EXPERIENCING IN INDIA

This is one of many experiences while working in India:

When working in another country, especially one with a different culture like India, you have to change and develop your mindset in order to understand how things are done differently. By doing so, one will get to know oneself better as well. It can be difficult for outsiders visiting India to grasp the caste system and the hierarchical structure that comes with it, for example when making a simple order at a coffee shop.

photo by Malin Mohr

While working on the building it was clear that the observations from the coffee shop was consistent with how work was conducted on the construction site as well. Although the structure may not be the most efficient, one must learn to adapt to the Indian way of doing things in order to get them done. A culture develops over hundreds of years, and adaptation is key when working in a foreign culture, because any attempt to change it will be futile.

One of my responsibilities was to facilitate the toilet building, and the hierarchical structure became apparent when attempting to acquire the products and materials such as pipes and restroom appliances. When requesting a product, one has to go through a chain of people that brings the request upwards in the hierarchy.

When a decision was made throughout the project, it seemed as if the decision was merely a suggestion and thus every decision was met with a counter suggestion. Again it is important to understand the Indian culture and dare to be determined when making a decision.

To summarize, it is important to learn and understand cultural differences when working in a foreign culture in order to be able to efficiently realize your project. Despite India’s massive population, they are able to display a lower number of unemployment than Denmark, and this must be a tribute to their culture however inefficient it may seem at first glance.