Cross-Cultural Management in India - Essay Example

CROSS CULTURAL MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL DOCUMENT TRAINING MANAGERS FOR INDIA Table of Contents Page Introduction 3 2 International Environment 4 3 Training Managers for India 6 4 Objectives 7 5 Training Methods 8 5.1 Cross Culture Awareness 8 5.2 Country Specific Training 10 5.3 Language Training 11 5.4 Lesson Content 12 6 Costs 12 7 Conclusion 12 8 Bibliography 13 1 Introduction Management faces a different challenge in the new Global environment. Trade and Manufacturing have both moved beyond borders and the perspective has undergone a sea change. While trading and to a limited extent Trade and Commerce have always been International to some extent for ages unknown, yet the experiences were limited to and under the influence of empire building exercises. Under those limiting factors it was never considered important or relevant to give any weight to local cultural requirement save and except occasions where the local customer had to be satisfied with the offering in a competitive environment. Then and only then the cultural importance demanded a better understanding of the market forces. Another factor that contributed to nonchalance was the fact that the markets really lay elsewhere. The real market was always back at home for which the trading primarily took place. Obvious examples are the markets in Great Britain and Europe for whom the Eastern delicacies and materials were procured and either sold or manufactured for mostly local consumption. Here the targeted segment of the market was the affluent British or the Europeans populations. Hence the need to develop management practices for the overseas suppliers like India was never really felt or needed. India was basically considered a supplier of resources which were needed elsewhere and in those days this supply chain needed no managerial input except to get hold of materials at the lowest possible cost. All management skills of marketing and competition were practiced in UK and Europe. That is not to say that back then there was no market in India. While it is true that the products manufactured in UK were in demand in India, yet the market was highly concentrated with only the rich who could afford these goods and they lapped it all up with need to market the same as these were rarities for them and their dominated minds were already in favour of these products over local wares. Little or no management skills were required to organise this effort. Times however changed. Countries like India grew in affluence and capabilities, they out grew the Worldwide Empire and local Maharaja Modes and became independent and largely democratic. The local population became more educated and aware of themselves as well as the world around them. Above all, they became consumers and large enough to deserve attention resulting in need for better management practices by the same western companies who earlier felt no need for the same. As a result the tables were reversed. The supplier in the supply chain system also became a consumer of the final product and the circle was complete. In fact it became heavily loaded in his favour as the new consumers outnumbered the old by multiples and a higher number of managers were required to man this market compare to the western markets. Out of this arose the need to train managers suitable for the Indian market in particular 2 International Environment India has become a favourite destination of all Multinational companies selling consumer items as well as capital goods. There is acute shortage of the right kind of managers to handle this market. The different cultures between UK and India require a better understanding of each other and a mutual respect for the opposing cultures to produce managers who can deliver the right response to customers. Today the cultural diversity can be broadly classified as Western and Eastern. Under the Western culture the emphasis is on Individualism. This “refers to societies in which an ‘I’ consciousness is emphasized through independent values such as right above duties, primary concern for personal goals and immediate family”. Individualism (Hofstede, G. (2001). This is born out of practice of democratic training and behaviour. The attitudes are to promote self to bring out the best capabilities of the individual which can then be used for the benefit of the society at large. While this is a fine model the shortcoming is that during the process the individual becomes too self cantered and too self conscious and unmindful of the obligations that he has towards others. For him the self and maybe the immediate family are above the rest and often it clashes with ego and reflects in attitude like arrogance. Opposed to this is the approach of selflessness and sacrifice for mutual good. The collective attitude where the Easterner look to help the neighbour, at times at his own cost, and still feels satisfied with his good deed. “Collectivism, on the other hand, refers to societies in which a “WE” consciousness is emphasized through interdependent values such as cohesive in-groups, mutual obligations and concern for ones groups with unquestioning loyalty” (Hofstede, 2001) This means there is a shared pattern of beliefs, values and ideas that result in shared attitudes and behaviour. (Bochner, S. (1994). In the first case the individual is Independent and gives and takes no quarter. In the second case the individuals are all Inter-dependant. The merits and demerits of both cases are not the subject of discussion here. The subject is how to produce managers who can handle both kinds of individuals who as consumers are demanding in their own peculiar ways. Technology also contributes to Cross Cultures in different ways. The Globalisation of trade and commerce has converted the entire world into a global village. There is the Convergence theory that believes that convergence of technology has brought the world together and dissimilarities are giving way to similarities. Looking at the way people the world over dress commonly, and have a five day working week, gives support to this theory. (Hillis-Miller, 2001). Under this theory it is held that economic development will lead to cultures becoming more similar in values, organizations, class structures and family distinctiveness. Such value assimilations are expected to result in more focused activity, more