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Culture in a package
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Global Adjustments e-learning programme promises to be a navigational tool for Indians travelling abroad
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SMOOTH TRANSITION Knowing different cultures makes travel abroad easier
Plain English can be difficult to follow. Ranjini Manian, founder-director of Global Adjustments, gives an example. “When an Indian employee says, ‘I’ll try’, his American boss is likely to take him at his word. But an Indian
boss will see through him. He knows the guy is not keen on performing the task. In India, ‘I’ll try’ is a time-tested way of wriggling out of responsibilities and obligations.”
Similarly, an Indian serving a team or heading one abroad can be up against ‘verbal roadblocks’ while dealing with his culturally different superiors or subordinates. An e-learning programme put out by Global Adjustments on its site globalindian.net.in promises to be a navigational tool for Indians working or travelling abroad.
As only one package (meant for Indians bound for the United States) is in place, this programme obviously has to gain more ground. Rajeshwar Balasundaram, chief operating officer, Global Adjustments, says packages based on the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, Australia, Japan, the Middle-East and South Korea are under preparation. When this article sees the light, Rajeshwar must be in China. After meeting his business obligations, he will travel for a better understanding of India’s north-eastern neighbour. A package is not put together without gathering inputs from a native or someone who has lived in that country for a long period of time. The U.S. package has been the easiest, because most of the staff at Global Adjustments have had a first-hand experience of U.S. culture. With other countries, Global Adjustments looks at partnerships.
The interactive e-learning package is complemented by ‘on-site training’. This two-pronged method is invariably used whenever the client is a company looking to prepare its employees for an overseas assignment. Almost always, the on-site training is conducted by a native of the host country.
The U.S. package shows what to expect from the others. They will be structured in a similar fashion, but the techniques will obviously be different.
Giving an example, Rajeshwar says different nationals see the business card differently. Indians consider exchanging of business cards an encouraging sign of professionalism. Americans are more informal with the business card – they often operate without it. The Japanese take an extreme position on the matter – they revere the business card. “If a Japanese gives you his business card and you shove it in your back pocket or place it on the table in an offhand manner, he will be offended,” says Rajeshwar.
Ranjini says the packages are not just for the business traveller, but for any Indian who wants to set foot in any of these countries. So, the modules cover visa interview, accent neutralisation and even airplane etiquette.
Only members can have access to the packages. The only one there is now, the U.S. package lasts 12 hours and with paid membership, someone can use it for a year.
For more details, log on to globalindian.net.in or globaladjustments.com or call 24617902.
PRINCE FREDERICK
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