'We draw on each other’s strength'

MUMBAI: MNC players are increasingly going for managers with a global mindset, and recruiting local professionals to tide over cultural differences in various markets.

Tata Motors, which took over Daewoo’s commercial vehicle division continues to let Korean managers run the place. “We decided against placing too many Indian managers at the place so as to let them integrate faster into the system and also draw from each other’s strengths. We thought it better to let the company function as a part of the local economy,” said a top company official.

People from different cultures tend to misunderstand each other’s behaviours or stereotype people from other countries. It is essential to recognise the discrepancies between cultures in order to work together effectively.
Top consultants say companies are taking aggressive steps to meet the demographic challenges of the future, appointing specialists to manage multicultural planning and workforce diversity and get out of a ‘headquarters’ mindset which pervades many global organisations.

When Dabur moved one of its marketing managers from Lucknow, a tier II town in India to handle its consumer care sales in Egypt, the company was surprised when he reported a 100% growth in business.

“We have recruited front-end employees in Bangladesh, the UK and Egypt and are training our employees to adapt to diverse cultures. Understanding the local market and mindset becomes crucial while negotiating contracts,” said A Sudhakar, executive vice-president of Dabur India.