INDIA

Diana Luca MRU

Intercultural Business Communication Babes Bolyai University November 2013

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Table o contents

I!

INDI" # $acts an% &tatistics

II!

&'CI(T) "ND CULTUR( # *alues

+ierarc,y T,e role o t,e amily

-i t -ivin. Dinin. (ti/uette

III!

BU&IN(&& C'MMUNIC"TI'N (TI0U(TT( "ND CU&T'M& IN INDI"

Meetin.s Business Car%s Dress co%e

I*!

C'M1"RI&'N B(T2((N INDI" 3 "U&TR"LI"

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*! C'NCLU&I'N&

I!

$acts an% &tatistics

Location: &out,ern "sia4 bor%erin. Ban.la%es,4 B,utan 4 C,ina4 Ne5al4 1a6istan

Capital: Ne7 Del,i Climate: varies rom tro5ical monsoon in sout, to tem5erate in nort, Population: over 1!21 billion 5eo5le 82011 estimate%9 Ethnic Make-up: In%o:"ryan ;2<4 Dravi%ian 2=<4 Mon.oloi% an% ot,er 3< 820009

Religions: +in%u >1!3<4 Muslim 12<4 C,ristian 2!3<4 &i6, 1!?<4 ot,er .rou5s Inclu%in. Bu%%,ist4 @ain4 1arsi 2!=< Government: $e%eral Re5ublic

II!

&ociety an% Culture # *alues

a)

ierarch! T,e in luences o +in%uism an% t,e tra%ition o t,e caste system ,ave create% a culture t,at em5,asiAes establis,e% ,ierarc,ical relations,i5s!

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T,e ,ierarc,y in In%ian society is omni5resent an% very visible! It can be seen in 5eo5les Bobs4 t,e 7ay t,ey %ress4 t,eir means o trans5ortation an% muc, more "ll relations,i5s involve ,ierarc,ies! In sc,ools4 teac,ers are calle% .urus an% are vie7e% as t,e source o all 6no7le%.e! T,e 5atriarc,4 usually t,e at,er4 is consi%ere% t,e lea%er o t,e amily! T,e boss is seen as t,e source o ultimate res5onsibility in business! (very relations,i5 ,as a clear: cut ,ierarc,y t,at must be observe% or t,e social or%er to be maintaine%!

b) "he role o# the #amil! In t,e In%ian ,ouse,ol%4 lines o ,ierarc,y an% aut,ority are clearly %ra7n4 s,a5in. structurally an% 5syc,olo.ically com5leC amily relations,i5s! I%eals o con%uct are aime% at creatin. an% maintainin. amily ,armony! "ll amily members are socialiAe% to acce5t t,e aut,ority o t,ose ran6e% above t,em in t,e ,ierarc,y! In .eneral4 el%ers ran6 above Buniors4 an% amon. 5eo5le o similar a.e4 males outran6 emales! 1syc,olo.ically4 amily members eel an intense emotional inter%e5en%ence 7it, eac, ot,er an% t,e amily as an almost or.anic unit! T,is is 7,at 5syc,oanalyst "lan Rolan% ,as terme% as a D amilial sel !D

c$ Gi#t Giving In%ians stron.ly believe t,at o erin. .i ts eases t,eir transition into t,e neCt li e It is not t,e value o t,e .i t4 but t,e sincerity 7it, 7,ic, it is .iven4 t,at is im5ortant to t,e reci5ient I you are invite% to .o to an In%ianEs ,ome4 it is not man%atory to brin. a .i t4 alt,ou., i you brin. one4 it 7ill not be turne% %o7n "s a 5iece o a%vice4 re%4 .reen an% yello7 are seen as luc6y colours4 so try to use t,em to 7ra5 .i ts

%$ Dining Eti&uette 2,en %inin. 7it, +in%us4 %o not touc, %irectly any oo% t,at is bein. serve% to ot,ers4 an% t,is is es5ecially t,e case bet7een men an% 7omen# t,is ma6es it im5ure! )ou s,oul% 5olitely turn %o7n t,e irst o er o tea4 co ee4 or snac6s! )ou 7ill be as6e% a.ain an% a.ain! &ayin. no to t,e irst invitation is 5art o t,e 5rotocol

Discover India
ItFs better to eat only 7it, your ri.,t ,an%! Moreover you s,oul% never use your le t ,an% to 5ass t,e oo%! In%ians see t,is t,in. as bein. GuncleanH an% even o ensive!

