BRIC Country Series: India BRIC Country Series: India Strategies for Companies Doing Business in India 1 1 © 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
BRIC Country Series: IndiaBRIC Country Series: India
Strategies for Companies Doing Business in India
11© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Table of ContentsTable of Contents
Management Strategies
Expats in India
Strategies for Engaging Clients
Special Offer
22© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Management StrategiesManagement Strategies1. Currently, the most important business issues for
( ti d t ) i I dimanagers (natives and expats) in India are: • Understanding Indian business customs and protocol. • Learning to shift frames of reference to respond to what g p
works and what doesn't work across the different cultures of India.
• Understanding differences between one’s own and Indian gmanagement, work and communication styles.
• Understanding and responding to different mindsets and behaviors that are encountered in the Indian sub-continent.
• Action planning to enhance work-related interactions with Indian employees, team members, business colleagues, vendors and offshore partners.
33© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
p
Management StrategiesManagement Strategies
2 Eff ti l d hi i I di i l d th f ll i2. Effective leadership in India includes the following behaviors: • Use a top down approach.p pp• Respect Indian values and customs.• Establish trust, effective communication and relationship
building (How you do this is likely to be different in Indiabuilding. (How you do this is likely to be different in India than in other cultures. Become familiar with their cultural approaches and preferences.)
44© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
For Your InformationFor Your Information…
B i i t d t d d i th f ll i tiBusiness is not conducted during the following times and or occasions:
• Festival seasons e.g., Diwali• Astrological bad times
Pit P k h b i t• Pitra Paksh - remembering ancestors
55© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Motivating EmployeesMotivating Employees
I th I di k l ’ b i ft lik d t ld• In the Indian workplace, one’s boss is often likened to an older brother or sister or one’s mother or father. Calling the boss “sir” is typical.
• The analogy between the Indian workplace and family is supported by Indian religious traditions which place a high value
i i d di th b th d t it lf don giving and rewarding others as both an end to itself, and as a means of affirming one’s own standing. Giving affirms the power distance between the giver of the gift and the recipient.
66© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Expats in IndiaExpats in India
1 Wh t th t i t t i f t1. What are the most important issues for expat managers in India to get right? • India is very culturally diverse, and cultural sensitivities vary widely.• Organizations follow a chain of command.• Indian employees are task and assignment oriented.
2. How are expat managers typically perceived? • They are respected and revered.• They are experts in their field• They are experts in their field.• Action oriented.
77© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Strategies for Engaging ClientsStrategies for Engaging Clients
1 B ild t ith t ti l li t i I di b1. Build rapport with potential clients in India by. . .• Operating through an Indian partner initially.• Not pushing for decisions/closure at the first meeting.p g g• Following the correct protocol.
2 When visiting a prospect or a client2. When visiting a prospect or a client. . .• Be formal.• Engage in small talk. Establish a relationship. • Let the client spell out his/her need. Make him/her feel
important.
88© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Strategies for Engaging ClientsStrategies for Engaging Clients
33. Vendors should avoid. . .• Not using the correct address form.• Coming to the point directly.
4. When negotiating with prospects or clients from India. . . • The client may need time to decide. If so, the client may want
another meeting to finalize the business deal.• Explain what additional benefits you are offering relative to the
competitor.• Give him or her the feeling that s/he has extracted a discount from
S h t i i t d if th di t i j tyou. Such a gesture is appreciated even if the discount is just an illusion.
99© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Strategies for Engaging ClientsStrategies for Engaging Clients
5 R i i d h dli fli t5. Recognizing and handling conflict• Bypassing the hierarchy can bruise people’s egos and raise the
level of conflict.• To repair your relationship with the client, you might want to get help
from an intermediary.
6. To maintain a relationship (for the purpose of getting follow-on business) . . .• Maintain contact. Visit them to inquire about product satisfaction
and customer service. Ask them what improvements they want to see.
• Give gift items like a diary/calendar during Diwali and New Year’s. Give the gift in person.I it li t t b i d i l t h
1010© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
• Invite your client to business and social events such as lunch/dinner.
Hofstede Scores for IndiaHofstede Scores for India
1. Individualism: 48 (Group orientation)
2. Power Distance: 77 (Hierarchical orientation)(Hierarchical orientation)
3. Certainty: 40 (Tolerance for Ambiguity)Ambiguity)
4. Achievement: 56 (Achievement orientation)
5. Time Orientation: 51 (Long-Term orientation)
The graph above provides a snapshot of the culturally based values in India The Hofstede scores for India
1111© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The graph above provides a snapshot of the culturally based values in India. The Hofstede scores for India show a large power distance score. Although the traditional caste system has been outlawed, the large power distance score indicates that hierarchical attitudes still remain. All other measures are relatively moderate.
Cultural Disharmony Undermines yWorkplace Creativity
“Managing cultural friction not onlyManaging cultural friction not only creates a more harmonious workplace,
says professor Roy Y J Chua butsays professor Roy Y.J. Chua, but ensures that you reap the creative benefits of multiculturalism at itsbenefits of multiculturalism at its
best.”SOURCE Bl di Mi h l W ki K l d H d B i S h l 09 D 2013 R h & Id
1212© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
SOURCE: Blanding, Michael, Working Knowledge, Harvard Business School, 09 Dec 2013 Research & Ideas
Special Offer ITAP’s GTPQSpecial Offer – ITAP’s GTPQ
1 If l d t th t th i lt l i li t1. If you already suspect that there is a cultural misalignment among and between team members…
2. If you want to examine the gaps in work-related values within tyour team..
3. To bridge gaps to motivate employees, work more effectively with colleagues, and engage clients more successfully…
4. If it would help focus the team by comparing your team’s culture with the culture of the 5 best teams in ITAP’s database…
ITAP’s Global Team Process Questionnaire™ (GTPQ)…ITAP s Global Team Process Questionnaire™ (GTPQ) identifies cultural misalignment as well as other areas that
need work so you can focus on improving team performance. The GTPQ allows you to measure change/improvement over
1313© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The GTPQ allows you to measure change/improvement over time.
Measuring Cultural DisharmonyMeasuring Cultural Disharmony
ITAP measures human processITAP measures human process interactions on teams which include:• Executive overviews• Both quantitative answersBoth quantitative answers
and qualitative insights• Automated diagnosisAutomated diagnosis• Customized with questions
that address your team
1414© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
that address your team goals…
Avoid Ambient CulturalAvoid Ambient Cultural Disharmony…
PROMOTION: Buy 1, get 1 FREE (GTPQ team analysis)
Buy 1 iteration of ITAP’s Global Team Process Questionnaire™ (GTPQ*) at $1000 and receive 1 iterationQuestionnaire (GTPQ ) at $1000 and receive 1 iteration free. Each iteration includes a free 1-hour virtual debrief. Email me ([email protected]) and enter PROMOTION
CODE I14GTPQ i th bj t liCODE I14GTPQ in the subject line.*GTPQ (Premium version) retails for $1,000/team plus debrief and/or delivery of interventions for
the team @ $350/hour
1515© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Questions? Please email or call me…
Catherine�Mercer�Bing
Questions?��Please�email�or�call�me…
CEO,��ITAP�International,�[email protected]
ITAP�International,�Inc.353�Nassau�Street,�1st FloorPrinceton,�NJ�08540�USA(W) 1 215 860 5640(W)�1.215.860.5640http://www.itapintl.com
…thank�you…Remember! Put your PROMOTION CODE: I14GTPQ
in the subject line of your
1616© 2013 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
in the subject line of your email.