Indian Cultural Values &

Communication
Office of International Services
September 2010

Agenda
Quick

facts
Overview of US and Indian
Cultural Values
Student panel Q & A

Quick facts:
NC State Indian students: ~700 (30% of
international student population)
Population of India: 1,173,108,018 (July 2010)
Religions: 80% Hindu, 13.5% Muslim, 2%
Christian, 2% Sikh
Worlds largest democracy
Languages: Hindi (national language 41%); 14
official languages; over 100 languages spoken
28 states and 7 territories

Henderson, C.E. (2002) Culture and Customs of India. Westport: Greenwood Press

Cultural Values
Individualistic
Privacy valued
Competition valued
Individuals praised
Loyalty to self

vs

Collectivist
Identifies self within a
more important
group(s)
Group decision
making
Individual praise is
uncomfortable even
shameful
Group welfare is goal

Application: How team work is approached, how

life decisions are made (whom to marry, which school to
attend, where to live?), how view of self is influenced, when/how
individuals lose face/are shamed

v
Universalism
s
Egalitarian
Fairness above all
Comfortable working
in absolutes
Seen as legalistic

Particularism
Favoritism based on ingroup
Goal is group harmony
Exceptions are the norm
Its who you know
Hierarchical society

Application: How one gets a job/promotion, how deals

are made and with whom, consequences when rules
are broken, which relationships are valued over others,
the value of the team

Monochronic
Time is money
Punctual
Values time,
appointments, or
productivity over
people

vs

Polychronic
Relationships and
spontaneity are
drivers of ones
time

Application: When a guest arrives at a hosts house for

dinner/party, when to arrive at a meeting, how
emergencies are handled and what constitutes
emergency; how much small talk takes place at the beginn
of a conversation

vs
Direct
Communication
One means what one
says
Do not keep ones
feelings to oneself
(positive or
negative)
Little guessing of
anothers meaning

Indirect
Communication
What is said is not
necessarily what one
means
One must infer
meaning
Saving face is
valued
Third party/liaison
used to communicate
information

Application: How a manager motivates or enables change within

the work place; how to correct someone; how to say no; how to
communicate bad news

Low Power Distance

People are more or
less equal or
deserve to be
treated equally

vs

High Power Distance

Rigid hierarchies
Status matters

Application: Degree of formality or informality that is

easily established within the workplace, classroom,
etc.; when to address someone by first name; how to
greet another person

vs
Low Uncertainty
Avoidance
Comfortable with risk
Differences among
individuals and
groups more easily
tolerated
Less
regulation/control
over lifes situations

High Uncertainty
Avoidance
Risk averse
Differences within or
outside groups not
easily tolerated
Conformity is
comfortable

Application: How one views people/positions of authority; how

many times one asks/rephrases a question; how readily
someone accepts something as fact; how quickly one
tolerates outsiders or situations that challenge the status quo;
loyalty to tradition vs desire for innovation

Indian Value and

Communication
Styles time
Indian time vs American
Many

are native English speakers

(British)
Defined gender roles
Highly bureaucratic system of
government
Hierarchical; Status matters
Body language
May not say no directly; need to infer
Titles are important
Less touching among people,
especially between
genders
Sources:

Storti, Craig. Figuring Foreigners Out, 1999

Bennett, Milton. Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communic
Henderson, C.E. Culture and Customs of India, 2002.

OIS Programs
http://www.ncsu.edu/ois/prog
rams/
International Friendship Program:
Year-long match
Breaking Bread: One-time dinner
hosting
English Conversation Club: Be a
weekly conversation partner
-Tuesdays, & Thursdays, 3:30pm,
College of Textiles, Port City Java
-Fridays, 3:30pm, Daniels Hall
Culture Corps: Request a culturespecific presentation

Student Panel