The client
The client enables organizations to build, run, and scale global capability centres (GCCs) by combining enterprise technology, operations, and talent with deep cultural integration. Headquartered in India, they support clients primarily in the USA and UK by helping them establish efficient and culturally aligned operations across borders.
The challenge
As the company helped its clients expand operations into India, it became clear that cultural gaps between US, UK, and Indian teams were impacting collaboration. Some of the company’s clients proactively explored cross-cultural differences, while others only recognised the challenge after encountering issues. The main challenges included:
- Communication Styles
Teams struggled with different expectations around clarity, tone, and communication formality. - Leadership & Hierarchy
Contrasts in leadership styles and views on hierarchy affected team dynamics and productivity. - Conflict and Feedback
Feedback methods and conflict resolution approaches varied significantly between regions. - Team Integration
Building one cohesive team from different cultural backgrounds required greater mutual understanding. - Risk Perception
Teams approached decision-making and risk differently, often leading to misalignment.
Why Global Business Culture?
- Over 30 years of experience in global cultural training
- Expertise in India-US/UK business environments
- Practical, customised, and business-focused training programs
- Proven success with clients such as Clario, ZoomInfo, AXA GOBO, Caterpillar, and JCB India
What we did
Global Business Culture developed and delivered a cross-cultural awareness program to support the company’s client-facing teams in India and their counterparts in the USA. Sessions were designed to be highly interactive and tailored based on preliminary interviews with participants to uncover region-specific concerns.
Session 1: Working with India (for US-based teams)
- Introduction to cultural frameworks and perception
- Overview of Indian economic, social, and workplace culture
- Key cultural contrasts between India and the USA, focusing on leadership, communication, and time orientation
- Group exercises addressing common challenges and exploring culturally sensitive strategies
- Facilitator-shared best practices for collaborating with India
Session 2: Working with the USA (for India-based teams)
- Exploration of American history, values, and business norms
- Discussion of leadership, individualism, time sensitivity, and feedback preferences in US culture
- Cultural comparison: India vs USA
- Group discussions on common challenges and culturally responsive strategies
- Q&A and reflections
The results
- Improved understanding of the Indian labor market, helping the team make better hiring decisions.
- Better preparation in the onboarding process to ensure that the relationships are built from offer roll out.
- Deeper understanding of the need to build informal relationships with the India team and foster a culture of open and honest communication.
