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Nurture the Culture

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DQI Bureau
New Update

During one of my regular morning walks, I saw an expensive car parked on the road, with a well-dressed chauffeur polishing it with pride. What caught my attention were six lemons tied together with a string and attached to the car's number plate.

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Intrigued, I struck up a conversation with the chauffeur and asked him if he enjoyed driving. He was all smiles, and replied that this is the best thing that has happened in his life, and his children are so proud of him now. I then inquired about the six lemons, and he said to me, "Madam, don't you know that it is the best way to ward off evil eyes and protect the car from harm at all times?"

I recall yet another similar episode vividly. A well-known international automobile manufacturer sets up operations in India and celebrated every milestone in its journey with ceremonies which were very Indian in flavor. Whether it was the day when the foundation stone was laid, or when the plant opened for production, or when the first vehicle was rolled out. I noticed every individual who was not an Indian or of Indian origin, trying carefully to understand the ceremonies and celebrations, and participating in what was going on, without questioning things like the scientific rationale behind these practices.

The JOURNEY

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Having studied and lived in the USA for many years, Thanksgiving Day was special to me as I had families inviting me to join them for lunch every year. Being vegetarian, my gracious hosts and hostesses would take special pains to ensure vegetarian dishes for me; sometimes even putting in great effort to cook Indian sambar and curry!
Years later when I returned to India, I had the opportunity

to host many international students who were pursuing internships in my company. I would always help with their breakfast during the first week of their stay, and I ensured there were an array of both western and Indian dishes to choose from. I observed that from the third day onwards, nearly 95% of these young students would have tasted the Indian cuisine or completely switched to eating the Indian dishes. The remaining 5% would always have an excuse for not tasting Indian food, mostly because they believed that it disagreed with their system.

The reason why I have narrated these seemingly disparate incidents is because, although I have been working on cross cultural integration in companies for over two decades now, it is the fundamental belief system of an individual that can facilitate sensitivity or inclusion in them.

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CROSS-CULTURE BRIDGE

If the individual readily observes local cultural beliefs, and is able to draw commonalities with his/her own belief, then the person most certainly will be open, tolerant, sensitive, and even appreciative of other cultures. An example is the case of the non-Indian who participates in the local Indian ceremony because the person believes that this basic act will help him/her bridge and build a connect with local culture.

This act of respecting local culture, traditions and way of life and building a common belief system works very well for organizations as well. Many of you would have heard of the concept ‘glocal', which earlier meant ‘think global and act local'. But today it means ‘think and act both globally and locally'. While companies may focus on creating universal values and culture to create a common way of doing things across geographies/nationalities, they should also deepen the understanding of differences and variations in local culture.

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This understanding can help organizations recognize and be open to situations in which local elements may be the compelling factors for making operational and product decisions. FMCG companies have an edge over others in being glocal. I recall how the same brand of soap would be positioned differently in the USA and India. Or the utility values of the consumer product would prominently highlight and reflect the local culture.

Going Global

A worthy example of applying a ‘glocal' belief system for managing the workforce in a service industry would be the annual leave calendar. While the global belief could drive decision on total days of leave permissible for employees across geographies; the glocal approach would make the company open to local culture and declare leave based on workforce needs. This also means an opportunity for companies to improve productivity by engaging employees based on local cultural norms, as well as create HR interaction in channels that best suit the local culture.

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Thus, while the belief system drives an individual or an organization to think inclusive and be sensitive to cultural differences, such systems can be best nurtured when individuals are allowed to ask questions on the very ‘global' or ‘glocal' culture prescribed by the organization, and are given resources to understand other cultures.

Today, an organization's internal digital and social media channels, and employee affinity networks are great vehicles to help individuals create this common ground with others. Employees can truly learn, appreciate and enjoy the nuances of various cultures and enrich their experiences in many valuable ways.

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