Written by You’re a Westerner working in a cross-cultural environment in India.
As a Westerner, you prefer communication that’s direct and clear.
You see ambiguity as a stumbling block in business, so you ask direct questions and expect direct answers in return.
Your Indian colleagues, on the other hand, demonstrate some indirect behaviors that you don’t understand.
The rationale behind this style of communication is a mystery to you, and the need for managerial approval in many cases rubs you the wrong way. You see it as unnecessary micromanagement.
This is a situation in which understanding the rationale behind your colleagues’ culture will forge a better business relationship.
Harmony & Many Truths
Mr. Waseem Hussain cleared up this mysterious rationale for me.
As a bicultural professional who has grown up in Switzerland with Indian parents, he knew both sides of the coin and could bridge that cross-cultural barrier between Indian and European mentalities.
In other words, he was the best zookeeper to explain the behavior of other animals in the zoo to me, the monkey.
When I posed a question about why I couldn’t receive a clear answer to a clear issue from Indian colleagues, he replied that, in some ways, it has to do with Hinduism.
As the majority of Indians believe in many gods, the cultural rationale would be that there are many truths.
Another explanation for the rationale has to do with the cultural concept of harmony.
Say, you ask an Indian colleague to meet a 5 o’clock deadline.
Whether or not it’s possible to complete the work by that point, the colleague will tell you, “Yes, no problem.”
In reality, he may have no intention of completing the work by this deadline, but by offering the positive “yes,” he is in harmony with his Western counterpart.
A “no” means disharmony and discomfort on his part.
Universal Truth & Accountability
From the Westerner’s point of view, this behavior appears as blatant dishonesty.
You expect your colleague to abide by his word, as accountability and time sensitivity are important to your culture.
Most Western cultures are largely shaped by Christianity – that is, the belief in one god. As such, the culture’s norms and values revolve around a single universal truth.
This is one obstacle for Westerners in cross-cultural business environments: universal truths do not exist there.
You must have a higher ambiguity tolerance and be willing to accept and even adapt to foreign norms and beliefs.
Your cultural rationale is not everyone’s rationale.
Reasoning and logic are shaped by culture and evolve accordingly with the history and tradition of the people.
Unless a person is counter-culture, he will likely follow the values, norms, and beliefs of his culture’s rationale.
No assumptions should be made about a culture’s behavior being silly or illogical. Refrain from judging something you don’t understand.
As an effective manager, it is your job to find the rationale behind the behavior and accept and adapt accordingly.
In this case, adopting, for a moment, the Indian culture’s worldview – its belief in many truths and emphasis on harmony – will enable you to see the reasoning behind your colleagues’ behaviors.
Success Across Cultures 