On assignment in South Korea, management consultant Mr G. Alagiri had to contend with what most Indians will face in the country: eating with chopsticks. As he was looking about, intimidated by the natives clacking away at a brisk pace, the host came to his side and requested him to use his hands. The gesture, he said, went a long way in ensuring smooth progress on that day and strengthening relationships.

Mr Alagiri, director at Pegasus Management Consultants, was speaking to M.B.A. students at the D.G. Vaishnav School of Management in Chennai in a lecture series organised by BL Club and presenting sponsor Central Bank of India.

Apart from helping an individual gain exposure to foreign habits, cultural diversity helps an organisation grow its business. But leveraging the cultural differences in people to a company's advantage needs a thorough understanding of their lives. What is apparent in a foreigner in “just the tip of the iceberg”.

Mr Alagiri illustrated examples of cultural insensitivity affecting sales: Improper depiction of women, however fashionable, in West Asia; suite number 13 in hotels in the US and the UK; and black shades on any product at its launch in Japan.

Ms Oprah Winfrey, on the other hand, was in Indian garb at the Jaipur Literary Festival held recently. She spoke to widows in Vrindavan passionately about “owning their voices”, and all the more so after being widowed. Though she was critical of our societal rules, she was compassionate, so we listened, he said.

Corporate techniques

Companies have come to know that in an increasingly globalised market, a culturally diverse workforce means better business. Supermarkets are positioning their staff at the outlets based on the locality's ethnic composition: Members of the most populous community are prominent to customers. This is to create an ease customers will feel when attended to by someone of their own ethnicity. In Wipro Technologies, whom Mr Alagiri has assisted with business deals, mergers and acquisitions are always accompanied by an influx of new cultures.

For a year or two, the company studies the new people to ascertain their positives and make them useful to the organisation. Most times, their language helps Wipro widen its market.

Advantages of language skills

On the advantages of language skills, he said: “People who can speak Japanese well can earn Rs 30 a word in translation.

In fact, Language Lab.com is an online portal that connects companies to clients through one of their staff who can speak the language at both sides.”

“Start learning a new language; spend time reading translations of literature from foreign nations that you wish to get into. It'll help you know the people better,” he advised.

bharani.v@thehindu.co.in

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