Post-Departure Paper

Post-Departure India Paper

While in India, I encountered many things that I anticipated, but I was also caught off guard by many cultural differences. I have identified five major trends: the self-happiness of Indians, the collective nature of the culture, the strength and importance of relationships, the authenticity of decisions, and the intense focus on a successful future. I will use these trends throughout the paper because I have interpreted these as being essential building blocks to Indian culture.
In the first question, I will offer my brief interpretation of Indian culture and how it has influenced me. In the second question, I will analyze how the culture influences women’s leadership. Lastly, I will investigate how the culture influences organizational and societal practices for women’s leadership. At the same time, I will comment on the ways these five trends have influenced me now that I am able to reflect on my time abroad. I experienced and learned a lot during my time in India. I will look at the overall Indian culture, and analyze how this culture affects women’s leadership through both a macro and micro lens.

1. On our long bus ride to from Jammu to Dharmasala, I had the pleasure of speaking with one of the Jammu University students, Sumit. We discussed numerous topics, but the main recurring theme that I noticed in our conversation was the importance of a clear conscience -- contentment and happiness regardless of extraneous circumstances. During our eight hour drive, we passed villages entrenched in dire poverty and Sumit mentioned that he worked with an NGO that visited such villages to spread drug abuse education, and he commented, “No matter what an Indian’s circumstances, they always remain positive and happy. They don’t want or need more than what they have.” He continued to say that people live in such communities because they don’t have any ambition to leave home or become successful. I argued that the reason he might view their communities in this light is because he happens to be privileged and cannot imagine how hard it might be for a “villager” to rise above their circumstances. Sumit looked slightly confused and assured me that the people we were passing were very content and happy with their lives. I began to think that maybe the American lens of oppression that I was using to derive my interpretations could not be used in the Indian context. This was the first time in our trip when it hit me that, not only was India a different place geographically speaking, but I was living in a place with a different way of thought, culture and way of life.
We began to speak about marriage and relationships; Sumit said that he would only date one girl, and he would marry that girl and never divorce her no matter the circumstances. “What if she was cheating on you,” I asked, to which he replied, “As long as my conscience is clear, I will remain happy and I will work harder to make her just as happy.” These answers really amazed me, and, while we weren’t speaking in relation to management styles, it is obvious that true happiness is something that eludes many businessmen/women in America. It is said that you can either be happy or reach the top echelons of success, but in India is seems that it is possible to achieve both. In America we look for happiness in materialistic things, money, success, etc. We feel complete only once we find someone to “complete us,” but in India, this feeling of wholeness comes from within.
To continue using my interaction with Sumit as an example, we also discussed family relationships. He is twenty-five years old and still lives with his family. He stated that this is a very common occurrence in India. He knew lots of people, much older than he, that still lived at home with their parents and had no urge to leave. Later in the bus ride I spoke with one of the Jammu University professors. He also confided, very unabashedly, that he lived at home with his parents as well. This reminded me of a comment made during our class with female EMPI students earlier in the week. The EMPI student asked our group how much of a role family plays in our lives. Professor Gupta asked her to clarify what she meant by family. The student responded that she meant parents. This would be surprising to most Americans because when we hear the word “family” and think about the future struggles of maintaining a family while climbing up the corporate ladder, etc., we are thinking of a husband/wife and kids, not our parents. In American culture we generally do not have the same respect and closeness to our parents. In another class we had at IILM, in which we were paired up with students from the school, I heard, once again, the disdain that some Indians hold regarding our views toward our parents. The students asked about the elderly in the US. I told him that I heard the concern from Indian students about the way we treat our parents once we move out and start our separate lives. He replied, “Yes, you guys just throw your parents into shelters and never help them.” He was talking about nursing homes; I had to admit that some families do make that choice for their parents or other family members, usually because they are very busy with work, children, etc. In America, we have a saying that “there comes a time when the baby bird has to leave its nest.” I could be wrong, but I highly doubt that Indians say this to their children. And most parents, at least in my experience, when they have to look to their children for support and to help out occasionally, feel that they are a great burden on their families; in India this is expected. It became evident that I was a visitor from an individualistic society immersed in a collectivist culture. “In-group collectivism relates to how individuals relate to their family, as an autonomous identity or alternatively as consciousness of responsibilities towards their families.” (Gannon 55) Additionally, in Hindu philosophy love of family is not merely a purpose in itself but a way to the final goal of life.
The strong focus on the future for Indians is putting a lot of developed nations, such as America, on edge, as it is feared we will eventually fall behind Indians in the education realm and business sectors. Indians are extremely intelligent and have an intense focus on education and career paths. In each of the universities visited, Indian students unanimously voiced that they attended school six days a week from morning until late in the evening, and still get an equal amount of homework as compared to most American students. Another surprise to me was that none of the students I spoke with were in a girlfriend/boyfriend relationship. Sumit is twenty-five and never has had a girlfriend. This would be hard to cope with and even embarrassing for a twenty-five year old American male, but in India, everyone is so focused on their studies that most don’t consider serious relationships, marriage, etc. until after they finish the appropriate schooling (master’s level). In India: Dance of the Shiva, Gannon calls this the first stage of life. “The prime responsibility in life during this stage is to learn. Besides, knowledge, the student is supposed to develop a strong character and good habits and emerge equipped to produce a good and effective life.”(53) While the students we spoke with were older and studying for a more advanced degree, it was still fascinating to hear the detailed timelines and goals they had planned out for their lives. During our post-departure presentations at Simmons after our return, I heard many of the girls say that they were extremely shocked by the very detailed plans Indians have for their lives. I didn’t notice this at first because I have specific life and career plans, but after the presentations I saw that this clarity for the future deeply impacted my peers.
During our combined class with the female students at EMPI, I saw, written across a small chalkboard, “Nothing is impossible, for impossible himself says, “I’m possible.” At first I thought that this was just a witty line that an EMPI professor came up with but then Sumit repeated this same line to me during a conversation. I realized that the saying went far beyond EMPI.
If I were asked, I could not articulate how Indian culture has influenced me. What I took away from India cannot be put into words; it is a feeling. I never thought that I would travel abroad, and I thought if I did it would be a horrible experience, but one that I would appreciate later in life. This is what I expected from India. In contrast, throughout the entire duration of my stay I felt completely at home and at peace. Not once did I wish to be back in America; this was a very big deal for me. India welcomed me with open arms and I felt at home even while being on the other side of the world.

