Travels in the Riel World

Mystified by the business practices of your Indian counterparts?  Silicon India has an article this month offering advice on conducting business in India.  Among the tips:

- Time is not money yet … India has always had a laid back culture when it comes to matters of time.

- You may see some disturbances during meetings like people attending other phone calls, talking to other people or multitasking. Although distractions are viewed as being rude in western culture, in India it is not viewed as such. Indians are true icons of polychromic people who love to multitask.

- The Indian managers and employees are used to the structural way of management. A lot of times, you will see employees calling you sir or madam like they address their managers. This is not a sign of keeping you at a distance. Hierarchy matters in India.

The NY Times ran a two-story series this week about the fight against malaria in Africa.  Worthwhile reading if you are interested in global health topics.  Here are links to the first and second articles.

The Chinese are busy with preparations for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.  Apparently, they are planning for every contingency in an effort to make an impression on the world.  According to this article in the International Herald Tribune, the government is even involved in a campaign to improve the manners of the Chinese people in advance of the games.

The Chinese government is determined to make just the right impression, and befitting an authoritarian system, is leaving little to chance, down to the manners of its citizens.

The unfolding war against the boorish, brutish and slovenly is so ambitious that it even has precise timetables, with a countdown to the Olympic Games that includes benchmarks of civility and politeness for citizens to meet. As a starter, 4.3 million copies of a new book on manners have been delivered to households in Beijing.

The author of the article, Howard French, suggests that this effort indicates the Chinese and the Americans ”share more than is obvious at first glance.”  Each country, he believes, wants to effect change in the world, but in different ways.

Each believes with apparently inexhaustible optimism in the ability to change people.  For America, that often means converting the world to its values of democracy and private enterprise. For China, at least since the time of Confucius, the urge to remake people is turned inward, and since the start of the Communist era in 1949 this urge has done nothing but intensify, with campaign after campaign to make a New Man. 

Montenegro has now been officially admitted as the 192nd member state in the United Nations.  This follows Montenegro’s vote in a May referendum to sever its ties with Serbia and become an independent country.

I’m introducing a new feature category today, called “Life in the World.”  It will present occasional pieces that highlight an element of daily life in some part of the world.  Today, it’s the outdoor laundry in India.

The Christian Science Monitor recently did a short article with accompanying photos on this feature of Indian life.  It reminded me of our own experience Varanasi, India.  During a sunrise boat ride on the Ganges River, we saw hundreds of people bathing in the sacred river as the sun rose, and a body being cremated at the edge of the water.  What we hadn’t expected, though, were the dozens of individuals who were slapping wet clothes against rocks and steps to wring water out of them.  Until then, we hadn’t realized that the outdoor laundry was a common part of everyday life in many Indian cities.

You can see the Monitor article here.

The headlines came yesterday regarding Warren Buffet’s $31 billion gift to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  It’s an astounding donation that will reverberate decades into the future.  Primarily, of course, it will significantly impact the reach of the Gates Foundation in its global health initiatives, which are dedicated to fighting malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS and numerous other diseases worldwide.

Beyond the headlines, though, are a few other intriguing story lines.  One of these topics was explored today by the Christian Science Monitor.  It centers not only on the work being done by the Gates Foundation, but the way in which the culture of philanthropy may be changing.

…what’s most remarkable is not just how much the world’s two richest men are giving to charity, it’s how they hope to do it. … he sees the Gates Foundation as part of a larger trend toward a more entrepreneurial style of philanthropy. … ”venture philanthropy” involves partnering with government and other charitable groups. Money is contingent on hitting bench marks. … (There) is the intense desire to not waste money and to use partnership rather than paternalism.

Meanwhile, buried at the end of a NY Times story is a particularly strong statement by Buffet on the tradition of meritocracy in the U.S.

Mr. Buffett was scathing yesterday in describing his feelings about estate taxes, which the Bush administration is trying to kill. The ability of rich men to pass on “dynastic wealth” to their grandchildren is offensive to the American tradition of meritocracy, he said.