III!

Business eti/uette an% customs in In%ia

T,e best time or a meeting is late mornin. or early a ternoon! Recon irm your meetin. t,e 7ee6 be ore an% call a.ain t,at mornin.4 since it is common or meetin.s to be cancelle% at t,e last minute! 1unctuality is eC5ecte% at a meetin. but i you arrive 10 minute late it is not t,e en% o t,e 7orl%! $leCibility is a 5art o li e! Meetin.s usually be.in 7it, a air amount o small tal6 an% t,ere are many times 7,en no real business is %iscusse% at t,e initial meetin.! It is all ri.,t to s,a6e t,e ,an% o a male collea.ue at t,e start o t,e meetin.4 but s,a6in. ,an%s 7it, 7omen is a very sensitive 5oint in In%ian culture! T,e most im5ortant rule is t,at s,a6in. ,an%s 7it, 7omen is al7ays at t,e 7omanFs initiative! In t,e absence o a ,an%s,a6e4 t,e custom is t,e .reetin. o 5eace 6no7n as GNamasteH! Ma6e sure you ,ave enou., 'usiness car%s or every 5erson 5resent at t,e meetin.! Business car%s are 7ritten in (n.lis, an% remember to .ive t,em 7it, your ri.,t ,an% in a 5osition so t,at t,e receiver to be able to rea% it be ore touc,in. it Re.ar%in. t,e %ress co%e in In%ia4 men s,oul% 7ear %ar6 coloure% conservative business suits! 2omen s,oul% %ress conservatively in suits or %resses! T,e %resses s,oul% not reveal too muc, o t,e le.s! Usually4 a tra%itional %ress li6e G&ariH is acce5table!

I*! " s,ort com5arison bet7een In%ia an% "ustralia INDI"

2ell %evelo5e% .rou5 i%entity 1atriarc,al &ociety # t,e at,er is t,e ,ea% o t,e ,ouse,ol% Res5ect or aut,ority # it is consi%ere% t,at t,e ca5acity o t,e aut,ority to ma6e %ecisions is better t,an t,eir subor%inates "voi% con lict Limite% 5ersonal s5ace # Many 5eo5le o t,e eCten%e% amily live in t,e same ,ome!

"U&TR"LI"
More in%ivi%ualist $lui% &ocial ,ierarc,y $ree%om o s5eec, # communication bet7een t,e lea%ers an% t,eir subor%inates is 5art o t,e 7or6 an% is not seen as a stru..le or 5o7er Direct con rontation 7,en an.ry Lar.e 5ersonal s5ace # 1rivacy is im5ortant

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1eo5le are cramme% into small 5laces an% seats Ine/ualities bet7een men an% 7omen

Men an% 7omen s,are t,e same ri.,ts

*!

Conclusions!

Intercultural communication re5resents a s6ill t,at very e7 master! In t,e en% it is very ,ar% to cate.oriAe somet,in. as com5leC an% %ynamic! Tryin. to %o t,at4 re/uires ma6in. assum5tions4 creatin. stereoty5es an% sim5li yin.! T,e variety o 5eo5le insi%e a sin.le culture is astonis,in.! &o can 7e Bust come an% say t,at all In%ians are a 7al6in.4 tal6in.4 multi:tas6in. mac,ineI ' course not! In t,e en%4 i you 7ant to .et involve% in business relations,i5s 7it, a 5artner rom In%ia you s,oul% start by learnin. a e7 t,in.s about t,e motivation an% reasons be,in% t,eir be,avior! )ou s,oul% also res5ect t,eir values4 reli.ion an% customs in or%er to acilitate t,e communication across cultures!

Biblio.ra5,y #

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(:boo6 # Communication an% con lict in international business : *ille 1e66a &a66inen 4 December 2011

Discover India