2. I used some of the five trends to dissect the way that Indian culture influences women and leadership:
Relationships are, in my mind, the “glue” of Indian society. The strength of relationships were mirrored everywhere we went and by everyone we spoke to during our trip. The importance could be seen at every entrance we made and the ways we were treated, particularly in comparison to America.
Parents and families are very important facets to the Indian culture. With the exception of the two women from our last panel, Asha Goyal, Vice President of Quality at IBM and neurosurgeon Uma Nambiar, everyone we heard from credited their families for their success. Charu Jain, CEO of Merusri Fashion from our NILM panel said “100% of credit [for her success] goes to her parents.” Sudha Gupta, from the same conference said, “ I was nothing. My husband was my biggest strength for me.” This family connection is not only important because its provides authenticity and support for women leaders in India, but also because, as we learned at the Fulbright Center, that most women “at the top” are running family businesses that were passed on to them by their fathers. “A recent study on family business conducted by Grant Thorton found that 46 percent of Indian business felt that their successor should come from their family whereas only 24 percent of European and 22 percent of North Americans subscribed to this view.” (Rajesh 41) This is a major way that women find success in the Indian business world, when they can’t or choose not to start their own business. In contrast it can also be a burden to women that do have entrepreneurial aspirations. Women in very traditional Indian families can do little to stop this cycle. “The family structure is hierarchical with key decisions being made by the head of the family. Such hierarchy is usually accepted by the younger members of the family, as it is accompanied by benevolent paternalism.” (Rajesh 40) This strong desire to maintain family relations could have repercussion throughout Indian culture. In the Economic Times: Igniting Women and Entrepreneurship, columnist, Bijapurkar states that women’s entrepreneurship is the key in increasing economic and social conditions in India.
“The new buzz in the conference circuit is the arithmetic argument that there could be a big GDP boost if more Indian women became economically active (77% of urban housewives, 60% of rural do not work outside the home). To me, a more compelling pay off of women earning is the resultant increase in their self-esteem and negotiating power with family and society and the resultant social and human development benefits. More importantly, if we could get the poor and the ill-educated women to earn their own money, we would have more warriors in the fight against poverty, and more champions of the girl child.
The only problem, as always in India, is how do we make this happen? Conventional job creation will not happen as fast as we need it to, and poor and less educated women will find it increasingly tough to have a shot at those fewer jobs. The only way to fix this is entrepreneurship, enabling them to become economically active at an income level that makes the effort worthwhile. ”

It was clear to me during our visit, after witnessing the high respect given to women entrepreneurs, that these women hold the key to the future of India. Entrepreneurial businesses are the best way for women to succeed given the patriarchic history of many business sectors in India.
Relationships extend beyond just the family. In India, it is important to create strong relationships with everyone as you climb up the success ladder. This is one of the ways India exhibits its collectivist culture. Women in India use their strong relational qualities to their full advantage and use networking groups of other women for support, encouragement, and money, and to cultivate ideas/business plans.
Relationships with women who are role models are very important for future women leaders. One such example is Mandanjeet Singh, a graduate from Jammu University’s Entrepreneurship Development Program for Rural Women. Mandanjeet had to work hard to gain her father’s approval to further her education. Thankfully, he agreed and Mandanjeet stayed at Jammu University for a year and studied computer literacy, vocational training, junior management, accounting, general English, marketing and entrepreneurship, in addition to agarian and craft techniques. Upon graduation, Mandanjeet returned to her village and started a family mushroom cultivation business that, at the time of our visit, had flourished. Mandanjeet was the first woman from her village to be educated and now every girl from Nud Village is sent to school because of Mandanjeet’s position as a role model for all the women. Nud Village is now run entirely by women entrepreneurs.
Women in India prefer jobs in which they can use their strong relational capabilites. While at the Fulbright Center, one of our panelists, Samir, said that “banking is the preferred place for women to work, and it has grown phenomenally since liberation.” Why banking? Samir said that there were “clean times” offered to women, meaning no overtime and very steady hours. It is also a relatively new business in India so it doesn’t carry a bad past of oppression with it. The main reason Samir gave was that there was more customer interaction. He alluded to the fact that women work better in environments were they have to maintain relationships with clients, partners, etc.
To conclude with a quote once again from Sudha Gupta, “having beautiful relationships are at the core of every women’s success.”
Another major theme that I identifed was the usuage of authentic decision making by women entreprenuers. I based these findings on our two women entrepreneurship panels, one at the University of Jammu and the other at the NILM Business School in New Delhi. At the Jammu Conference three out of five women left cushy jobs in finance, bureaucracy and other major businesses to pursue more fulfilling careers. The fashion designer Charu Jain from NILM was the CEO and founder of two very successful businesses, but she decided to sell them because she wanted to do something that was authentic to her. This shocked me the most, because so many would assume that such an authentic nature would be more prevalent in America. Regardless, each of the women speaking in the forums hit one point after another that I learned in classes such as Socially Minded Leadership for Women, here at Simmons. This led me to question if America does have a greater “old boys network” that keeps women from being authentic and gaining self-clarity more so than in India.
At the panel in New Delhi we heard from three women entrepreneurs. The first was Sudha Gupta, Creator of Mother’s Pride. She created a school for 7500 students and with 1100 teachers. She shared with us seven key factors that benefited her success: loving herself, believing in her abilities, being courageous, accepting things the way they are, finding success in failure, being okay with problems and always embodying integrity. I found that all of these factors have authenticity and self-clarity deeply embedded in them. Additionally, she made sure to note that no matter how busy her schedule became, she would never work more than 40 hours per week because she always makes time for her family. While her career focus is clear, and she is successful, she has yet to lose focus on what means most to her and what makes her a whole person.
The next speaker, Rita Sehgal from the Association for the Welfare of Handicapped, re-iterated some similar points. To connect with her inner self and to maintain her authenticity she likes to take long walks alone to allow time to clear her mind.
The last speaker, Charu Jain, started two successful thriving companies, SoftSol Inc.and SMC International, companies that were making lots of money and would have had her and her family financially set for life. But Ms. Jain sold her companies because she knew that she had to be true to herself. And after selling those two companies she started MeruSri, a fashion line, and she did this despite having no training in fashion or fashion design.
While the idea of leaving a very secure job might seem rather radical in the US or anywhere else for that matter, in the Jammu panel two out of five women did just that. One left a cushy job in finance to start a nursery; the other left a job in a huge corporation to start a community organization. To make such a huge change takes an immense amount of courage and, once again, authenticity and self-clarity. This also relates to something that happened earlier in our trip, when Jammu University took us to Nud village to meet a woman, Mandanjeet Singh. With the skills previously mentioned and backing by the university, Madanjeet would probably have been able to leave her family and start a business outside of her village. Instead, immediately upon graduation she went back to her village and started a mushroom cultivation business with her family
This theme wasn’t something that I was expecting to hear from the women in India. I assumed that women’s rights and progression would be so far behind that of the US that women would have to conform and fight to succeed, which some do, but most the women we heard from painted a different picture. They do not feel that they have to shy away from who they are or what they stand for and that is particularly true in management and leadership.

