Intercultural competence India – Polychronicity

A land of contrasts

India – the land of tigers, the Taj Mahal, sacred cows, Mahatma Gandhi and terrifying, mysterious sects. But also of call centers and a flourishing IT industry. The image of India in Germany is characterized by many different stereotypes. A large country with many contrasts. Magnificently residing maharajas and bitter poverty. A British colony and the world’s largest democracy. All Indians are potential IT prodigies (in much the same way that all Soviet writers were potential Nobel Prize candidates, mostly those who wrote against the regime).

Stereotypes are only half the truth

Everything is true – and not true again. Of course, stereotypes have their origins in typical behavior or personal experiences. But that doesn’t mean they have to be universally valid or true in the way they are passed on. Stereotypes in particular are created on the basis of one’s own culture! An example: Anyone who knows Loriot (and who doesn’t in Germany?) or watches the comedy scene will hardly say that Germans are humorless. But that’s exactly how we appear to many other cultures!

Not all time is the same

If you want to understand the differences between Germany and India, it is necessary to take a more differentiated approach. Cultural dimensions, such as those formulated by Fons Trompenaars, are a popular and good tool. One of these concerns the understanding of time. According to this, cultures are classified into monochronic and polychronic cultures. The first association here is punctuality, and that is also part of it. But beyond that, it is also about how cultures deal with the future, how tasks are completed or whether the focus is on the task or on other people. As always, this is about cultural tendencies, because not all members of a culture behave in the same way. Germans are generally said to be punctual, whereas this aspect has a completely different meaning in India. Nevertheless, there are punctual Indians and unpunctual Germans in the German, i.e. monochronic, sense. It must be made clear right away that we have to face the challenge of making value-free judgments. This is not so easy when, as a German, you have been taught from childhood that punctuality and adherence to deadlines are very important values. If it is customary in a culture to meet 3 hours after the agreed appointment, a member of this culture will certainly not claim that you are unpunctual if you arrive 2 hours earlier. I certainly don’t need to explain what impression this would make in Germany. So – everything is relative. If you meet unpunctual people in Germany, they are very quickly qualified as unreliable and therefore negative. Here it becomes clear once again: Germany tends to be a monochronic culture. In contrast, India tends to be a polychronic culture.

Dates, dates…not so easy

As always, examples are the best way to explain such differences. In February of this year, I met up with an old friend by chance. We exchanged addresses and agreed to meet in May. That was the first date that suited both parties. About a week ago, I made arrangements to meet an Indian friend at the weekend. The date was arranged in a very modern way via app. Here are the excerpts from the correspondence:
Me:
“…best would be Sunday at around 3 p.m. for late lunch.”
Friend:
12.38 h “Hi. Just arrived back from US”
12.38 h “No problem. I understand.”
12.38 h “You mean this sunday?”
Me:
12.41 h “Yes, can you confirm, we have to buy food.”
Friend:
13.17 h “Give me a few hours”
13.18 h “I don’t find the party on the website”
Me:
17.47 h “It is not through the website. At our location. We need to know today if you can come.
Friend:
17.50 h “Even if I come on Sunday, please don’t worry about food, absolutely don’t. Had too much to eat and drink in US. Stomach needs a lot of rest.
17.51 h “Even 3 pieces of bread and butter would do, trust me.”
17.51 h “And nothing to drink.”
17.51 h “I’m just checking train schedules to Brussels…will confirm in some time.”
17.52 h “Because I might leave for Brussels on Sunday evening.”
Me:
17.53 h “Let’s then cancel Sunday. Please send other dates best one week beforehand.”
Friend:
19.37 h “I will take either 7pm-train or go on Monday morning. We can do Sunday if you want.”

Me:
Next day, 12.00 h “Then please come tomorrow at 5 p.m.. You can take a train from the main railway station. Please confirm 100 percent, so we can plan our other arrangements.”
Friend:
13.01 h “Hi. Just woke up. Let’s confirm next Sunday. 100 % 5 p.m. may be a little late if I take the 7 p.m. train and my stomach is a little cranky. Next Sunday, I will be in better shape. So xxx (Sunday after the Sunday we spoke about), confirmed.”
Me:
13.02 h “On xxx we are not home, but in Munich”
Friend:
13.02 h “23rd?”
Me:
13.02 h “We are not home 22nd-24th.”
Friend:
13.03 h “Hmmm…”
13.03 h “Let me think”
13.06 h “Then we will meet tomorrow, but keep it normal…I’ll just eat what you normally cook…don’t make anything special.”
Me:
13.39 h “Ok, tomorrow then at 5 p.m. I can pick you up from the train station.”
Friend:
16.03 h “Sorry…I again went off to sleep…the jetlag.”
16.04 h “Will check the train schedule and let you know.”
Me:
18.23 h “OK.”

Friend:
Next day, 16.45 h “My train will arrive at 5.11.”
16.45 h “At xxx railway station.”
16.46 h “Hope that is the correct station.“
Me:
16.47 h “Yes, that is he correct station. We will pick you up.”

And another intercultural faux-pas

An impressive process. In the end, the meeting actually happened. And of course we had made him something to eat. Unfortunately, something with beef. We hadn’t taken into account that Hindus don’t eat this, but simply picked up a portion of our lunch, just as he had said.
Here you can clearly see the pitfalls that monochronic and polychronic behavior can cause when they meet.
It is also clear and confirmed by many of our customers: It can be very tedious for Germans to get along in India. To make this easier for you, we prepare you professionally.
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