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When I was purchased my first car in India, the dealership delivered the vehicle to me with a large, red swastika painted on the hood and I was informed that the swastika was a mark of good fortune. My initial reaction was to wash the swastika off, but I quickly realized that there was something significant at stake, something cultural that I needed to pay attention to.
Upon mention of the swastika, we in the West typically associate this symbol with fascism, genocide, white supremacist groups, the Nazi regime, and the awful holocaust of the early 20th century. Most people in North America wouldn’t dare to mark their homes or vehicles with the swastika because of the deep seated, visceral, highly negative historical associations present in our collective western social consciousness. The swastika, however, has a history that far predates the nazi regime and still bears great importance within the fabric of numerous non-western cultures.
Take India for example. Upon arrival in India one might be surprised to see swastika’s adorning religious buildings, icons, art, in taxi’s, on homes, and used whenever there is cause for celebration. Among Hindu’s and Buddhists the swastika is a highly auspicious symbol. Consequently if you are entering into business agreements with an Indian company or level of government you may very well find the swastika displayed prominently as part of the process. Depending on your story, seeing the swastika given such deference may cause you discomfort.
This raises the question of how to prepare for and process potential cultural conflict while still accomplishing organizational and/or personal objectives.
When I received my new vehicle with a bright red swastika painted on the hood, I was forced to make a difficult decision. At the time I was on assignment in North Western India on official business building strategic relationships on behalf of a large Canadian organization. Consequently, I had to balance my professional objectives with my own cultural and religious paradigm. What might my associates, and even my neighbours, whom I had been working hard to develop trust and relationship with...what might they think if they saw my new car devoid of this auspicious marking? Could it alienate or confuse them and somehow damage what I had worked so hard to develop?At the same time, could I keep the swastika on my car whilst remaining true to my own convictions?
These kinds of challenges can be solved effectively by applying the Cultural Intelligence (CQ) framework. The CQ framework asks four key questions:
1. What is my motivation?
My motivation in this situation was to achieve my professional objectives without sacrificing relationships, nor my own personal integrity.
2. What do I need to know to understand this situation fully?
I needed to know myself as well as Indian cultural systems and values in order to assess risk, and grasp the implications of the situation.
3. What is my plan?
Based on my motivating factors and what I knew about the risk and implications, the next step was to develop a pro-active strategy to mitigate potential risk and turn the situation into an opportunity for furthering my fundamental objectives.
4. What behaviours do I need to adjust?
The final step was actually translating my motivation, knowledge, and planning into action. This required that I review my verbal and non-verbal behaviours, modifying them as necessary to maintain a humble approach when enacting my plan so as to decrease confusion, enhance understanding, and connect on a meaningful level with my Indian counterparts.
By implementing the CQ system I was able to successfully avoid the fallout of rash decision making, maintain my personal integrity, and strengthen my professional position.
This is just one example of the many complex and highly nuanced challenges inherent in the international, intercultural marketplace. How you respond to these challenges will, in large part, determine your level of success.