3. The culture of India also influences organizational and societal practices for women’s leadership. We saw this best expressed when visiting Evalueserve in New Delhi. One of the human resource employees answering our questions about the business kept repeating that they were not feminists. They didn’t believe in setting up business practices (or they didn’t consciously know they were) that would benefit women only. This is in stark contrast to the majority feeling held in liberal America. American women feel that they have been illegitimally denied many rights and benefits in history and that they need certain accommodations in the corporate world to correct the wrong. As I was listening to the Evalueserve lecture, I was thinking this way, and thought that the woman was really uneducated about women’s rights, effective ways to manage women, etc., but after hearing from more women throughout our stay, my mind changed. Women from panel discussions commented constantly that they are equal to men, and that men are neither better nor worse than women, and they do not want to have any greater accommodations made because of their gender. Neurosurgeon Uma Nambiar said that the only difference between men and women is that “women cannot deposit sperm.” Even at the end of our panel discussion at NILM on Women’s Day, after the students shouted out, “Happy Women’s Day,” one of the women entrepreneurs said, “Yes, but don’t forget the men!” I began to ponder what could make organizational practices so different that women were, in fact, able to thrive in Indian organizational culture.
The culture of India designates that from a young age, children are not shown any differences between girls and boys. In America, we are constantly designating gender stereotypes to our children. I am reminded of a personal experience, from visiting with my family in South Carolina for Christmas. One of my young boy cousins received a toy gun that shoots out a small rubber ball; he was running around the house shooting at everyone. My family was laughing and roughhousing with him, validating his aggressive behavior. Meanwhile, his sister received a pocketbook and she was walking around the room, imitating how she had seen her mother sling it around her forearm. My aunts were shouting at her to take some lipstick from her pocketbook, and she began to pretend to line her lips with make-up. This is just one example of how; at an age when even language cannot be fully comprehended, we are differentiating gender in America. India is vastly different in this respect. This debate came to a forefront at our last panel discussion at EMPI with Asha Goyal and Uma Nambiar. Uma Nambiar said that all she remembered from childhood is playing outside with her siblings, both male and female. In fact, she states that the first time she ever heard a gender differentiating comment was when she was studying in America. One of her male peers asked her how she thought that she could succeed as a female and neurosurgeon. Our debate livened as a dean from EMPI said that he thought America was “going too far with political correctness.”
So because this façade of gender equality exists, it only makes sense that organizations, such as Evalueserve, say that they don’t practice feminism.
By contrast the PowerPoint presentation presented to us by Evalueserve employees detailed many organizational policies that mirror those of liberal American corporations. They offer: flextime, paid maternity leave, chauffeured rides home for female employees working late, and mentors. It seems that because the women’s education and the feminist movement might not be as prevalent in the society as in America, that it might not be recognized as feminist policies just because the terminology is not fully understood.
An important point was raised during our post-departure presentations by Dean Deborah Merrill-Sands was that we should not take the words given to us by all women in organizations as gospel. She stated that this same idea that men and women are equal and there is not a difference in treatment, on account of gender, by organizations was used prior to the feminist movement of the 1970s in America. She stated that there are several stages that women go through, when fighting for equality; her thought is that now India is in the middle of the assimilation stage. After some debate, we determined that the younger women we heard from did acknowledge the fact that it is a much harder struggle for women than men in business. Charu Jain proved this true several times throughout her speech. The first time was when she acknowledged that the glass ceiling does exist for women in India. She also said, “being young and being a woman were two negatives.” We found this very interesting because Ms. Jain comes from a technical background, as did IBM employee Ms. Goyal, but Ms. Goyal, who is an older woman, said that she experienced zero prejudice during her tenure with the company. So our class (and guests) came to the conclusion that it was more of a generation disparity and, thankfully, the younger generation is moving beyond the assimilation stage. As noted by the Economic Times of India: She Deserves A lot More, Doesn’t She? “The progress of the women’s movement in India has been excruciatingly slow, but the momentum of change seems to be picking up, if only in terms of legislation. In the last decade alone, a slew of pro-women Acts were passed, the latest being the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act adopted in October 2006. What’s important is that the Act gives civil relief to the victim by ensuring the woman’s right to secure housing instead of just punishing the culprit.” (Nagarajan) Once again, I feel that older generations did not get the same women’s rights education so they just might not recognize subtle discrimination, which is usually what occurs in organizations; it is generally very entrenched and can be hard to detect.
To conclude, my time in India was irreplaceable. I learned an extreme amount about a culture that, before this class, I knew nothing about beyond the recognition of the name Gandhi. Now I feel an extreme connection to all of the people and culture of India. I was amazed at how genuine the main themes of the culture are. It is almost hard to imagine living in a country where love for family and self-contentment are the main virtues. I was also very pleased with the progress that women are making in India. It was really shocking to see that women characteristics and routes to achieve success are similar and connected throughout the world. The Assistant to the Prime Minister, who spoke to us at NILM Business School, called Indians “a unique human race. India has not invaded any country, even though we were invaded 4,000 times, and Delhi was destroyed 200 times. What a strength and life force this country is having. No other country would be able to build after ten invasions. The world has a lot to learn from India; that’s why this country is surviving.” The Assistant to the Prime Minister is correct, India is a unique place that we will hear a lot from in the future. As I conclude this paper, I am reminded of some words I noticed etched in the wood of a desk at IILM, during our discussion with their students. It said “live life happy.” And no matter what conclusions we come to about India and our experiences during our study abroad, it can be agreed in unison that Indians are living their lives happily.

