Professional Documents
Culture Documents
India and Scandinavian countries
A comparative study on cultural and business
related aspects
Group No. 7:
Vikram Jethwani (101) Ritesh Vishwakarma (68) Arjun Singh Bhati (16)
Gyan Yadav (35) Harjinder Singh (36) Atender Singh Rathore (19)
Name of the course: EPGDIB (VSAT) 2009‐10
Assignment No. 1 – International Marketing
Faculty in charge: Dr. Gautam Dutta
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Executive summary
India is the largest democratic nation in the world with the second largest population. Today, it
has come up as one of the fastest growing economies of the world, and more and more
multinational companies are interested in doing business in India.
What is culture ?
However, it is critical to understand the political, economical, social and cultural environment of
Hall (1959) defines culture as the the country. It has a deep rooted history related with the Hindu ruling dynasties, Moghuls and
way of life of a people: the sum British empire. Being a social secular republic, India is home to a number of religions and
cultures. It is said that you will find a change in language every few kilometers you travel.
of their learned behaviour
patterns, attitudes and materials An understanding of Indian culture plays a crucial role in the success and survival of any business
things. – be it domestic, international or global.
On the other hand, Scandinavia is a historical and geographical region in northern Europe that
Hofstede’s (1980, 1991) theory includes, and is named after, the Scandinavian Peninsula. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway,
aims to explain cultural Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland in Scandinavia.
differences through certain
These Scandinavian countries share a mutually intelligible language (a dialect continuum), ethnic
dimensions, such as power composition and have close cultural and historic tie‐ups, to an extent that Scandinavians are
distance, individualism vs. considered as one region.
collectivism, uncertainty
For the purpose of analyzing the cultural and other business related factors with more clarity, we
avoidance, and masculinity vs.
have taken Finland and Norway as representatives to the Scandinavian region as a whole.
femininity.
All three countries demonstrate a high degree of commitment to the accomplishment of action
chains that have been commenced. However, while doing this, Finns tend to perform one thing
at a time (i.e. linear‐active) while still reacting to other people’s expressions and points of view
(i.e. reactive).
The reason for taking Finland is companies like Nokia that is based out of this country and has
registered a substantial and successful presence in India. We hope that you will find this paper
useful.
‐ Group 7
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The context: an insight
Traditionally, India represents a High Context culture. It is characterized by courtesy,
patience, harmony and pragmatism. Indians are very family‐oriented and loyal to their
group and to their employer.
Understanding High and
Indian society follows a hierarchical system under which all responsibilities and duties
Low Context? arise from being a member of the family or a work force.
In a high context culture, it is
Indians are highly collectivist in their local group, but individualistic when dealing with
important to have a contextual
outsiders (Lewis, 1999). On Hofstede’s (2008) individualism–collectivism scale, India is
knowledge of that culture to close to the global average.
understand the true meaning.
Indian culture is, however, changing and becoming westernised. Globalisation is not,
however, new. The persistent movement of goods, people and techniques has occurred
On the other hand, in a low from time immemorial and it has shaped the world (Sen, 2005, p. 347).
context culture, no contextual
knowledge is needed.
Indians are observed as both multi‐active and reactive. They can do a number of things
simultaneously, but still listen to others also. At the other end, Finland and Norway are
listening cultures; people are allowed to talk freely, without being interrupted.
Traditionally, the westerns
cultures would be considered a
India is a talking culture, in which talking may be given a preference over listening.
Speaking simultaneously with others can be tolerated much more than in Finland. Finland
lot more low context and India
and Norway are more data‐oriented. India, however, is observed as more dialogue‐
more high context. oriented.
In Finland, a cultural context is taken as a highly relevant in comprehending a discourse.
This is not essentially the case in India. As a culture, Finland is relatively homogeneous.
India is highly diverse and contradictory in a number of ways.
Finns are seen as punctual, non‐hierarchical and individualistic. Indians are often rather
unpunctual, hierarchical and collectivistic in their local groups, but frequently much more
individualistic vis‐à‐vis outsiders. One of the reasons why unpunctuality is acceptable is
congested traffic arrangements an incessant traffic jams.
A reverence for elder people is evident in all three countries, although it is more obvious
in India and in Japan than in Finland.
Finns do not have as deeply‐rooted traditions as many Asian countries, such as India and
Japan. Family ties are not as strong as in Asian countries. Nevertheless, one can easily
identify certain features that belong to HC cultures.
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Regarding Lewis’s (2005) cultural categories of communication, Finland exhibits certain features
of both linear‐actives and reactives. The Finnish conception of time, for instance, is clearly linear
and one‐task‐at‐a‐time.
Finnish people’s traditional way of respecting old sayings, such as “silence is gold”, “to
understand from a half‐word”, reflect the HC, linear‐active form of culture.
