India and its Business Culture
In today’s world, globalisation plays a more and more important role. The idea of the “global village” is becoming reality and business is done not only regional but over the whole world. A European enterprise for example nowadays usually does not only have business partnerships in Europe but also in America or Asia, depending on the branch of their business. In this world of doing business with any kinds of nations and cultures knowledge about the culture and business habits is a “must-have”. In my essay, I would like to introduce India as a country with a culture which is thousands of years old and also the most important facts about Indian business behaviour in general, in meetings and in negotiations.
Before starting with the business culture it is essential to know some general facts about India, its culture and its economy.
First of all, India is one of the oldest cultures in the world. Its cultural heritage which dates back at least 5,000 years is still influencing the life and habits of Indian people. This is why the understanding of the cultural traditions is essential for a successful business partnership. Geographically, India is surrounded by the Indian Ocean in the south, east and west, while its geographical northern border would be the Himalayan Mountains.
As the ancient streams of the Indian culture influence today’s habits a lot, knowledge about the key concepts and values is essential. There are three mains concepts which are Hinduism and the traditional caste system, Fatalism and Collectivism.
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...usal or criticism is also considered to be rude. Instead of a direct “no” it is appropriate to communicate in a more indirect way and show no bad feelings. To sum it up, aggression should never occur in negotiations.
Last but not least, the final decision will be made by the highest-ranking business executives. Therefore it is very important to build up and maintain a particularly strong relationship to these senior persons.
After a successful negotiation there will be a celebration dinner.
With the knowledge of traditional Indian culture and religion and in addition to this the most important information about Indian business culture, most problems and barriers of a intercultural partnership should be easy to overcome.
Understanding the business side and the country culture can help build a better understanding of how the business should come into the company and how the business should operate and viewed by members of the community. According to Professor Hofstede, “Culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy.
The culture of India is very unique, beautiful, and one of the oldest ones. The culture of India is very diverse. Take the north and south regions of India, they are totally different. Indian festivals are put into categories by their color, gaiety, enthusiasm, prayers, an rituals. India’s culture is very beautiful, colorful, and magical. It is also very original. Indian’s culture is the true meaning of amazing and graceful. (“Indian Culture.” WhereInCity)
Many have failed to notice the consequentiality of knowing business rule, particularly once handling with business partner from foreign countries and different cultures. Business partners in foreign companies have completely different cultural practices and customs. Being watchful of those varied customs and practices is crucial to being prosperous in a global business environment.
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Svensson, G., 2001. 'Globalization' of Business Activities: A 'Global Strategy' Approach, Management Decision, 39(1), pp.6-18.
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