Jona-Julia-Iris
Pre-departure paper Part 1

India is a culture that has intrigued all parts of the world since its very early stages of development. In modern times, India is now emerging as a major player in world economy. It is the second-fastest growing economy in the world, with an expected GDP growth of 8 percent during 2005-2006. “The rapid growth of the information technology sector along with globalization, and deregulation, created new opportunities as well as challenges for firms in an environment that is ever-changing at an accelerating rate.” (Rise) With that said, many more people than ever before are starting to pay attention to India and its limitless possibilities in today’s new globalized business market. In this paper, our group will dissect Indian culture through macro dimensions, women and leadership and cross-cultural communication
In Understanding Leadership in Diverse Culture, Professor Gupta and Professor R. House explore cultural diversity through nine lenses: performance orientation, assertiveness orientation, future orientation, humane orientation, institutional collectivism, gender egalitarianism, power distance and uncertainty avoidance. Additionally, Hall explored two more dimensions: low vs. high context and monochronic vs. polychromic.
The first global dimension is performance orientation, this “reflects the extent to which a society encourages and rewards improved performance, goal-oriented behavior, and innovation. Performance oriented societies put a thrust on achievement motivation, or need for achievement.” (Gupta, House 20). India scores with a high cluster for this aspect. Work and performance is considered very important, it is said that work prepares an individual for the cycle of life. “The Indian approach to work is best defined by the Bhagavad-Gita: Both renunciation and practice of work lead to the highest bliss. One of these two, the practice of work, is better than its renunciation.” (Gannon 58)
The next dimension, assertiveness orientation, is quite unique to the Indian culture because southern Asia (which India is grouped into) is categorized as having a low score cluster, but this is not that case with Indian culture. In The Rise of India: India and the West-Institutional Contrast, the author Kumar and Sethi found that Indians were very aggressive and assertive by nature, resembling a more European or American attitude towards business. “The Indian, for example, is aggressive, argumentative, emotional, and analytical. These are traits that set the Indian far apart from the model of the ‘Confucian gentleman’ that is so revered in Asia.” (39) One explanation that might explain this difference in Indian business acumen is the country’s strong relational ties to Great Britain, which date back to the 18th century. India achieved independence from Great Britain in 1947. Many Muslims migrated to bordering Pakistan after India’s independence, leaving a more British stylized culture behind. But it must be noted that, although business styles may still be similar, there are many cultural differences that set India far apart from Great Britain. Additionally, the colonialism lefts it mark on Indian business culture by shaping India’s attitude towards foreign investment and autonomy in the country’s developmental strategy, and making the country more cautious when dealing with the outside world
The future orientation is “reflected in behaviors such as planning, preparing and investing for the future.” (Gupta, House 23) Indians received a score within the mid-cluster section concerning future orientation. One thing that might be related to Indian views of the future would be their strong belief in karma and looking to astrology for help with their planning and decision making. “Matching the horoscopes of a bride and groom is as much a part of planning a marriage as choosing the flower arrangements. It is routine for Indians to consult the stars about the best day to close on a house or sign an important contract.” (Gannon 54) The Indian concept of time is cyclical, characterized by origination, duration and disappearance ad infintium. So to conclude, while investing in the future and becoming successful is important in Indian culture, ultimately time itself, is irrelevant.
“The dimension of humane orientation is concerned with generosity, compassion, and empathy for the others.” (Gupta, House 23) Southern Asia scores very high in this aspect because their cultures are built upon such criterion. It is obvious when dissecting the Hindu religion that “being a good person” and showing support, compassion and generosity are held in very high regard.
“The dimension of institutional collectivism is concerned with the inducements and rewards for collective behavior and norms, in contrast to incentives and rewards for individual freedom and contributions. Such collectivism is reflected in preferences for closer work relations and higher involvement with one’s social unit.” (Gupta, House 24)
“The dimension of in-group collectivism relates to how the individuals relate to their family, as an autonomous identity or alternatively as consciousness of responsibilities towards their family.” (26) Indians are very family orientated. “A Hindu child grows up in the security of the extended family and has few contacts with other groups until it is time for school.” (Gannon 55) Additionally, in Hindu philosophy love of family is not merely a purpose in itself but a way to the final goal of life.
“The dimension of gender egalitarianism is concerned with the absence of a gender-dependent division of roles, expectations, evaluations and power.” (Gupta, House 27) Southern Asia scores in middle cluster concerning gender egalitarianism. Women are revered and considered very important in Indian culture; many women have made enormous strides in business: Indra Nooyi, an Indian-born business leader was just named Pepsi-Co’s first CEO last August. Although, despite many changes and advances, Indian women do live a restricted life in the conservative atmosphere of India. “The ideal of womanhood in Indian tradition is one of chastity, purity, gentle tenderness, self-effacement, self-sacrifice, and singular faithfulness. Throughout history, Indian women have had dual status: As a wife, a woman seduces her husband away from his work and spiritual duties, but as a mother, she is revered.” (Gannon 56) An Indian family is taught very early in life that women are lower in status then men. The position of women in such a hierarchical society means that they must constantly be making demands and pleading with superiors for one thing or another. Despite these cultural feelings, women’s souls are considered to be younger so they are in fact, considered inferior to men in that aspect.
“The dimension of power distance reflects the extent to which members of a cultural group expect and agree that power should be shared unequally.” (Gupta, House 28) India is a prime example of this dimension because of the caste system. The caste system in India is in place so that there is a hierarchical ordering of society. The caste system in India began over 3,000 years ago when the Indo-Aryans migrated to India. Deepak Lal has made an argument they the system was developed in India as a response to problems of political stability that was endemic in the early Aryan civilizations. Indians wanted to make sure that they were able to optimize their agricultural capabilities. “Given the lack of an effective centralized state, which could maintain control over labor through coercive means, only a decentralized control mechanism would ensure this option. Within the rubrics of the caste system, it was not possible for any individual of group to flee, because they would lack the complimentary skills necessary to function autonomously.” (Kumar, Sethi 40) The caste system has more relevance in rural areas of India, and therefore doesn’t present itself very obviously in modern day business dealing in India. “However, it is worth noting that while caste barriers may not negatively shape interaction, caste similarity may certainly induce the actors to be more motivated to cooperate with each other. In this context caste is not intrinsically important, but it is important only because it helps to draw a distinction as to whether a person is a member of an in-group or a member of the out-group,” (Kumar, Sethi 40)
Finally, “the dimension of uncertainty avoidance is concerned with the extent to which people seek orderliness, consistency, structure, formalized procedures, and laws to deal with naturally occurring uncertain and important events in their daily lives.” (Gupta, House 30) For uncertainty avoidance, Indians once again rank within the mid-cluster scores. As we have seen within situations such as the caste system, Indians seek out more formalized procedures to maintain structure. To the contrast, their religious and spiritual beliefs lead them to think of time as relatively insignificant, so business dealings might not appear very structured to an American businessman/woman.
Hall explored two more dimensions: low vs. high context and monochromic vs. polychromic. India is a very high context culture, messages are implicit and indirect. “One reason is that those who are communicating—family, friends, co-workers, clients—tend to have both close personal relationships and large information network; they do not have to rely on language alone to communicate. Voice intonation, timing and facial expressions can all play roles in conveying information.” (Hall 181) This can be further described as a polychromic society.

Visit to IILM - sample student reflections - Prof. Vipin Gupta

We visited IILM on March 8 for an afternoon of discussion. IILM arranged for an illuminating lecture on the handicrafts, handlooms, and gems and jewelry exports from India, generous delicious South Indian lunch served to the group, and insightful structured reflections on culture and life between IILM and SOM students. We met Mr. Sinha, chairman and managing director, of Handicrafts and Handlooms export promotion council, and Mr. Duggal, regional director, gems and jewelry export promotion council.

The visit to IILM gave us a unique and strategic perspective on Indian handicrafts and gems and jewelry, and made our purchases of these products as souvenirs and gifts more meaningful. We understood how the government of India is committed to the fair price sourcing of these products from the villages and craftspeople, and how women play an important role in this important industry.

We enjoyed South Indian lunch at IILM, the only time during our India visit we got to experience this unique cuisine of India.

