India Think Power Distance Profile

Most Americans work in a low power distance environment while most Indians work in a high power distance environment. There are exceptions to this in certain fields but for the most part its appropriate to develop a strategy for working with India or the US that assumes these structures are in place. Because IndiaThink focuses on working with Americans this quiz and its responses are designed for that audience. However, the information provided can be also useful for Indians seeking help working with Americans.

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1. In my business culture first names are used between bosses and subordinates. It would be seen as unfriendly to use Mr or Ms when addressing others.

2. When I have feedback on my boss’s direction I can approach him and tell him there is a better way to do something.

3. Where I work people have a job title but it may not explain what they do. Someone with the same title as me may have much more responsibility.

4. My success in the organization is almost 100% affected by the success of my boss. It is difficult to imagine a situation where my boss would fail and I would not also fail

5. As a child I was taught to think for myself and express my opinions.

6. In my organization there is a large amount of respect paid to the boss. His decisions lead our organization to success and are not questioned. He is someone we can all learn from.

7. Bringing alternatives to the table is part of my job. I must present other ways of thinking to the group – or think outside the box about things that the group and boss have not suggested to be seen as a leader in my organization

8. My boss asks me to take care of specific tasks. He will advise me on how to accomplish the task. I ask him for direction if I have questions on what to do next to make sure I am doing exactly what he needs me to do.

9. When I was a student in school, I often questioned the teacher if I did not believe her to be correct or thought there was another way to explain something.

10. My boss gives me a lot of latitude on how I get things done. He assigns me the responsibility of achieving an objective and expects me to complete it using my own methods.