Work Culture Similarities and differences
Europe India
Character
• Quality is a given
• Adherence to specifications
• Penalties in case of non- performance
• Promises have to be kept
• “Law & Order” attitude
• Quality is a sales argument
• Tend to generalize rather than being specific
• Incentives for completing the transaction
• Confirmations are flexible
• “Spirit of the Law” attitude
Perspectives
• Precise & accurate
• Men and women are self- reliant;
• Do it yourself attitude
• Think practical
• Servants make life easier from childhood on
Communication
• Clear & Brief
• Black / White
• Yes / No
• Indirect way of communicating
• Reading between the lines
• Saying no is impolite
Dictionary Yes / No
• Yes means Agreement, Confirmation is fix
• No means Definite refusal, No further discussions!
• Yes means I hear you, I understand, I agree
• Saying No is impolite
Social Structures
• Live in small families
• Generations go separate ways
• Need freedom,
• privacy is very important
• “My home is my castle”
• Business is in most cases independent to the relatives
• Live in large families
• Strong bonding within the family
• Hardly any personal sphere,
• privacy, think in terms of ‘we’
• mix private & business
• Doing business with Indians means the entire family is included