The interactions with the IILM students were most valuable, as we had many doubts about the Indian way of life which had stressed us on their visit. Discussions with IILM students help put things such as road and infrastructure conditions in perspective, and helped us appreciate the deeper culture and life in India.

The following reflective comments of the students indicate the value of the IILM visit:

“The handicraft of gemstone and jewelry is one of the most important Indian exports. This brings revenues for the country, and income for many families who are underprivileged and poor. Throughout our stay we had conversations and spoke to some of the more privileged and more educated people, but the handicrafts presentation was very useful to find out more about women in the rural areas, and those that do not get the chance to become educated. Many of these women have started to get involved in jewelry design and putting in use some of their traditional knowledge about different kinds of artifacts. Through these designs women show their culture and their tradition, and at the same time support their homes with constant income. This is important because this is a field where women have been starters and initiators, and have many chances to become leaders and managers.” (Jona Muhameti)

“During a facilitated lecture at the IILM campus, we were able to generate great dialogue concerning likes/ dislikes about both Indian and American cultures. Interestingly, many of the students cited that they did not like that Americans were “money hungry” and that we have “poor family values.” At the conclusion of this discussion I realized the importance of establishing cultural competence. Like our misperceptions of the Indian culture, and like the misperceptions of Indian students regarding Western family values, that became apparent in the discussion, many cultures misinterpret messages as a result of poor cultural understanding and communication. The concept of culturally sensitive leadership is more apparent to me now having been immersed in a foreign culture.” (Lauren Marashio)

Visit to NIILM - sample student reflections - Prof. Vipin Gupta

We visited NIILM from March 8 to March 11 morning, for 3 days and 3 nights. NIILM organized special lectures and demonstrations on culture, dances, and diversity by Anjon Bose and Pragati Anand, a visit to Evalueserve – knowledge process outsourcing firm with cutting edge human resource policies supportive of women, a women entrepreneurs panel featuring Sudha Gupta, Ritu Shegal, and Charu Jain, a talk by eminent advisor to the Prime Minister, Dr. Swamy Parthasarthy, and arranged luxurious transportation for the sightseeing visits to Fatehpur Sikri and Agra, and to Delhi.

The program at NIILM – coinciding with the International Women’s Day -- gave us unique insights into women entrepreneurship, and helped advance our knowledge of the challenges and opportunities faced by women leaders in India. We were exposed to both micro as well as macro aspects of women leadership through the programs at NIILM.

Sample student reflections on their experiences at NIILM are extracted below:

About the hospitality and lectures organized by NIILM
“At NIILM, people would go out of their way to ensure our comfort and happiness. They worked hard to put together programs for our learning and entertainment. For example, NIILM hosted sessions with distinguished speakers such as the advisor to the Prime Minister, and a famous traditional Indian dance instructor. Additionally, a number of students from NIILM accompanied us on our excursions and served as assistants and guides without any expectation of payment. This was especially meaningful since we realized that it was not easy for these students to spend so much time away from their studies.” (Jessica Rudis)

“It is easy to train people to be hospitable during a convention and to show what to do and what not to do, but this type of hospitality was a lifelong training. We were just 18 ordinary girls coming from a good women’s college, intelligent and hard working, the treatment we received I felt was meant for a President’s delegation of the most important people in the country. I remember thinking to myself that it was only the beginning, everyone puts on a good show to impress, but when this was the case throughout, I understood that it was part of culture, and hospitality was a virtue.

Some of the students at NIILM explained it to me that when they wake up in the morning it is not just another day, but it is a new day to live and be respected and respect others and have everyone around you. This made me see my life in a new meaningful way, because when waking up in the morning I used to believe ‘here goes another day of hard work’, now I see that each day has its own meaning and reason to be. This might have also been hard for me because I never believed in spirituality before.

I was quite surprised that when the Advisor of the Prime Minister on Education came in to speak to us, before he sat down there were some rituals and candle lightings that he did at the entrance. What was surprising was the fact that he was a very high rank and important politician, and he too is involved with religion… The importance of religion and spirituality influenced my thinking about the future, in the sense that my parents never introduced neither of them to my sister and me, how I can learn about them and what benefits those would have on me.” (Jona Muhameti)

“NIILM, a privately owned institution, was totally different from the others. It was certainly the best maintained of the universities, with the most American feel to it. The lodgings were incredible and the food was great too. The students seemed to phase back into more formal, and the conversations were about school and America. Their students did not receive any days off while we were there. It was also a primarily a commuter campus, as none of the students I spoke to actually lived on campus. While we were there, they offered cultural activities, like an Art and Dance lecture. The general feel of the campus was very professional and somewhat strict. The students were very driven to succeed, and viewed their careers in a very logical way, unlike Americans who tend to flirt around from choice to choice in college.” (Alex Jette)

About the women’s panel organized by NIILM:
“The panel at NIILM was a collection of three women, one in education, one in textiles, and the other in computers as well as design. The first two women were older, married, and in the second stages of their lives. They both came into their business ventures after having a family. The first woman, the overseer for several schools, talked about how she had to overcome her self doubt. She said she came from a conservative family and that it took some time for her to blossom into the confident, eloquent woman that she is today. The second woman was a mother and wife, who came into her business venture by way of her family. The third woman was very young, she barely looked older than any of us. Her story was the most interesting, I thought; she was like a child prodigy. She entered into her business out of college, and not just any business, but the computer/IT field. She sold her first business and entered into another. After these two computer ventures, she followed her true dream, which was to own her own clothing line. I felt that she was the most relatable of the women; her life was not so far different from my own. Her greatest influence was her father; she felt that she pulled strength from him to aid her during trials. She did suffer some hardships, though, as she was often mistaken for a secretary or lesser employee. Men would argue with her, refusing to believe that she was the head of such a profitable computer company.” (Alex Jette)/

“Many women that we spoke with in India expressed gratitude towards their families for supporting them in their leadership positions. The women said that their families gave them moral and often financial support and in some cases helped them with things such as child care. One women entrepreneur who spoke on a panel at NIILM, Charu Jain, said that she believes the support of parents is culturally and personally important. Jain mentioned that the challenges that she had to face as a young women starting her own business, but faced her struggles with resilience and has found success in her work. She credited her family with helping her develop the strong will necessary to emerge as a successful women entrepreneur.” (Jessica Rudis)

“In light of the environment of inequality in business mattes, many of the women entrepreneurs in the panel commented on the fact that they feel that women have to work twice as hard as men to see the same results. In particular, during the Women’s Day panel at NIILM, Sudha Gupta made several comments on how essential it is to believe in yourself and have perseverance in the face of adversity.” (Christine Armour)

