RW3 CultureWizard

The Economist this week touts a special section, led by “The Indian miracle and the future: Rolls-Royces and pot-holes”. The lead article, which is one of several fascinating, multilayered stories, declares “a new kind of capitalism…in which large family concerns, often in their second generation or older, hold remarkable sway” over the “Indian miracle”.

Culturally, it’s not surprising that family dynasties dominate in a society with an unyielding tradition of fidelity to kin and parental power. One of the first things of note in the Indian value system is the crucial, central role of the family. And, given the complexity and opaqueness of India’s legal structure and bureaucracy, dynastic businesses streamline operations and make a lot of sense.

A reader, who’s name is simply “femi,” left the following thought-provoking comment about the lead:

…It would seem from my observations, that wherever you find Indians or people of Indian descent, they are willing to go to great lengths to take advantage of the environment they are in and the people around them. Not only is this driven by a culture which you do not mention in this piece…it seems so deeply engrained in the psyche of the people and seems to have been so for centuries…This inclination to exploit is perhaps what gives India it’s energy…However, what puzzles me is that in analyzing the business environment in various countries I seem to get the impression that most commentators and analysts do not give sufficient weight to culture and the effect this has on the way businesses are run. I think as in the case of India here, more would be understood if additional effort is made to understand the culture and how this impacts on the way businesses operate…

What cultural advice would you give to journalists, writers, analysts and others in the media?

Charlene
RW3 CultureWizard

Saurabh Srivastava, left, the chairman of the Indian Angel Network, meets with young entrepreneurs in New Delhi. Sanjit Das for The New York Times

Hold on! For a society known to be among the most group-oriented and hierarchical in the world, entrepreneurs were a rare, almost non-existent breed. In fact, Saurabh Srivastava, who founded IIS Infotech in 1989 had to wait 2-1/2 years to get permission just to start the company.

But all that’s changing. Along with other like-minded pioneers and entrepreneurs, Srivastava started The Indian Angel Network that not only gives money but sends young, bright entrepreneurs to the Network’s own “boot camps” for mentoring. Do you think India’s younger generations will be able to breakthrough the cultural values of their elders to build innovative, profitable businesses? Read this New York Times article and let us know what you think.

Sure, it’s indisputable that Indian tech giants have their pick of excellent talent, but what about the cultural issues that make people hesitant to break out and take massive risks? Does this business behavior exist on a large scale in India?

Charlene

RW3 CultureWizard

Photo courtesy of currencyhut.com

For weeks and months the Euro crisis has been front page news. Each article brings us closer and closer to the provocative question: Are there too many different cultures to make this work? Are there too many different perspectives that cannot coalesce into a unified whole?

This week alone there were two articles in the German paper, Der Spiegel, that speaks directly to this issue: “We Won’t Pay: Greece’s Middle Class Revolt against Austerity” and “Resenting Greece: Slovakia Threatens Euro Rescue Package”

As the crisis continues, do you have doubts about the future of the Union? Let us know what you think.

Charlene

RW3 CultureWizard

As everyone who has worked in the international arena knows, culture is learnable, but not easily changeable. While it’s not too difficult to learn to adjust your behavior to accomplish objectives in a different cultural environment, the difficulty comes when you’re faced with stress. Most of us will revert back to our core cultural behaviors. The Euro Zone has learned quite well to work together across myriad cultures, but the question is: how well will it perform under the stress it is now facing? Has the Euro adequately transcended the cultural differences so as to allow Europeans to pull together with a single solution?

The struggle today in the Euro Zone is that test. Will it survive under the duress being placed on it, right now, particularly by Greece? (Click here to read our Culture Tips for Greece). This Athens News article describes the intense struggles that leaders of the EU are encountering. What are your thoughts?

Charlene

The Middle East is a vast region encompassing a multitude of distinct cultures, dialects, and attitudes toward business with the West. Dubberke addresses those issues and examines important elements of Middle Eastern cultures: communication, relationships, and rules, as well as how these cultural characteristics affect business practices. He also examines how to successfully interact with Middle Easterners.

RW3 CultureWizard