positive results, more commitment and thus more satisfaction. This is a direct result of better and less cluttered communication between the members of the organization with common conduct which is a product of effective behavioral and cognitive response from individuals (Fisher, C.D., Gitelson, R. (1983). The same technology, others argue can cause cultural diversity and may as well enforce it. Those who oppose the theory of convergence state that a fault-line is created because of the dissimilarities. In fact it “identifies sub-groups within a workforce based on similarities in one or more attributes. (Lau, D.C., Murnighan, J.K. (1998). For example, Internet portals in different countries, while uniform in design, may have culture-specific content (Zahir et al., 2002) Zahir, S., Dobing, B., Hunter, M.G. (2002). The disturbing fact is that such dissimilarities in values results in negative effects and attitudes. There is negative trust and negative group dynamics when these two groups of disparate people get together on a common project. The totally different outlook of Individualistic approach and Collective approach dampen any clear prospect. This is a powerful deterrent to any managerial effort and this is what your Consultants propose to address. 3 Training Managers for India . India is a country of diverse cultures and languages. It is truly a continent by itself and constitutes a variety of beliefs, languages, literary and cultural habits and a host of religious customs. With the liberalisation of the economy in the nineties, a certain amount of pro-western inclination has developed and is taking roots in the upper middle class, which is 300 million strong as of today. This is followed by another 300 million of the lower middle class who also have huge purchasing power but they are still in a culture trap of their own. The middle class is under the Mac-World effect (Barber, B.R. (1992). By this is meant their leaning towards the western culture. In effect they have embraced the western type of clothing, the western dietary habits of fast foods, and western cultural habits of entertainment. Even their lifestyle is an imitation of western values, where vacations and condominium style living is now a common and valued feature. The Individualistic trend is eroding family values and joint families are fast disappearing. Despite the veering of the middle class to Mac-World views there is still dissimilarity in values. This refers to the underlying social psychological differences in cultures such as conception of favourable attitudes, social values, core work activities and work purposes. (Milliken, F.J., Martins, L.L. (1996). These changes have spawned a different variety of mixed culture which requires special training for managers who are to operate under these conditions and your consultants are geared up for this effort as explained below. 4 Objectives For being effective the manager has to develop certain skills and he is to be properly trained in Human Relationship Management (HRM) practices, even if this is not his primary work area. The objective is to familiarise him with an alien culture, which has certain similarities, but this is superficial in nature. Deep down nature is still at play and generally people are more insecure in the transition period, therefore there is a strong under current of the same old shared beliefs and cultural issues of collectivism, that easily come to the forefront in situations that demand taking of a position. Your consultants have therefore devised the following course for managers to be trained for the Indian Market. 5 Training Methods Here, we, as Consultants offer our services, as competent to train the Managers in Methodologies that will make them useful in either environment and be able to steer the company towards its objectives. The Consultants firmly believe that training plays a vital role in making managers useful to a company. The mangers may be well versed in their own fields or areas of operations, be it marketing, finance, manufacturing or otherwise, but how they are to respond to local cultural requirements needs special focus that is provided by us. While the consultants are capable of training managers for any market, but for this proposal we will concentrate on the Indian market. We begin by educating managers through cross cultural courses with a view to cross cultural team building and communication programmes. The aim is to produce cultural synergy at the workplace. The programme is divided into two distinct areas. The first is Cross Culture Awareness and the second is Country specific training. 5.1 Cross Culture Awareness The objective of Cross Culture Awareness is to introduce the trainee to understand the different aspects of culture and to constructively analyse it in a workplace environment. It essentially deals with interpersonal relationships by understanding each others culture and to develop a mutual respect and trust for same. The method will be to communicate on a more equal level and to effectively take charge of a multicultural group in a more appreciative environment. Another purpose of this Cross Culture Awareness is to develop awareness where little or no cultural affinity exists and effective communications is the bridge to cross this barrier. Communication skills are therefore specially developed with attention paid to things like attention to details to overcome the cultural barriers. Effective communication removes these barriers and make for a receptive response. Today, more than ever business success requires intercultural awareness and effective cross cultural communication skills. Working, meeting, dealing, entertaining, negotiating and corresponding with colleagues or clients from different cultures can be a minefield. One wrong movement or basic misunderstanding could ruin or delay months of work. Understanding and appreciating intercultural differences ultimately promotes clearer communication, breaks down barriers, builds trust, strengthens relationships, opens horizons and yields tangible results in terms of business success. 