This NDTV video (New Delhi Television) reports that a Norwegian government agency, Child Protective Services, took an Indian couple’s children into custody due to their inappropriate behavior: the parents hand fed their children and slept in the same bed as their children.
What do you make of this story? Is this truly a cultural difference and an excessive abuse of power, or is it clear that we are missing some key information?
Winning the hearts and stomachs of people around the world might be one of the most effective ways of bridging cultures. For centuries, food’s diplomatic prowess has provided a channel for introducing and exploring new cultures, often earlier than substantial human-to-human contact is made. The token trip to New York’s Chinatown for an authentic dim sum experience or to Brick Lane in East London for a Bangladeshi meal is a typically modern food experience many of us in the West know well. In Hend Alhinnawi’s blog post, she cites Paul Rockower’s definition of gastrodiplomacy: a way to use “culinary delights to appeal to global appetites, and thus helps raise a nation’s brand awareness and reputation.” Alhinnawi goes on to say:
It is an important tool in building cultural understanding, and in turn, breaking down traditional barriers by providing insight into a culture that might otherwise be unknown to a person. While many Americans may never experience the joys, sights and sounds of Incredible India, they can taste the culture through a culinary sampling at their local Indian market or restaurant. By bringing the food to their local communities, these outlets are great for engaging audiences through gastrodiplomacy, one palate at a time.
“Vindaloo Against Violence” is a project one Australian launched in 2010 to combat hostility towards Indians in her city, Melbourne, by encouraging people to dine at Indian eateries. It was effective – 17,000 people signed up to partake (we all know that the prospect of good food is an effective way to gather support!).
I wrote my graduate thesis on how mainstream American society shifted from initially shunning Italian foods to consuming it at very high levels. This started with the en masse migration of Europeans, many of whom were Italian, to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At first, North American society saw Italian foods in the same way it perceived the people who created and consumed them: suspicious, foreign and unpalatable. The historical trajectory of the cuisine is remarkable, as gastrodiplomacy gradually brought people to love Italian pizza and pasta – foods consumed in countries worldwide. This was in part due to the energies of the Italian diaspora and the success they had as entrepreneurs, restaurant owners and purveyors of food in general. In my thesis, I linked the increasingly saturated Italian food industry to the Italian community’s integration into US society, and how the food acted as a diplomat by building awareness of Italian values and traditions for mainstream society.
Where have you experienced or seen gastrodiplomacy at work? Do you think food has the power to unite people from different countries and different backgrounds?
• Intensive management is viewed, for the most part, as good management. As a manager, provide explicit instructions and guidance to your teams.
• Clarify anything with a written checklist and open-ended questions.
• Ask for input since many may be reluctant to provide unsolicited feedback. Be conscious to save face when asking challenging questions in front of a group.
• Ask for regular feedback and frequently follow up on tasks in order to maintain schedules and meet deadlines.
• Avoid asking questions that can be answered by a “yes” or “no”.
• Ask questions in several ways to ensure that the way the question was phrased did not impact the response
• Prepare several “what-if” scenarios to help drive change.
Key Business Values in India
• Respect for elders and authorities
• Trust is very important, and is developed through building strong relationships over time
• Preference to work collaboratively
• Family obligations may take precedence over work
• Preference to not give or receive bad news
• Avoidance of giving overt negative response
• Relationship-building activities may take precedence over meeting schedules and deadlines
• Reluctance to take undirected initiative
- from RW3′s CultureWizard® Pocket Guides, also available on CultureWizard Mobile
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?
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?
“Outsourced was the hippest thing to happen to South Asians in the United States since Madonna discovered henna.”
The Cast of NBC's Outsourced
Despite popular support, Lizardi points out there were many people who found the show offensive and ignorant to cultural norms. She also notes most of the offended people were not Indian. “Perhaps they don’t realize that we have five South Asian writers on the show telling stories that often come straight from our personal experiences. Or perhaps they don’t believe Indians should make fun of themselves,” she says.