“At Evalueserve, they kept repeating over and over that they were not feminists. They didn’t believe in setting up business practices that would benefit women only. This is in stark contrast to the majority feeling held in liberal America. I initially felt that women in India were uneducated about women’s rights, but after hearing from more women throughout our stay, my mind changed. Women from panel discussions commented constantly that they are equal to men, and that men are neither better nor worse than women, and they do not want to have any greater accommodations made because of their gender. Even at the end of our panel discussion at NIILM on Women’s Day, after the students shouted out, “Happy Women’s Day,” one of the women entrepreneurs said, “Yes, but don’t forget the men!”. I began to ponder what could make organizational practices so different that women were, in fact, able to thrive in Indian organizational culture. I have learned that these unique organizational practices are born from early societal practices.” (Julia Reynolds)

About the Visit to Evalueserve
Many students have commented on the learning they obtained from the visit to Evalueserve. In their reflective reports on the trip, students noted how the policies such as sexual harassment reporting system and policy, maternity leave policy, escort policy for women’s safety, obligation to dissent culture, meritocracy system, and multi level evaluation system to check discrimination and biases, at Evalueserve have allowed women to be 30% of their employee base, and to be well represented in the leadership positions. For instance,

“At Evalueserve, it was mentioned that many businesses are open to the idea of flexible scheduling that allows women (and sometimes even men) to work their schedules around those of their children and spouses in order to ensure that the quality of home life is not harmed by work.” (Christine Armour)

About other features of the visit:
“The facet of Indian culture that had a strong impact on me during my stay was relaxed attitude about time and time adherence. While had been warmed about “Indian Stretchable Time”, these precautions could not have prepared me for what I encountered. For the greater part of the trip, we were typically at least a half hour late for most of our appointments and quickly learned that all driving trips will probably last twice as long as anticipated. In America, arriving that late on a regular basis simply wouldn’t be acceptable in most cases. However, in India, this loose adherence to time schedules is a part of the culture… Eventually, I had to accept that nothing was ever as it had been planned and that the course of a day is more or less left up to chance.” (Christine Armour)

Visit to Jammu University - sample student reflections - Prof. Vipin Gupta

We visited Jammu University from March 5 to 7, 2007. We were welcomed in a grand manner at the airport with garlands by the faculty and students in the Hospitality program at Jammu University. We were then escorted to the campus, where we were greeted by the senior faculty of the management department – Keshav Sharma, Neelu Rohmetra, Ashok Aima, and Jagdish Dhotra. We were personally offered fresh coconut juice and complete breakfast, and made to feel very comfortable by Prof. Neelu Rohmetra who treated the students as her children. Rooms in the guesthouse were available to change and to freshen up. Thereafter, the faculty and students escorted the group to a grand tour of the campus, with Prof. Keshav Sharma, Head of Management Department, being the chief guide himself in an animated and entertaining pose. We enjoyed the cactus garden, knowing about various faculties, visiting the museum, and going to the gymnasium and meeting the athletics team. We were hugely inspired by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Amitabh Mattoo's cutting short his visit to Japan, and returning just to meet us and sharing words of orientation at his office.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Manju Gupta and the pharmacist then accompanied the group,, and full personal medical attention was provided 24x7 during the entire visit.

Prof. Poonam Dhawan organized a unique welcome, women entrepreneur life story telling, women entrepreneur crafts fair, and then the school visit, at the Nud village, with special gifts for the group. She personally gave a tour of the crafts fair, and told the inspiring story of the village women. Prof. Keshav Sharma then offered a personal tour to the group, showing the well, bio gas plant, hay cutter, and the sofa bed to the group. The delicious Kashmiri dogra lunch, together with the entire Jammu group and the Nud village group, at the beautiful Mansar Lake, was very heartwarming.

Though the ride to Dharmashala was long and bumpy, faculty escorts – Parikshit, Sameer and Komal, along with the accompanying, research scholar and students – Suvidha, Anuradha and others, made the journey interesting and educational, and attended to all our needs. At Dharmashala, Prof. Ashok Aima had made special arrangements at each room, with chocolates, fruits, and toiletries, along with bonfire for relaxation, and specially selected menu for dinner, breakfast, and lunch. The special visit to Dalai Lama arranged by Jammu University was an immense spiritual experience that overwhelmed all of us. The shopping and guided visits to the Tibetan monastery and art institute, along with delicious Tibetan lunch served by monks, remain memorable experiences. The Ayurvedic massage helped recover from the strains of the journey.

On the return to Jammu, we were excited to be in the media and program limelight at the Women leadership panel organized by Prof. Meenakshi Kilam, where the six panelists – primarily Jammu University alumnae - Payal Bhalla, Karuna Sharma, Nasreen Khan, Minna Dubey, Archa Jain, and Bhawna Sethi shared their stories of setting up the business, and succeeding as entrepreneurs. Chief guest and ex Jammu Mayor – Rani Blowria – shared valuable insights. Prof. Ashok Aima personally attended to making the dinner pack, and made sure that everybody was as comfortable as possible in the train.

Here are some of the reflections of the students on their visit to Jammu University:

“On our long bus ride from Jammu to Dharamshala, I had the pleasure of speaking with one of the Jammu University students – Sumit. We discussed numerous topics, but the main recurring theme that I noticed in our conversation was the importance of a clear conscious – contentment and happiness regardless of extraneous circumstances.. We began to speak about marriage and relationships, Sumit said that he would only date one girl, and he would marry that girl and never divorce her no matter the circumstances…. These answers really amazed me.

In Jammu University women entrepreneurship panel, each woman was introduced along with her husband and children. And in their speeches, again, each woman made sure to thank those she held relationships with and to give them credit for her success. One woman at the Jammu conference called her husband “the wind beneath her wings”… If someone were to ask me to sum up the style of leadership held by Indian women, I would say ‘authentic’. At the Jammu conference, three of six women left cushy jobs in finance, bureaucracy, and other major businesses to pursue what meant the most of them. Most of the women started child advocacy centers, schools, and daycares.” (Julia Reynolds)

“Dharamshala is a spiritual melting pot. Hindus, Muslims, Buddhist Monks,, Tibetan entrepreneurs, Kashimiri refugees, and Western eccentrics pursue their spiritual lives in harmony and tolerance. Despite my numerous travels to various parts of the world, nowhere did I feel so much peace in the mist of so much diversity. Everyone pursued their own roles, respected each other’s religious festivities and restrictions.” (Fay Stambuk)

“In our trip to Dharamshala, we were given an opportunity of a lifetime to witness the teachings of the Dalai Lama. Dharamshala itself is a breathtaking jewel hidden amongst the Himalyas, and evokes a sense of sacredness. I noticed that India, as a whole, is a country of contradictions. Meaning, despite the chaos and/or disorganization of the country’s infrastructures and crowds, peacefulness is exuded from the spirituality that exists in its buildings and people. The teachings of the Dalai Lama are a testament to the power of belief and the strength of religion in India. As we walked through the monastery, where there were thousands of Buddhist monks and followers joined together for a collective purpose, I could not help but feel envious of their sense of belonging to a shared cause. It was an emotional experience for me because I do not practice in any religion despite the fact that I identify myself as a Catholic; therefore, I felt as if a part of me is missing.