According to Lewis (2005, p. 71), Finns are the only Europeans that are so clearly reactive,
although other Nordic cultures share some reactive traits.
Reactive people are intensive listeners, and their communication style usually consists of
monologue, pause, reflection, monologue (Lewis, 2005, p. 71). The reflective stage often takes
some time, and, as Lewis points out, Finns think in silence, as do many Asians (Lewis, 2005, p. 73).
As Lewis (2005, p. 68) mentions, Finns dislike big talkers. Finns belong to the ‘listening countries’,
Regarding Lewis’s (2005)
in which speakers are rarely interrupted and silence can be constructive.
cultural categories of
communication, Finland According to Lewis (2005, p. 71), Finns are the only Europeans that are so clearly reactive,
exhibits certain features
although other Nordic cultures share some reactive traits. Reactive people are intensive listeners,
and their communication style usually consists of monologue, pause, reflection, monologue
of both linear-actives and (Lewis, 2005, p. 71). The reflective stage often takes some time, and, as Lewis points out, Finns
reactives. think in silence, as do many Asians (Lewis, 2005, p. 73).
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Ease of doing Business in India and Finland
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The business environment
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Business and social etiquettes
Behaviour
Finns believe that there is a particular way of reacting to any situation. They would always
Indians would rarely expect a courteous mannerism. They would talk in a modest tone and would not do
communicate a “No” anything to attract undue attention.
directly.
The rule is serial conversation i.e. listen to the speaker first, wait for them to finish and
then reply. Interrupting the conversation is deemed as rude.
Therefore, it is unlikely
Indians may tend to interrupt in the middle of the conversation. The tone may vary from
that you get a direct
being authoritarian to modest.
refusal. You might need to
Gift Giving Etiquette
If you are invited to a Finn's home, bring flowers, good quality chocolates or wine to the
host.
Flowers should not be given in even numbers.
Do not give white or yellow flowers since they are used at funerals.
Do not give potted plants.
Gifts are opened when received.
Indians are highly sensitive toward their religion and beliefs.
Do not offend their sensitivities by presenting something not paying sufficient respect to
their religion.
Dining Etiquette
If you have been invited to a Finn's home, arrive on time. Finns are punctual in both
business and social arenas.
Remove your shoes outside the house before entering the house.
Contact the hostess ahead of time to see if she would like you to bring a dish.
You may offer help to the hostess with the preparation or clearing up after a meal is
served.
Do not talk shop while eating.
Pay regards to the hosts for their hospitality before saying good‐bye to the other guests.
Source: www.kwintessential.co.uk
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Business and social etiquettes
Business Meeting Etiquette
Appointments are necessary and should be made in advance by telephone, e‐ mail, or fax.
It is extremely difficult to meet with people without a formal appointment.
Do not schedule meetings between June and August as many Finns take vacation during
the summer.
You should arrive at meetings on time or slightly early.
Telephone immediately if you will be detained more than 5 minutes. Being punctual is a
sign of respect and efficiency.
Expect a bare minimum of small talk, if any, before getting into the business discussion.
Send an agenda before the meeting as well as the biographies of your team.
Meetings begin and end on time.
Avoid hype, exaggerated claims, or bells and whistles in your presentation.
Finns seldom ask questions. The presenter is expected to make his/her case with sufficient
detail that their Finnish colleagues do not need to ask questions.
There is no taboo on humour in the business environment.
acceptable.
Especially in the
Therefore, for a 30 km
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Business and social etiquettes
Relationships & Communication
Finns are transactional and do not need long‐standing personal relationships in order to
conduct business.
The basic business style is formal ‐ i.e. there is relatively little small talk and Finns prefer
people to speak succinctly and to focus purely on business.
Finns do not require face‐to‐ face contact and, in fact, are quite comfortable using e‐ mail.
Finns are excellent time managers who prefer to organize their workday in order to
accomplish as much as possible.
Finns are interested in long‐ term relationships.
Relationship building often takes place outside the office: in a restaurant or the sauna.
Never turn down an invitation to use the sauna, as it is an entrenched part of the Finnish
culture.
Finns place a great value on speaking plainly and openly.
What someone says is accepted at face value and this is a culture where "a man's word is
his bond" and will be treated as seriously as a written contract, so verbal commitments are
considered agreements.
Finns are direct communicators. Expect your colleagues to tell you what they think rather
than what you want to hear.
Professional differences are not viewed as personal attacks.
Source: www.kwintessential.co.uk
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Business and social etiquettes
Business Card Etiquette
Business cards are exchanged without formal ritual.
Present your business card so it is readable to the recipient.
Treat someone's business card with respect as it symbolizes the way you will treat them.
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