The Case of the Untouchable Water Carrier
The Case of the untouchable water carrier
Introduction:
The caste system was and continues to be a terrible reality for people in Europe and Asia. Even though it is not as prominent now as it was before it was abolished, it still affects many people all around the world. To be born into a status, one that you can never leave or outlive is a great tragedy. How does one come to terms with knowing that a choice was never an option? It doesn’t matter if all the laws changed today, the fact remains that the human race is habitual: people will continue to operate based on what they have done for years. The abolition of slavery and the caste system didn’t mean that people would stop doing it but merely meant that it was no longer legal to do it. In this case, Raman tries to exact change because after all, the caste system was abolished, there are no more titles, and everyone should be allowed to have a job as long as they meet the qualifications. He had every right to give Kishore a job, but he didn’t count on the mindset of the people he worked with. To them history was the present, and they were not about to break a habit that was pretty much all they knew to be constant.
Relevance to International Business:
Raman’s quandary here is one that most companies must deal with when plying their trade in countries outside of their own. MNE’s must comply with the policies of the country that they wish to conduct business or invest in. In the case, Raman’s bank has opened a branch in a location that is developing similar to a company moving its business into a developing country. This is an example of competitive positioning as they are using pre-emptive methods to secure profitability in that area. As such an established bank they should have been more aware of the local responsiveness of the personnel in their new branch. Even though the caste system had been abolished, the locals had not adjusted their mindset because it was already adopted as a habit to them. In a more
Introduction:
The caste system was and continues to be a terrible reality for people in Europe and Asia. Even though it is not as prominent now as it was before it was abolished, it still affects many people all around the world. To be born into a status, one that you can never leave or outlive is a great tragedy. How does one come to terms with knowing that a choice was never an option? It doesn’t matter if all the laws changed today, the fact remains that the human race is habitual: people will continue to operate based on what they have done for years. The abolition of slavery and the caste system didn’t mean that people would stop doing it but merely meant that it was no longer legal to do it. In this case, Raman tries to exact change because after all, the caste system was abolished, there are no more titles, and everyone should be allowed to have a job as long as they meet the qualifications. He had every right to give Kishore a job, but he didn’t count on the mindset of the people he worked with. To them history was the present, and they were not about to break a habit that was pretty much all they knew to be constant.
Relevance to International Business:
Raman’s quandary here is one that most companies must deal with when plying their trade in countries outside of their own. MNE’s must comply with the policies of the country that they wish to conduct business or invest in. In the case, Raman’s bank has opened a branch in a location that is developing similar to a company moving its business into a developing country. This is an example of competitive positioning as they are using pre-emptive methods to secure profitability in that area. As such an established bank they should have been more aware of the local responsiveness of the personnel in their new branch. Even though the caste system had been abolished, the locals had not adjusted their mindset because it was already adopted as a habit to them. In a more