Like the teachings of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan monastery and art institute that we also visited while in Dharamshala challenged my views of the necessity for religion. IN the U.S., I think that religion has a negative connotation in many societal contexts. For example, the education system is required to assume a non-bias stance in terms of its curriculum and religion…. Contrarily, India takes a position that directly incorporates religion, politics, and education, thereby, providing its people with a greater appreciation of their country and understanding of themselves. The Tibetan art institute holds true to this interpretation because it allows Tibetan refugees to take shelter in its schools that teach Buddhism, while providing them with the opportunity of personal development as well as a chance to give back to the community by selling their handicrafts.” (Lauren Marashio)

“I had an in-depth conversation with one of the girls on the bus about her life in India, including marriage, dating, drinking, and all sort of things Americans incorporate into their daily lives. Dharamshala was my favorite part of the trip. The Himalayas are possibly the most incredibly beautiful sight I have ever seen in my life. The culture is raw, too, barely touched by the hotel conditions, which were considered top quality. The standards of living differ greatly, as well as the resources readily available. There is no central air or constant supply of hot water. Bugs and mice are also regarded with little consideration.. There is a greater regard for life, in whatever form, in India, where as in America we will moan and gripe the whole way. It made me take a step back and evaluate my own standards. In Dharamshala, I realized how much I really take for granted in America and how overly spoiled my life is.

After Dharamshala, we returned to Jammu for our media debut. The hype that erupted around us was absolutely overwhelming, but taken into perspective completely understandable. .. Women entrepreneurs told their stories, capped off with the political styling of the former mayor of Jammu. Though, it was hard to understand at the time and still is a little hard to comprehend our importance, it was certainly evident that night.” (Alex Jette)

“I was also able to gain a sense of the culture through my experience at the Nud village with the University of Jammu students. Specifically, after being exposed to only university and city life, we were able to examine Indian village life as we visited the village, attended the village’s craft fair, and ate the village’s traditional Dogra food. This experience was extremely enlightening after I saw the profuse skills of the villagers. For example, the villagers were skilled in crafts, getting a supply of water through a well, maintaining energy, building homes, and using all resources to their full advantage. This experience influenced me immensely as I was previously a waster who never took full advantage of resources such as food and energy that have always been abundantly available to me. I am now a conservator who is appreciative of all that I have.

I also saw that villages are primarily led through women. Women make and sell crafts to support their families, as they commonly being their own businesses. The University of Jammu offers entrepreneurship development program for these rural women. It trains thirty seven rural women in two distinct groups – printing technology/ beauty therapy/ agro based, and pre-primary education and crèche management. This training exemplifies how the Indian society is finding it more and more necessary to acquire business skills to succeed and sustain a village.” (Nicole Field)

“People would go out of their way to ensure our comfort and happiness. For example, Jammu University put together a conference with speakers and a large media presence. Our group also received a number of gifts – the people from Nud village gave us scarves, hand made folders, and hand printed handkerchiefs. Additionally, students from Jammu University accompanied us on our excursions and served as assistants and guides without any expectation of payment.” (Jessica Rudis)

Visit to EMPI - sample student reflections - Prof. Vipin Gupta

We spent three days and three nights at EMPI. We were welcomed by EMPI on the night of March 2. EMPI organized several cultural events and Holi performances on March 3. On March 4, Sunday, EMPI organized yoga, and then we played Holi. Then, the students wore sarees, and went for sightseeing, and then dinner at India Habitat. They returned on March 11, the last day of their stay in India, for a panel on women leaders, and to hear about controlling the ageing process and about EMPI model of education. Here are sample student comments on the visit:

“Our hosts paid full attention to our needs – hunger, luggage, welfare, clothes, cosmetics, anything really – and even beyond our perceived needs. We were never left alone, and all connections were played out to make our trip as comfortable, convenient, memorable, and educative as humanly possible. Staff and student worked all day and night, and were constantly at our disposal. This kind of almost royal treatment was totally unexpected.” (Fay Stambuk)

“After a grueling 14-hour flight, it was so wonderful to be met by enormous smiles, outstretched arms and gorgeous, fresh rose garlands for each of us. The excitement and warmth of the EMPI students made arriving in a foreign country halfway around the world feel more inviting than I ever could have imagined. Our initial greeting was only the beginning of our hospitality experience. As I made my way to the bus, I quickly learnt that our guests were in strong opposition to the idea of any of us having to carry our own luggage. The hospitality only increased when we reached EMPI. A delicious hot meal was waiting for us, with kitchen staff eager to fulfill any needs we might have had. Our guesthouse was stocked with more snacks and beverages (and chocolate!) than we could have ever asked for. Our beds were neatly made, with a long stem rose and chocolates on each pillow. It would be easy to confuse these gestures with those found in a luxury hotel, but these services were all completed by students and faculty that were making these accommodations without any compensation other than our gratitude.” (Christine Armour)

“We experienced the communal aspect of Indian culture in the EMPI dorm, since five people had to share each room. The dormitory also had a kitchen, which EMPI had stocked full of complimentary drinks and snacks. People would go out of their way to ensure our comfort and happiness. Rooms and food were always provided for us free of charge, and people worked hard to put together programs for our learning and entertainment. For example, EMPI put on a number of cultural events to celebrate Holi festival, including a dance showcase that featured students. Our group also received a number of gifts from EMPI, who gave us things like saris and sweatsuits. Additionally, a number of students from EMPI accompanied us on our excursions and served as assistants and guides without any expectation of payment. This was especially meaningful since we realized that it was not easy for these students to spend so much time away from their studies, especially since we were told that it was almost time for midterms at EMPI. Regardless, the students never complained or indicated in any way that were overworked or upset. Throughout our entire trip, every Indian person we encountered always seemed genuinely happy to treat us “like gods””. (Jessica Rudis)

“People are very proud of their successes in life in India, and make sure to share this with the public in order to enrich society. This may be the reason that it is hard to find a demoralized person in India. Since everyone feels that they have a unique offering to society, there is less reason to feel that they are inadequate, or being discriminated against by others. One example that illustrates how position within a community can uplift a group was the group of people at EMPI that performed traditional Holi songs for us from the Bihar region of India. The performers were all from the same community that shared a unique song and connection with one another, and all were also cafeteria workers at EMPI. Their pride shown in their voluntary performance showed that they did not feel demoralized or belittled from their status in society… I can not imagine an oppressed group within the U.S. having the same strength and collectivism that the group from Bihar exhibited. They sang and drummed in unison as though they had practiced the songs their whole lives, showing that they were closely bonded with one another.

