in Greece it is socially acceptable to plan for a 30 minute late arrival. In Brazil you are not required to be at an appointment on time unless the phrase ‘English time’ is used, which indicates you are expected to be punctual (Ro, 2016). Our textbook suggests arriving no more than 15 minutes late, but not early or on time, in a social setting, as this can be viewed as disrespectful for a host who may not be ready to receive you (Moran, p. 351-2, 2014). In Kazakhstan, a nation in Central Asia, it’s even considered acceptable to show up a wedding celebration late! (Ro, 2016).
It is important to understand punctuality as being one of the most important forms of body language when in a global business setting. Considering the phrase “time is money,” the U.S. views time as a missed opportunity in monetary terms; an individualist attitude. Other global countries, collectivist in nature, assign value to relationship building in hopes that their time spent will pay off long term.
Reference:
Goman, C.K. (2011, December 6). Body language for global business. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2011/12/06/body-language-for-global-business/#7b10b46d5e58
Moran, R.T., Abramson, N. R. & Moran, S.V. (2014). Managing cultural differences. (9th ed.). Abingdon: Routledge.
Ro, H. (2016, July 26). What being punctual means in different countries. Business Insider. Retrieved from: https://www.businessinsider.com/how-different-cultures-see-punctuality-2016-7
Abagayle Weitkamp says
Hi Madeline,
The work environment at Tata Consultancy Services reminded me of one of the most famous perk-filled workplaces that we have right here in the United States–Google. While I agree with you that TCS’s workplace opportunities may aim to create a collectivist atmosphere by offering activities for its employees to have fun and build bonds with each other, it also seems as though it mirrors many of the individualistic ideals of the Googleplex.
Rachel Gillett (September 6, 2015) lists many of the benefits that one receives as a Google employee, such as “free Wi-Fi-enabled shuttles to and from work, free healthy meals, laundry and fitness facilities, 18 weeks of fully paid maternity leave and on-site childcare, and competitive pay…” Laszlo Bock (as quoted in Gillett, September 6, 2015), however, is the one who fills us in on Google’s collectivist nature as well, stating that “‘What’s beautiful about this approach is that a great environment is a self-reinforcing one: All of these efforts support one another, and together create an organization that is creative, fun, hardworking, and highly productive.'” So, while there are many cultural differences between those native to India and those native to the United States, it appears as though there are not as many differences within some company environments as we may expect!
References
Gillett, R. (September 6, 2015). Here’s what it’s really like to work at Google, the ‘world’s most Attractive’ employer. Retrieved November 06, 2019, from https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-its-really-like-to-work-at-google-the-worlds-most-attractive-employer-2015-9