We were curious to learn more about the show and commented on the intercultural perspective writers took with Outsourced through our blog last year. At RW3, we unanimously died (read: enjoyed) laughing at the preview trailer. However, we also received online comments from individuals who did not appreciate the theme of the show:
Comment 1: I will not watch this show at all. I know a lot people who are right now unemployed due to outsourcing, and I can tell you, it is not a joke for them.
Comment 2: I too know people who have lost their jobs due to outsourcing, and I don’t see a lot of humor in it. And the trailer full of lowbrow ethnic stereotype jokes doesn’t make the show any more appealing. I don’t understand how shows like this make it past the focus groups…
The connection between unemployment in the US and outsourcing to India is a separate topic from the humor employed on the show. I wonder what Lizardi would have to say about the sore topic?
In response to those who dislike the comedy, this is what she says:
Those who only cite offensive stereotypes are missing the spirit of the show (or perhaps they’ve never actually watched it). What I love most about Outsourced is that the humor ultimately comes from a place of affection.
Outsourced has the potential to celebrate our cultural quirks, to build bridges between communities and perhaps, most important, to prove that there is a viable alternative to the ‘one brown face in a white ensemble’ model of ‘diversity.’
According to the New York Times, Nestle is establishing a research center in India to develop products in tune with Indian taste buds and preferences.
Nestlé already caters to India’s love of spice by making Thrillin Curry two-minute noodles and a Sweet Chilli Sauce that it packages like ketchup…The research center will be predominantly staffed by Indians, and will develop products relying on Indian cuisine, traditional ingredients and spices.
Below: Nestle’s Maggi Masala-ae-Magic: “The first ever fortified taste enhancer that can be used across different cuisines in India. It is not a simple masala, but is unique in that it efficiently enhances the taste inherent in the food ingredients already present.”
What a culturally astute way to develop consumer products! How well do you think Nestle sets an example for other companies to follow? How else can global business be supported through intercultural learning?
Read an article by Charlene Solomon and Sean Dubberke of RW3 CultureWizard, titled “Awakening Giant: India’s Burgeoning Workforce”, which is featured in this month’s Mobility magazine. Below is a synopsis from the editors.
As multinational organizations increasingly make strategic use of educated Indian talent, at the same time they are aiding in the development of many of India’s industries. Dubberke and Solomon write that to truly appreciate the country’s global importance, and to understand the scope of India’s activities in the marketplace, one must first be able to successfully engage and collaborate across cultures.
The concept of “face”, a central tenet of many Asian cultures, is illustrated in an a story from the Indo-Asian News Service concerning the relationship between a film director eager to work with an actress. When the reporter asks Madhur Bhandarkar, the director, why Kareena Kapoor, the actress, has not yet confirmed she’ll work with Madhur on a new film, he responds by giving face to Kareena, the most culturally appropriate response to a question framed to solicit information on a sensitive matter. Kareena’s payment to collaborate with Madhur was the sensitive detail concerned, and Madhur responded with the following:
It’s not because she was quoting a very high price. It was because our budget of the film was very less. The dates were also clashing.”
Instead of expressing the feeling that Kareena was asking for too much money, Madhur focused on his own budget, thus giving face to Kareena by acknowledging she deserved more than he could afford. Furthermore, Madhur alludes to the history of their strong relationship and mentions they need to take the right amount of time before anyone can make a decision.
We know each other for years. We both admire each other’s work. In Page3 we wanted to work together but there were some economic problems because of which we couldn’t. I met her and we have spoken on it, but we need to sit for couple of times. Once it’s decided we will make the announcement.”
The concept of time in most of India, and in other Asian countries, is far more fluid than in the West. Decision making is slower and relationship-building takes precedence over schedules and deadlines. How do film studios in Hollywood differ? What would a director in Hollywood do in this situation? It may appear that film culture in Los Angeles is not as far from Mumbai as we think.
A CNN report emphasizes that there is much to learn from business leaders in India.
“In terms of lessons for managers elsewhere, one of the most important things is that Indian leaders lead with a sense of social purpose,” said Peter Cappelli, professor of management at Wharton University of Pennsylvania.