5.2 Country Specific Training The aim of Country specific programme is more focussed. It provides a rich backdrop of values. Morals, ethics, business practices, etiquettes protocols and business methods of the target country and provides an in depth understanding for those managers who are to be exposed to this environment. This will prepare the participants with the skills that will be required in building successful relationships both at the workplace and in the society in general. The list of subjects covered includes social customs, rules and taboos, verbal and non-verbal communication, business management structures, decision-making techniques, business etiquette and protocol Following Cultural Basics will be covered extensively to apprise the trainee of the environment. 1 Historical, political and economic overview. 2 Profile of comparative business, trade and industry. 3 Society, culture, values, religions, customs and traditions. Besides special emphasis will be give to doing Business in India. This will include Preparing for a trip to India 1 Cross cultural comparison of business practices, etiquette and protocol 2 Building relationships and Effective communication (verbal and non-verbal) 3 Business entertaining, Meetings and negotiations 4 Working with Indians and Profile of Indian colleagues and Managing Indian staff 5 Aspirations and value systems In addition the importance of relocation of managers to India will include preparations for moving to India, including what to take, how to prepare for family living, what to expect from Indian colleagues, dietary issues, transport, shopping and entertainment opportunities etc. will also be discussed and elaborated. 5.3 Language Training It is recognised that developing Linguistic skills is the stepping stone for effective communication and a sure recipe for integration and success at the new workplace. Here we briefly describe our efforts in Language training. The trainees are provided with the following: • A regular forum which enables the speaker to address and work through language problems experienced through the working week. • An opportunity to focus on business critical language and terminology specific to the industry/sector in which they work. • Focused lessons on particular skills such as report or letter writing, speech giving, presentations or comprehension. • An opportunity to review written material for which they have responsibility and to address and amend any grammatical areas prior to distribution of material within the business. • A focus on pronunciation and delivery of spoken language to ensure clarity and fluency of speech. 5.4 Lesson Content In UK not enough emphasis is given to teaching foreign languages, whereas this is the only way to building bridges across communities and nations. Regrettably we do not give it the emphasis it deserves at the school stage where children can easily pick up languages, almost at will. They find it difficult as they grow up since by then their own language has been ingrained in their minds. To overcome the natural enigma towards a foreign language we have taken great pains to reconstruct a syllabus that is easy to understand and follow. We have created a flexible syllabus that can meet individual needs according to proficiency and requirement that is tailor made to fit the individuals and groups of like minded people, with language texts and modern media such as radio programmes, newspapers and business journals. We also mould our lessons to integrate industry/sector specific vocabulary and focus on any areas with which the student may need assistance such as report writing, presentations or negotiation. In addition we can provide more organizational and company culture focused cultural awareness courses to foreign managers and staff who may feel they could benefit in their new roles by understanding the complexities of the Indian workplace. With your approval of this proposal our team of intercultural experts will analyze and identify your core needs. Further more they will suggest correlate areas that may be beneficial to you. A draft course outline will then be proposed, alterations made if need be and once you are pleased we will proceed. 6 Costs For the entire range of services we have very reasonable costs. For single person training (recommended for Directors) GBP 100 per hour For a group of up to 6 Managers GBP 100 per hour Time required will depend on the current level of knowledge of individuals and groups and is subject to evaluation prior to finalization. Besides there will be a non-refundable commitment fee of GBP 500 which is a one time charge and covers the cost of consultations that may be required from time to time. 7 Conclusion You will note that our proposal comprehensively covers all possible areas that are important for preparing your managers to get a positive training for working in India. The company can expect immediate return in the shape of satisfied employees who will be working in tandem with their managers. The managers will be at ease with them since they will have received intensive training on the cultural aspects of their company and social life in India. Above all since communication will be not be a problem, there will be no insensitiveness which raise the barriers between the management and the employees. The result will be a happy family of workers without any emotional roadblocks. The Consultants now look forward to your valued contract. 8 Bibliography Barber, B.R. (1992), "Jihad vs. MacWorld", The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 269 No.3, pp.53-65 Bochner, S. (1994), "Cross-cultural differences in the self-concept: a test of Hofstedes individualism/collectivism distinction", Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Vol. 25 No.2, pp.273-83 Fisher, C.D., Gitelson, R. (1983), "A meta-analysis of the correlates of role conflict and ambiguity", Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 68 pp.320-33. Hillis-Miller, 2001"Questionnaire", Journal of the Twentieth-Century/Contemporary French Studies, Vol. 5 No.1, pp.221-26. Hofstede, G. (2001), Cultures Consequences, 2nd ed., Sage, CA,) Lau, D.C., Murnighan, J.K. (1998), "Demographic diversity and fault lines: the compositional dynamics of organizational groups", Academy of Management Review, Vol. 23 No.2, pp.325-40 Milliken, F.J., Martins, L.L. (1996), "Searching for common treads: understanding the multiple effects of diversity in organizational groups", Academy of Management Review, Vol. 21 pp.402-33. Zahir et al., 2002) Zahir, S., Dobing, B., Hunter, M.G. (2002), "Cross-cultural dimensions of internet portals", Internet Research: Electronic Networking Application and Policy, Vol. 12 No.3, pp.210-20. Read More