He gets particularly upset at his country club, he said, hearing members complain about welfare mothers getting food stamps “while they are trying to leave their children a more-than-lifetime-supply of food stamps and are substituting a trust officer for a welfare officer.”

It’s an intriguing cultural question that has often been lost in the tax debate, as U.S. society was founded as a reaction to aristocracy and has always been admiring of the self-made individual.  Buffet’s view seems to be that wealth, once made, should benefit society and that each generation should earn at least some of its own way.  It’s a view in line with a long American tradition that favors both charitable giving and self reliance.

Just some interesting food for thought that goes beyond the global health implications of the new Gates-Buffet partnership.

Moscow is now officially the most expensive city in the world for expatriates to live in, displacing Tokyo atop the annual rankings compiled by Mercer Human Resource Consulting.  The five most expensive cities are Moscow, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong and London.  To determine the rankings, Mercer compiled the average cost in each city of ”a two-bedroom unfurnished apartment, a cup of coffee served, a fast food meal and an international paper.”

New York was the most expensive city in the U.S. and was in 10th place internationally.  The most inexpensive major city in the world to live in?  Asuncion, Paraguay.

The dean of Stanford’s business school says cross-cultural knowledge is an important skill for a successful career in management.  Robert Joss made his comments during a webchat sponsored by the State Department.

“A key element in today’s preparation for management careers is to acquire a deep appreciation for other cultures and practices, and a commitment to lifelong learning about how to achieve world standards within a multi-cultural workforce that operates on merit,” said Joss.

An overview of the chat can be found here.  Or you can read the entire transcript here.

There is an excellent series of articles in this past week’s Time Magazine about the rise of India as an economic power.  The series is called “India Awakens.”  There are five articles in the magazine and three more web exclusives on-line.

Even if you have never gone to India–never wrapped your food in a piping-hot naan or had your eyeballs singed by a Bollywood spectacular–there is a good chance you encounter some piece of it every day of your life. It might be the place you call (although you don’t know it) if your luggage is lost on a connecting flight, or the guys to whom your company has outsourced its data processing. … Few modern Americans are surprised to find that their dentist or lawyer is of Indian origin, or are shocked to hear how vital Indians have been to California’s high-tech industry. In ways big and small, Indians are changing the world. … After decades when it hardly registered in the political or public consciousness, India is on the U.S. mental map.

There have been some good stories this week with World Cup connections that have nothing to do with the actual games…

One of the more interesting is the widely reported rise in German pride and patriotism during this World Cup.  The Germans have been notoriously cautious about showing any sort of nationalism since the end of World War II, but are finally beginning to feel that it’s O.K. to show some pride in their country, as evidenced by a marked increase in the sales of German flags.

“It’s happened so suddenly it does feel quite strange — so many flags, so much happiness about Germany,” Gisela Du Vignau, a 60-year-old native of Berlin, said yesterday as she enjoyed a warm afternoon by the burbling fountain outside Ludwig Church in the upscale Charlottenburg district. “Perhaps we Germans are finally starting to relax, starting to feel we can behave like normal people.”

“For so many years we’ve carried this bad image of ourselves,” she said. “I think it’s nice to show some pride and spirit. We should stay mindful of the past, of course. We should take care that appreciation for our own country does not become contempt for others. But it’s good that we can celebrate ourselves a little.”

To read more about events in Germany, you can check out these articles in the Boston Globe and Philadelphia Inquirer.

My favorite story, though, is the one about Buddhist monks in Thailand who have been too tired for their morning alms because they’ve been staying up late into the night to watch the World Cup.

The Sangha Council, which oversees the tens of thousands of Buddhist temples in Thailand, has not banned monks from watching the World Cup but said it should not interfere with religious activities. Chiang Mai chief monk Phra Thep Wisuthikhun said he had received complaints about “inappropriate behavior” at seven temples in the province. “It is the duty of the abbot of each temple to supervise the behavior of young monks, making sure that their religious activities will not be affected by the games,” he told Reuters.

