When looking at a country from another cultural background, you tend to wear a kind of "cultural eyeglasses." You often interpret everything from your own cultural conditioning. Things may seem irrational, frustrating, or upsetting, simply because of that conditioning. This is fertile ground for future conflicts in many areas. To me, culture is an iceberg, where the main force is resting beneath the surface.
There are two major, typical miscalculations foreign corporations tend to make when they approach the Indian market.
First, they tend to feel that because culture is intangible and it does not show itself in the bottom line, they do not need to waste their time on that issue.
Second, they may think that culture is like marketing or finance: you learn about culture in India in a four or eight hour session and that is all you need to know. Then you are free to continue with your job since you are adequately sensitized to the culture.
