Distant and proud

Whoever has ever been to India will know the cultural shock involved in such a journey. More and more European and American employees collaborate with Indian employees, while remaining based in their own countries.
But for sound communication, it’s best to have a few basic notion about Indian culture. In India, time is seen in terms of eternal rebeginnings. What Indians don’t achieve in this life, they hope to achieve in another. As much to say that Indians are not in a hurry. Family also holds a central spot in this culture. “An Indian man will go off to work after eating the breakfast prepared by his mother or mother-in-law, and putting on the shirt she has ironed,” reveals Ashok Patrick Pakiam, intercultural trainer. Indians hold great respect for leaders.
A feature shared with their Asian neighbours. And like the Chinese or Japanese, Indians tend to communicate indirectly. To avoid making you lose face, an Indian will never say no to you. “Indians live in groups. But they cannot say what they think without the risk of seeing the group disintegrate. Whereas Western societies attach importance to individual opinion, and communicating has the purpose of maintaining relationships for them.” Hence the necessity to be vigilant of nuances and what goes unsaid. And not to be victim of misunderstandings: someone who says yes to you simply means that he or she has heard you. Another element to note is a certain economic patriotism that has developed there in recent years. “Too many are those, notably the French, who work with Indians and assume that it is the latter who should adapt. Indians are not willing to accept this attitude.” So if a company wishes to set up in India, it is in its interests to choose its expatriates carefully. “An international German company appointed a CEO in India a few months ago. The weekend following his arrival, he was surprised to see his secretary arriving unexpectedly at his home.”
She was passing through the district and wanted to know if he needed anything. Natural behaviour for her, given that the gulf between professional and private life is small in India. “The CEO, bothered by this disturbance, told her that there was no reason for her to be at his place as he had not invited her. Having lost face, she quickly resigned. But the incident nurtured the mistrust, even the disapproval of other employees. The image of the company itself was gradually affected. And today the company still struggles to improve it.”