Strategies for Companies Doing Business in India

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


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.


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.)


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


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.


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.


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.



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.



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


• 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


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


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


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


that address your team goals…

Avoid Ambient CulturalAvoid Ambient Cultural Disharmony…

PROMOTION: Buy 1, get 1 FREE (GTPQ team analysis)

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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

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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

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