One aspect of traditional Indian hospitality we learned was the practice of serving the guests first, and then waiting for an invitation from the guests to join them in feasting. I know that I was very confused during our first few meals in India, not knowing why were being watched eating, and wondering why they themselves are not having breakfast. We later learned of the custom, and were eager to make up for our lack of appreciation. During our third day at EMPI, and second morning, we took part in the meal preparation and serving. We saw what it was like to prepare traditional foods such as chai tea and puri which we ate for breakfast, and felt what it was like to have to wait to be invited to start eating.” (Casey Brennan)

“EMPI was like a city on its own, and within that city, the college students had their own culture. They trained, studied, and ate together, barely ever needing to leave their campus. Their classes, which they have 34 per semester, go from 8 a.m. (after physical training of course) until 7-8 p.m. at night. They also, only received Thursdays off during the week. This is said to emulate the demanding schedule of a corporate life. While we were there, however, a handful of students halted their schedules and gave us an overview of Indian culture. There were puppet shows, monkey charmers, and fire eaters. The college students also put on a cultural performance, which involved songs, dances, and plays. The songs were from several different provinces in India, both old and new, while the dances were primarily traditional dances depicting certain events (mythological or pastoral), similar with the plays. We also experienced Holi while w were at the campus. Throughout all the paint, music, and dancing, we also visited the houses of important people on campus, blessing them on the forehead with paints and receiving various sweets in return. Personally, I feel the culture of the EMPI campus was the most distinct out of all the college campuses.” (Alex Jette)

“What struck me the most was the degree to which familial obligations impact an individual’s future. Many of the female students at EMPI expressed the importance of doing well in school in order to please their parents. Additionally, they conveyed to us that their parents often called numerous times prior to an exam to ensure that they were studying. This sense of concern is odd from a Western standpoint due to the fact that students are expected to take it upon themselves to attend class and be prepared rather than relying on parental guidance and instruction. These disparate interpretations of responsibility are directly corrected to a country’s cultural context.” (Lauren Marashio)

“When speaking with the EMPI female students, I learnt that Indians are every family oriented. Specifically, the students spoke of their parents’ wish for them to first be successful in a career, and then gain success in family life through marriage and children. While further speaking with these students, I learned that their parents support them financially until they have a job in which they can support themselves. While I learned about the ideals of the Indian students, I also experienced the very vibrant Indian culture. Particularly on the second day in India, EMPI students introduced us to Indian songs, dances, and skits through a spectacular culture show. For instance, we watched the female EMPI students graciously dance to Indian love music as they were dressed in rich colors and elaborate jewelry. Through these dances, I learned that Indian dance is not just about elaborate movement and beat, but also about drama. Specifically, the dancers would change their facial expressions to act as though they were actors as well as dancers. Moreover, in terms of the singing, I learned that Indian entertainment has an overwhelming love theme to it as male EMPI students sang songs about love and missing one’s loved one. While the dancing and singing introduced us to the Indian entertainment industry, the students’ skits introduced us to Indian religion. For instance, a group of four EMPI male students acted a scene related to Holi, a popular Hindu spring festival.

Through experiencing the various artistic performances, I was able to form a better sense of the culture as I learned that Indian society is one full of love, celebration, vibrant colors, and elaborate jewelry, and religion and spirituality. I have learned to wholeheartedly appreciate all that Indian culture is about after seeing the richness and dedication of the Indian people – they are truly a remarkable group of people with a remarkable way of life. As the EMPI culture show briefly introduced us to the Holi celebrations, we were intensely introduced to the holiday and its festivities on our third day in India. Particularly on that day, March 4, 2007, we woke up early, did yoga, ate a traditional Indian breakfast, and began the festival of colors. While celebrating the festival of colors, we were each given handfuls of colored throwing powder, water, and watercolors. I was, at first, hesitant when an Indian student told me that I had to throw the powder, water, and watercolors on my fellow classmates, professors, the Indian students, the Indian professors, and the college staff members; however, my hesitation eventually wore off as I was bombarded with people throwing the water and colors at me.

As I celebrated with the Indian students, I came to understand how celebratory the Indian culture is and how they live a life very much unlike the American way of life. Specifically, after the Holi celebration, I tried to compare the celebration to an American holiday celebration; as I did so, I could not think of any holiday that stressed the importance of fun and freewill as much as the Holi celebrations. For instance, I thought about the fun with Easter egg hunts at Easter, the fun of trick-or-treating at Holloween, and the fun of opening presents on Christmas. However, none of these experiences are as celebratory and family-filled as the Holi celebrations that I experienced.

Although the experiences of the EMPI students gave us profuse information as to how Indian parents can influence women in leadership, the two women panel discussion at EMPI gave us a broad perspective into the lack of gender equalities in the Indian society. Particularly, in this discussion, two women leaders, Asha Goyal and Dr. Uma Nambiar, spoke of their lives and the paths they endured to attain their position of self esteem.” (Nicole Field)

“It is easy to train people to be hospitable during a convention and to show what to do and what not to do, but this type of hospitality was a lifelong training. We were just 18 ordinary girls coming from a good women’s college, intelligent and hard working, the treatment we received I felt was meant for a President’s delegation of the most important people in the country. I remember thinking to myself that it was only the beginning, everyone puts on a good show to impress, but when this was the case throughout, I understood that it was part of culture, and hospitality was a virtue.

Asha Goyal, who was my most inspirational speaker in India, was a Vice President of quality at IBM India Global Services. She was influential in many aspects, a VP at IBM, a woman with strong family ties, very intelligent, but most of all very honest and realistic. Her speech was one where she did not show off her multiple talents and achievements, but she tried to show how it is done, and she showed us some of the ways that we can succeed and even in the US…. The main point was to be persistent and put forth a lot of energy in everything you do. This is important to see the culture aspect of it, because I believe that since very young Indian children are taught that to gain anything in life is to work hard, and by working hard, and some support, anything is achievable. This is closely linked with the college students that we met that studied so hard and for long hours, to gain an education, complete, and as a result get a good job. At times during the trip, it was so hard for me to believe that some of the people that were assisting us could just go crash and rest, but no their goal was to take good care of the guests and they carried their goal to the end….

Another exceptional woman leader was Dr. Uma Nambiar; she was the head of the Delhi hospital, and a neurologist. Not everyday can one meet a woman neurologist, and it is harder to meet one that is highly recognized. Dr. Nambiar was not just an exceptional leader because of her knowledge and medical terms, but she also had a great personality, she was independent and she was family oriented. The aspect of culture she mentioned the most was her upbringings, of how her parents never differentiated between her and her brother, just because she was a girl. She mentioned that her parents and the rest of her family taught her that there were no differences between what men can do and what women can achieve. She said that the first time that she was ever approached the question about being a woman in her field was in the US. Dr. Nambiar also mentioned that when she leads at her hospital she does not look at gender as a difference, and she attributes that to the culture of her family.” (Jona Muhameti)