Yes, it’s sad that the U.S. was eliminated from the World Cup.  Yes, a bad call at the end of the first half changed the complexion of the game and contributed to the loss.  But you have to admit, the win probably meant a lot more to Ghanaians than the loss meant to most Americans.

If you want proof, check out this blog entry and accompanying photos from Joshua Berman, who is in the midst of a round-the-world trip and happened to find himself in Ghana for yesterday’s World Cup match with the U.S.  (Thanks to World Hum for the link.)  The Ghanaians were seriously happy, as Berman describes:

…I wish I knew how to post the short movie clips I took, so you could hear the drums, the singing, the gourd shakers, and the shouts. I parade through the streets with the PPAG kids, who drape me with yellow-red-and-green flags, hats, and ribbons, and I congratulate everyone I meet, laughing at their taunts of “Don’t cry, Obruni!”

Later, spent and sweaty, and covered with dust, I send Kojo down the block for a basket of beers and sit in front of our house, drinking Castle Milk Stouts with Effo and our neighbor, Uncle John, whose granddaughters dance around us and help us shout to all passerby, “Ghana besha debiya!”  Ghana will always win!

It’s not a surprise that the rituals of dating and romance differ by culture.  Now, an article in the summer issue of Glimpse Quarterly examines some of these rituals, as well as the challenges and benefits of cross-cultural dating.  In the article:

Students relate a wide range of experiences. Many women who spent time in France, Spain, Italy and Latin America initially felt daunted by the forward, aggressive ways in which local men pursued their romantic interests, as well as the prevalence of public displays of affection. Says University of Minnesota student Bonnie Folkestad, “Spanish men wanted to rush things. They had no problem telling a woman that they loved her, or that they wanted to marry her, or that she should not return home.” …

Those who study abroad in heavily Muslim countries, by contrast, find public displays of affection to be scarce. “But relationships are still great,” asserts a Colorado College student who studied abroad in Morocco. “They’re just more private and mainly exist behind closed doors.”

How do you cool off on a hot summer day?  What refreshing drink do you reach for?  According to this entertaining story in the NY Times, your drink of choice may very well depend on “who you are and where you’re from.”

“What quenches your thirst depends on who you are,” said Dr. Barbara Rolls of Pennsylvania State University, an expert on the mechanics of drinking. Temperature, variety, color and childhood experiences can affect what people reach for when they are thirsty, she said.

“At my school the Chinese kids go for bubble tea after school, the Puerto Ricans get batidos and the other Latin girls like the helados from the street cart,” said Shirley Wong, an eighth grader at a parochial school in Chinatown.

For some, it may be as simple as a young coconut from a Chinatown street vendor, peeled and pierced to give up the fragrant, lightly sweet juice inside. After Friday prayers at the Masjid Aqsa, a mosque in Harlem, vendors set up shop outside. The West Africans who pour out refresh themselves with strong ginger beer and a sweet yogurt that comes from Africa’s tradition of cooling, nourishing fermented milk drinks.

Coolers may be fruity, sweet, salty or sour; thinned with lemon juice or thick with avocado; soothing with milk or jittery with caffeine, which generates cooling sweat.

China wants you to visit.  And not just Beijing or Shanghai.  Recently, the Chinese government has begun urging foreign dignitaries to go beyond their normal stops in big cities or tourist sites and to see more of the country. 

“You should visit outside Shanghai and Beijing,” Cai Wu, director of the information office of the State Council, China’s Cabinet, told a group of newspaper editors in Beijing recently. “It’s like visiting the house of a friend. The first time you stay in the living room. But next time, after you become better friends, you go into the kitchen and the basement.”

Why?  Apparently, to show that China has problems, too, and is not as big a threat as some in the West seem to believe.

