Global Technology Experience: Pre-Trip Perceptions of India
This semester, I’m participating in an independent study in addition to my regular classes at Marquette. The independent study, called the Global Technology Experience (GTE), focuses on the economic and political influences on international technology business, and the impact this business has on the legal systems, family and culture of India. There also is a cultural immersion component—our group of graduate and undergraduate students will travel to India in January. We will be visiting various corporations in India to see the workings of business process outsourcing in India, but there will also be an intangible aspect the trip, the exposure to cultural and social elements of Indian society.
When this course comes up in conversation, people usually nod their heads in polite acknowledgement as I explain about the BPO learning, but give varying reactions when I tell them that yes, I am going to India. Some examples of the responses?
“Whatever. So, are you going to be like the new Slumdog Millionarie?”–Michael, brother age 14
“They have great animation techniques, and computer graphic capabilities. You know, I bet they know all about this cool program…” –Marc, techie brother age 17
“Take lots of pictures, especially of the food…I bet they have great food. I love curry!” –Mom, Food Network enthusiast
“But…why? It’s really dirty there. They don’t have running water, you know.” –Adam, boyfriend
“You’re going to have a blast! I have a friends who went there for a wedding, and video- documented the whole trip….I’ll send you the link on YouTube.”—Aunt Jenny
The responses I’ve gotten so far are based upon the perception that each person has of India and its people. In recalling each person’s reaction, I realized that I too have my own pre-trip perceptions of India. In preparation for this trip, I’ve done some reading from Wolfgang Messner’s Working with India: The softer aspects of a successful collaboration with the Indian IT &BPO Industry, as well as watched the PBS documentary called The Story of India. These two sources, along with social and class-related experience have shaped my ideas of India and its people, its social and cultural environment, and its business world. Following is a list of my ideas concerning each of these topics…ideas that have formed my pre-trip conception of India.
India and its people: Most of my preconceptions of Indian people were created by the only two Indian people that I know—Monica Adya, the leader of the independent study and former IT professor, and Pradeep Nedungadi, a partner of Visthar (an international business development firm) who came to speak in my international business class earlier in the semester. I’ve noticed that these two individuals have some similar personality traits that I have come to regard as a commonality amongst all Indians.
· Approachable: encouraging, welcoming, and warm-hearted
· Infallible politeness: These two bring their A-game in the manners department.
· Thorough and concise: Specific expectations, detailed explanations, and thoughtful feedback
Cultural and social environment: Most of my conceptions in this area have stemmed directly from the Story of India documentary.
· Politically, I know that India is the largest participating democracy in the world. My assumption, then, is that population is well versed in current affairs, and issues of national importance.
· Religiously, I know that India is a melting pot of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islamic faiths, and that this is a source of tension, especially in India’s NorthWest. My perception, then, is that it is a faux pas to bring up religion in conversation, and that there are frequent acts of terrorism by religious extremists.
· Socially, I know that there is a sense of community. In watching the video documentary from my aunt’s friend, I noticed that the wedding they attended was enormous. It seemed like half the city was there!
Business World: Most of my conceptions of the business world have stemmed from research I have done for another class. In my International Business Management class, we were broken into country-specific groups, and had to present a report on the Key Factors of Success (KSF) that a business must satisfy in order to turn a profit in that country. My group researched India, and below are the three KSF that we presented…unfortunately, they constitute the entirety of my knowledge of India’s business world, and I have yet to lean about business process outsourcing specific to India.
· KSF #1: Cultivate patience and persistence in relationship building in order to face the challenge of bureaucrats’ resistance is the first key factor of success in India: In order for a company to become successful in India, it is very important to design a good strategy to deal with lots of red tape. Such a strategy has to be long-term in focus.
· KSF #2: Understanding the importance of hierarchy, collectivism, and fatalism in Indian culture: Indians recognize high power distance, which stems from India’s traditional caste system where hierarchies are strongly revered and one always shows respect for superiors whether they are at home, in public, or in the workplace. Although the traditional caste system has been outlawed since 1947, its traces have not fully been erased. As well as hierarchy, collectivism is highly valued in India. Indians traditionally have very large family and business networks that they depend on; when doing business in India, it is helpful to develop a large network of your own and focus on working for the greater good of the group. Additionally, the ability to withstand life’s uncertainties contributes to a fatalist mentality that revolves around the belief that everything happens for a reason. This attitude influences the decision making process of a firm’s management.
· KSF #3: Developing distribution channels that mitigate an archaic infrastructure: In the past, especially before the boom in foreign direct investment of late, many Indian firms accepted the laborious, multi-step distribution paradigm and operated around it. They spent upwards of 40% of product costs on distribution and, in their acceptance of the status quo, made little effort to improve. Now, however, firms recognize the need to concentrate resources toward alleviating the bottleneck of antiquated distribution networks. As more companies streamline distribution networks, and India invests more in internal development projects (something the government has identified as a primary objective), this problem will eventually fade. When it does, mitigating an archaic infrastructure will no longer be a key factor of success for firms entering India.
As the independent study progresses, and the departure date draws nearer, I’m sure that these pre-trip perceptions will evolve slightly. That being said, I would expect that after my trip, I will realize that some of the perceptions were just that…illusions or notions that either prove completely erroneous, or only a fragment of the truth.
