dummies"!!! In an interview with Marshall Goldsmith of Business Week,
the author Ranjini Manian had "fascinating suggestions for Americans
doing business in India—and for Indians doing business with
Americans."
Here is an excerpt from their conversation --
MG -- So what does your company, Global Adjustments, do?
RM -- Global Adjustments is an end-to-end expatriate-services company
offering a range of relocation and cross-cultural services. We also
publish India's only expatriate cultural monthly magazine called At a
Glance—Understanding India. We have worked in easing the passage to
and from India with expatriates from 74 countries. Headquartered in
Chennai, we have offices in all six major cities in India: Bangalore,
Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, and Delhi, and of course, Chennai.
RM -- Before we continue chatting, can I offer you some south Indian
coffee? Or maybe some Darjeeling tea?
(Hmmm. I [Visi] wonder if Goldsmith had any, Coffee or tea I mean...)
MG -- Why do Indians insist on food and drink? I love it myself, but
just wondered.
RM -- Indians' perception of hospitality is a bit different from where
you come from. Food is synonymous with guest relations…offering,
cajoling, and even insisting are all signs of respecting a guest in
India, and business relationships are built by this. So here is a tip:
If you are interested in doing business in India, set time aside to
have tea and biscuits with us first.
MG -- You have told me that you believe individuals work better in
teams in India. Why do you feel that this is true?
RM -- You know, Marshall, it is part of our child-rearing habits…We
[have] this collective culture and upbringing. The good news is that
we lay a lot of stress on collectivism, and therefore we work very
well in teams—and can be super flexible and accommodating. And that is
maybe why we have such brilliant software engineers who adapt to
last-minute changes.
MG -- What is the basis of Hinduism? Do you literally believe that
there was a little blue man called Krishna?
RM -- Krishna is the belief in an idea and a God, both at one time. If
the belief of America and the idea of the very nation can be evoked on
a simple flag of stars and stripes, then why not the idea of an
eternal, all-pervading consciousness that unifies us all in a blue
idol? The color of things all-pervading and endless—like the sky and
ocean— are blue! It is the oneness that is important, not the name,
form or color at the end of the day.
MG-- That makes sense to me. Can you share some facts about India that
may surprise our readers?
RM -- Sure, we invented the zero, without which the world wouldn't
have had computer codes. India is booming and has a growth rate of 9%,
and our people balance materialism with inner wellness.
Read the full article at--
http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/apr2008/ca20080429_770186.htm
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