Pooja negi	PGDM-3
by BERLITZ CROSS CULTURAL
cross-cultural@berlitz.com
Like everywhere else, politeness in India is considered to be a virtue. You’ll quickly find that most Indians will go out of their way to be friendly and helpful to you. A traveler will frequently be asked about his nationality, name, marital status, and children, though the limited spread of English tends to restrict the scope of most conversations to simple things. It can be a bit tedious to go around like a walking curriculum vitae, but just keep smiling. This quaint curiosity is built on the best of friendly intentions, and it is part of India’s charm. While English is certainly the language of business in India with foreigners, remember that the English spoken is British English. Therefore, avoid common British-American misunderstandings, such as "tabling this for now" (British English means "let’s put it on the table and talk about it now"), and the use of American sports slang "that idea is from left field." Even common American business acronyms, such as ASAP or FYI may not be understood in India – avoid them. So, before you plan your trip to Mumbai (known until 1995 as Bombay) New Delhi, keep these cultural tips in mind.	The traditional greeting in India is the "namaste." Hold both your hands at chest level in a prayer position and bow slightly to your associate. Additionally, this greeting may be accompanied with a garland of flowers being placed around the neck. It is expected that you remove the flowers almost immediately and set them aside, for to keep them on indicates a lack of humility. Indians seldom shake hands, when greeting people, other than during the course of official business. The handshake is also commonly used (usually a little softer than the common American grip). Good friends may clasp each other’s hand with both hands. It is important, however, that men should avoid touching women, even in business settings. Unless she extends her hand first, men should not reach out to shake a woman’s hand. Remember, your Indian associate may very likely be Muslim, and in India, this means respecting Moslem customs. In devout Muslim homes, women are separated from men, and usually stay amongst themselves in a separate part of the house. Remember also that cows are considered sacred incarnations of life by devout Hindus. Therefore, do not serve beef at meals. Also, avoid gifts made of leather (leatherbound books, attaché cases, picture frames, etc.). A wonderful gift to your Muslim associate would be a fine, silver compass. They use a compass to locate Mecca and perform their daily prayers. Many Indians do not drink and/or are vegetarians, so if you are inviting someone out for a meal, it would be a good idea to inquire beforehand about tastes and preferences. It’s a tradition in India to be served a sweet, often accompanied by tea or fruit juice, when first meeting someone either at home or in the office. Accept it graciously and you may expect a wonderful meal to follow. In both business and social settings, it may appear to you that servants are being somewhat mistreated. Be prepared for versions of this kind of behavior. Traditional to Indian culture is the caste system, which, though now illegal, still has pervasive influence. Remember that for thousands of years, people were organized according to who serves whom, with everyone serving someone and expecting obsequious obedience from others. Avoid offering your opinions about politics, social mores, etc. in India. The best way to win friends, and subsequently accomplish your goals in India, is to admire what you can (and there is much) and humbly inquire about everything else. Indians are eager, to extremely eager, to explain their country and their beliefs to foreigners, which could make for interesting conversation. Indian management and decision-making is such that your Indian associate may seek the advice of trusted others (friends, family members, etc.) before making a decision you might be waiting for. Therefore, do not expect meetings to always result in a decision, especially if you are only in the beginning stages of a business relationship. You need to take time to build a relationship, an essential precursor to business, however frustrating it may be for the time-conscious American. Meetings should be viewed as vehicles for relationship-building and information-sharing. During your discussions, you may notice your Indian colleague shaking his head from side to side after you speak. Particularly true of South Indians, this unique "head-wobble" is merely your Indian associate’s non-verbal way of letting you know that he is politely listening to what you have to say. This side-to-side movement does not, as Westerners might suspect, signal disapproval. If you don’t know with whom you need to speak to in the Indian organization, the general rule is to start as high up in the hierarchy as possible. Lower-level people will not make the decisions you require. That’s why it is sometimes best to be introduced to your Indian counterpart through an intermediary. Rely on your Indian "middleman," they are invaluable as contact makers – without them, you will waste time with the wrong people and not know how to conduct yourself at the meeting when you finally reach the right person.

Gender, disability top HR focus at most firms, Mercer says

New Delhi, May 7: 

It couldn't get better for women working in corporate India. For, 91 per cent of the companies surveyed by global human resource firm Mercer, have listed ‘gender' as a top focus area, and said they would make efforts to give more leadership roles to women.

‘Disability' was second on the priority list of Indian companies, with 39 per cent of the 31 surveyed in the Asia-Pacific region, affirming its importance. A few said they already had a diversity strategy specific to people with disabilities, including targeted recruitment and creating a work environment for specific needs, the Mercer survey said.

A total of 60 per cent of the participating companies in India reported having a diversity and inclusion strategy in place.

“Diversity and inclusion strategies are gaining a strong foothold within India Inc…. We expect it to grow further…,” said Ms Shanthi Naresh, Principal, Human Capital, Mercer India, in a release.

Two initiatives

Companies said their efforts in 2012 would mainly focus on two initiatives — developing women for leadership roles and attracting more diverse talent to their organisations, especially with the fast changing demography.

Besides trying to attract more women, Indian companies said strategies were needed to retain female talent so that recruitment and training efforts do not go waste.

A case in point is Infosys. “In 2000, only 10 per cent of our workforce was women. So, there was a clear need to set internal targets to change this…Today, 50 per cent of the graduates recruited are women and 34 per cent of our total work force is female,” Ms Nandita Gurjar, Group HR Head, Infosys, said in the report.

Among various initiatives by Infosys to engage and retain women, were priority transfers in the same location as husband, extended maternity leave and the option to work from home, office location close to home for nursing mothers, extended sabbatical for child and elderly care etc.

However, the Mercer survey noted that many companies in the Asia Pacific region said obtaining a commitment from their business leaders was proving to be hard. 

Nikita PGDM-3