Culture Quotient
Written by Divya Badri with inputs from Shruti Rao
You have heard of IQ and EQ, but have you heard of CQ? Culture quotient or CQ is increasingly becoming important to have in today’s day. If you want to set up a business in India it is advised to beef up your culture quotient to avoid any culture shock in India.
What is culture quotient?
We live in a globalized world and that makes work more dynamic and complex. Doing business in any country without a culture quotient makes businesses miss out on opportunities. Culture quotient has 3 major components – cultural knowledge, cross-cultural skills, and cultural mindfulness. These mean:
- Cultural knowledge – this is the ‘how’ and ‘what’ of someone’s culture.
- Cross-cultural skills – these are skills that demonstrate one’s cultural quotient. Skills such as being empathetic, tolerant, adaptable, and so on
- Cultural mindfulness – this is the process of being aware of the cultural context or being aware of the different cultural context and responding accordingly
Read More: What it means to understand a country like India?
What having a culture quotient means when in India?
How do you prepare yourself before travelling overseas? You learn about the land, its people and its culture. Many businesses or individuals who come to work to India from conformist and homogenous societies find the Indian societies intriguing due to the incredible diversity. Like all cultures and societies around the world, Indian culture is woven intricately in the everyday life and interactions of Indians. It gives you a glimpse into the thought processes of Indians. In a Eurocentric world, it is easy to learn about the dominant european culture, languages and ways. However, what if you want to learn about other parts of the world? India is an important emerging market and it is necessary to demonstrate one’s cultural quotient when in India.
You could demonstrate cultural knowledge in India by understanding the culture and heritage of India. You could attempt to understand the history or significance of the traditions, practices, monuments, etc. India has a treasure of cultural practices, various art forms, ancient heritage which differ from region to region. Learning more about the significance and history behind these aspects or even the basic differences, would help you demonstrate cultural knowledge in India.
You could demonstrate cross-cultural skills by approaching the Indian lifestyle or the culture and traditions of India with empathy and adaptability. Everyone loves it when the outsider shows appreciation for the home culture. In the same way, when a visitor to India makes an effort to interact and understand with India, it demonstrates a very strong cross-cultural skill. Infact, what makes it even easier for the visitor to India to pick up this skill is that inherently, most Indians believe in Atithi Devo Bhava ethos- that a guest is always welcome.
Be culturally mindful. As mentioned before, Indian culture is woven into the everyday life and interactions of Indians. Being observant of their calendar, which may differ from the Gregorian calendar, touchless greetings, and your own behavior in different cultural settings in India will demonstrate cultural mindfulness.
Watch: Business in India
How do you develop a culture quotient in India?
The best way to develop a strong culture quotient vis-à-vis India is by either learning about Indian culture or experiencing the Indian culture and heritage in person. Mastering India – a learning hub for all things India is the perfect platform for you to learn about India.
Mastering India will help you understand India not only as an emerging market but also as the cultural diversity hotspot it is. On Mastering India, people from across the sectors in India come together to share their knowledge about India with you. It is a blended learning platform which means you can not only take courses on India and Indian culture online but also be part of events, experiences and workshops which will let you experience India and demystify India for you.
Mastering India is a platform not only for people who are unfamiliar with India but also for Indians who want to re-connect with Indian culture. So sign up with Mastering India today and start sharpening your culture quotient!
Watch: India Bootcamp
- Published in Blogs