From Textbooks to Tuk-Tuks: Student Spices Up Final Paper with Indian Adventure
Andrey Yunatsky, a master’s student at Lomonosov Moscow State University Business School (LMSU BS), dived into the fieldwork aspect of his thesis, which explores cross-cultural business interactions between Russia and India. Durind one week of his stay at Pune Institute of Business Management, Andrey conducted 15 in-depth interviews with representatives of academia and business which are expected to demonstrate how cultural nuances impact the process of business communication.
Andrey is writing a master dissertation on the topic of Russian-Indian cross-cultural interactions. Under the guidance of Associate Professor Irina A. Petrovskaya, he developed a questionnaire aimed at identifying differences in the ways people perceive time management, business dynamics, uncertainty, and other pivotal factors that shape a unique business culture.
Data collected has yet to be analysed, however, preliminary findinings can be revealed. «Time is perceived in India differently than in Russia, where strict adherance to timing is the norm. Indian people are more flexible and tolerant to changes, which can either an advantage or a challenge for Russian companies which are entering Indian market», — shared his insights Andrey. He also stressed the importance of personal contacts and trustful relationship with your counterpart for a successful business collaboration with India.
Choosing Pune as a research destination was a deliberate decision. Located 150 km from the country’s biggest city, Mumbai, Pune combines developed economy with a slower pace of living. For its abundance of students and universities, Pune is often called «Oxford of the East». In addition to his structured interviews, Andrey’s week-long immersion will give him the chance to witness Indian lifestyle firsthand and deepen his understanding of the cultural and contextual details for his analysis.
«India striked me with its diversity. Everything here, from traffic to daily meals, is completely different. It is not «good» or «bad», it is just «different», — shared his impressions Andrey.
Indian students have also got a chance to learn more about Russia and Moscow State University. Together with Ekaterina Ivanova from MSUBS International Office, Andrey gave a talk to the students of Pune, telling them about Russian business culture and MSU.
«This travel was an invaluable personal experience. I can truly say that India gave me the choice. Before, I chose meat without even noticing. Now I think first. And it turns out that there is a choice, — Andrey says. – And of course it’s a unique opportunity for research. I still have to analyze the data I received. But it’s fairly obvious that ignoring Indian cultural specifics means setting oneself up to failure in doing business with India».
