A peep in to CCM class

We take decisions first and then we come up with reasons to convince others.

When I got enrolled to Cross cultural class many were asking me the relevance of doing it dropping HRM.   ( I dropped HRM as it was clashing with CCM )

I gave an answer to all-“See, My research topic is Employee Burnout. In today’s context we need to know about the cultural difference before studying burnout”.

Either the one who questioned me might have got convinced or they might have thought there is no point in arguing with me that they didn’t bother to question any further.

 After the CCM classes were on, I changed my research topic from Employee burnout to students stress (Aye, It’s not because of the stress I faced by preparing for CCM class. I promise! :P).

Though my well wishers stop questioning, It is my responsibility to keep convincing them that I am studying something worth, right? I came up with new thoughts-“ I am learning life from CCM”. I started talking philosophy after CCM sessions to reinforce the same.

Was it really true? May be, Yes.

During my so called philosophy sessions with my friends, below mentioned examples are the ones I used the most.

 While reading Chinese negotiation, story of Cheng Han Cheng was mentioned to detail the importance of hierarchy in Chinese society. According to Chinese scholar Dau-lin Hsu, in 1865 Cheng’s wife had the insolence to beat her mother-in-law. This was regarded as such a heinous crime that, among other punishments, Cheng and his wife were both skinned alive, their flesh displayed at the gates of various cities and their bones burned to ashes. Neighbors and extended family members were also punished. This might be considered as an extreme cruel act by us, but this is considered normal by them. Is there any point in arguing with them that what they did is wrong? Even now women are not treated equal to men there. What if an Indian lady gets married to a Chinese and settles there. Here, we hold the right to express our views even to elders. If she does the same there, she might be perceived bad. Isn’t the same is happening with older generation and us? They were born and bought up in different culture, thus fails to understand us.

Another incident is from a guest lecture. He was associated with Japan for a longer time. According to him, Japanese talks in an indirect manner so that they won’t hurt anyone. As part of their pleasing manner, they express NO in 40 different ways. One way of telling NO is YES. Even a straight forward YES is having dual meaning. Funny world!

When asked to explain the experience of being in India, one guest lecture expressed a concern of moving around a retail shop for multiple times to pay the bill and getting goods delivered. Sounds OK for me, but that drives a foreigner go CRAZY.

Apart from lectures and materials provided, we had a collaborative learning with class participants sharing their rich experience about various cultures being from different parts of India and world.

In a consolidated manner, what I learned from CCM class is- “It is better to appreciate and accept the difference of another individual or culture in all its form than complaining about it. It makes us feel good and gave a feel of completeness”. (Again philosophy!)

Keeping all in mind, I didn’t see anyone quoting that Smile is interpreted differently in any place. I feel that is the best language anyone can learn to adopt irrespective of culture.

KEEP SMILING 