“The government’s old way of thinking was related to traditional culture, a concern with ‘face’ and presenting the best side to outsiders,” said Xiao Gongqin, a history professor at Shanghai Normal University. “Now we’d like Western countries to see that China is lagging far behind. It’s far, far from becoming a threat.” …

Beijing’s call on foreigners to get a look at Chinese farmers living in squalor is also a sign of China’s growing self-assurance. After all, it wasn’t so long ago that officials rushed to hide even the smallest of blemishes, wary of leaving the impression that Chinese socialism was anything but perfect.

“China is much more confident,” said Wang Yiwei, an America specialist at Fudan University in Shanghai. “It’s rising, but it’s eager to say it’s not rising so much. And it has a point: While Shanghai is China’s New York, the countryside is China’s Africa.”

More news on the burgeoning movements for autonomy or independence among unique cultural regions.  Voters in Catalonia approved a referendum that gives considerable autonomy to their region of northeastern Spain.

The provisions, which give the Catalan government more tax powers and greater authority over judicial and immigration matters, will go into effect within days. New laws also make Catalan the “preferential” language over Castilian Spanish, give local officials more control of ports, trains and highways, and return a higher percentage of federal funds to Catalonia, one of Spain’s richest regions.

It is expected that more of Spain’s 17 regions will seek similar autonomy in the future. Supporters believe that decentralization is important and that distinct cultures should gain greater local control over their affairs.  Detractors, on the other hand, fear the eventual demise of the Spanish state.  In this scenario, some believe that the various regions would choose independence, similar to what has happened in the former Yugoslavia.

For more perspective on these movements for autonomy and independence around the world, you can check out my previous posts on the subject, here and here.

Interesting story out this week about the differences in CEO pay in varied regions of the world.

The United States leads the way, with a $6.8 million median pay in 2005 for chief executives at the 350 largest American companies. In Europe, the average was $4.3 million for top officials at the 100 largest companies, a significant difference with the U.S. but a gap that has closed considerably in the past few years, according to the article.  There is a much bigger gap, however, between Western and Asian executives.  In Japan, the average pay last year for company presidents was $470,000.  Why the difference between Asian and Western companies?  Here are some reasons having to do with the business culture:

Companies in Japan remain reluctant to raise executive salaries out of a traditional preference for teamwork and a fear that large gaps in income will undermine morale. Also, executives, whose salaries inch up as they climbed the corporate ladder, tend to be lifetime employees of the company and not outsiders lured in with fat pay packages.

Anyone a fan of the Globe Trekker television shows?  They’re on public television and so don’t have a wide audience, but the shows do provide a great view of low-budget, independent travel around the world.  Their website has interviews with some of the show’s hosts.  Here is an excerpt from an interview with Justine Shapiro:

What’s the most important experience you’ve learnt from your years on the road?

I believe that it’s only when you read, travel and talk to people that you can come to realise that the things you’ve taken for granted all your life aren’t necessarily right. People think that when they travel somewhere they’re going to go and learn about that place. I think what happen a lot is that people go and learn about themselves. They realise ‘Oh God, all my life this is what I thought was important and now I see that for other people other things are important’.

Some cross-cultural trainers in India are being asked to teach employees to be more direct in their communication style. This goes against the Indians’ traditional approach of being indirect, but it’s an effort to accommodate the Western business style and to continue growing the country’s outsourcing industry.

Junk the fake accent, young workers in India’s booming outsourcing industry are being told, and instead speak up, speak clearly and get to the point.

Indian workers are known to shrink from being direct with customers or bosses, a cultural trait leaders of India’s booming outsourcing business say must change if the industry is to make the leap from merely providing low-cost services to helping clients build stronger businesses. …

They are teaching “everybody to talk back and to be aggressive - that’s not a piece of Indian culture,” she said, adding that Indian workers are polite to a fault. Instead of telling a client, “there’s a problem with this file,” Thorne says most Indians would say, “Excuse me, I know you’re busy, but do you mind if I bother you?”