“He said every leader interviewed gave a specific social purpose as being the goal of their business. Those purposes ranged from improving healthcare in India, to getting cell phones to people who don’t have access to communication tools, and proving to the international community that Indian companies can lead in IT.”
Motivation in India tends to be fueled by social purpose, along with the well-being of one’s family and work-life balance. Building this purpose into the mission or function of each person’s role within a company reaps true benefits in India. However, would this motivate workers in other parts of the world?
Training and development is also a very important part of working at an Indian firm. “IT firms typically allocate 60 days of formal training for new hires and companies often spend months training even experienced workers hired from other firms.” Given the surge in offshoring and outsourcing over the past years, intercultural and language training have surely been a large part of this.
The article also states that U.S. companies don’t invest in their employees as they do in India, considering the lost investment should the employee quit. Does your organization invest heavily in training and development? What are the expectations of new hires? What kind of training options are on offer?
The New York Times reports that despite the challenge women face to become leaders of banks in New York and London, many women fill senior positions in India. “HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, Royal Bank of Scotland, UBS and Fidelity International in India are run by women. So is the country’s second-biggest bank, Icici Bank, and its third-largest, Axis Bank.”
Chanda Kochhar, chief executive of Icici Bank
This may come as a surprise, for many families in certain parts of India favor boys over girls. According to female professionals in the industry, “India provided the right combination of supportive, mostly male, managers and a diverse work environment that did not require them to be ‘one of the boys’ to succeed.” The freedom from conforming to a stereotypically masculine banker persona, which is prevalent in Western banks, has allowed women to climb the ladder in their own way, which isn’t to say that they are exempt from hard work and long hours.
A managing partner from head-hunting firm EMA said that “bosses sometimes gravitate toward women in India because they think ‘women are less corruptible, more straightforward and above board most of the time.’” How does this view of women differ in other cultures?
How do you think Indian culture influences the success of women in this industry? How does culture in other parts of the world make it more difficult for women to attain the same positions? The article reminds us that “there are no women leading major American or European banks, and no woman has ever run a Wall Street investment bank.”
The Wall Street Journal reports that Google faces a new challenge in India with its social networking site Orkut. There, freedom of speech, a constitutional right, is not completely and literally free, but subject to certain rules that are intended to maintain cultural standards tied to India’s numerous ethnic and religious groups.
“The nation of 1.2 billion is the world’s largest democracy and in principle affords free speech to its citizens. But the country has a volatile mix of religious, ethnic and caste politics and a history of mob violence. So, the government has the authority to curtail speech rights in certain cases. India’s Constitution encapsulates that gray zone: Free speech is subject to ‘reasonable restrictions’ for such purposes as maintaining ‘public order, decency or morality.’” Oftentimes, the robust democratic system leads Indians to violent, chaotic protests in the streets.
How does Google, an American company, know when to remove objectionable material, that could lead to public outcry, from it’s many websites? Their policy is to “review material flagged by Indian users of Orkut and other Web services it owns, such as YouTube…The company pledges to abide by the laws of the countries it operates in. In India, that means making some content inaccessible from the local versions of its sites…” Censorship is not typical of democracy, but the nature of Indian culture influences the strong hierarchy of the country, and the power vested in authorities.
Understanding the vagaries of Indian culture and society is important for businesses operating in the country to comprehend and incorporate into local policy. Are there other areas of the world where social networking websites can potentially endanger public safety as in India, or is this unique? How does this compare to recent elections in Iran and the use of Twitter and Facebook to spread news outside of the country?
At a media conference in New Delhi this week, Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, said “We feel that solutions which have been devised by us around the world, cannot be imposed here. The company needs to find unique solutions for India.” She also noted that the country was in the top three markets for the company, and that they intend to foster a cultural awareness of India to produce the most relevant products. For global corporations, culture becomes an ally when marketing and selling to diverse populations. We’ve seen how PepsiCo approached China (click here to read a related post).
What do you think it takes to achieve success in the Indian consumer market?
