Spirituality and Indian Psychology: Lessons from ... - Mandhata Global

Scope for Indigenizing Psychology
which complements research on ingratiation, and presented a flavor of what
ingratiation behaviors are like, who uses them and when, and how they are viewed
by superiors. However, the findings are so grounded in the Western literature and
method, which is reflected in constructs like Machiavellianism, that they lack the
necessary thick description to provide an Indian flavor of ingratiation. This program
of research contributed to the cross-cultural body of research, but is still largely
pseudoetic in nature (Bhawuk, 2008d).
To indigenize this line of research, we need to start by collecting behaviors that
people use to ingratiate themselves with their superiors. For example, in India, and
South Asia in general, it is common for people to show up on the doorstep of their
superiors to gain favors, which would be unthinkable in the Western countries.
Politicians are often known to have a “durbar” or time for public audience at their
homes, and this offers a unique opportunity to ingratiate oneself with the politician.
It is not uncommon for senior executives to hold their own “durbars” where junior
managers report. This system offers a unique system to manage gossip and allows
junior managers to get closer to the boss. Bringing gifts to the boss’s home is
another practice that is used to ingratiate oneself with the boss. Gift items range
from seasonal fruits and vegetables to alcoholic beverages, perfumes, and chocolates.
Helping bosses when they have a pooja (i.e., religious service) or other events at
their home is another way to get closer to the superior. In all these behaviors, we
see a fudging of the distinction between workplace and home, which is quite
strongly maintained in the Western countries.
Using a go-between who has influence on the superior is another tactic used by
Indian and South Asian managers. Go-betweens can be the superior of the boss, a
family relation of the boss or his or her spouse, or simply an acquaintance of the
superior. The effectiveness of the go-between depends on how strongly the person
is recommended, and how much time is spent in cultivating the relationship. Doing
an important favor to somebody is used as an investment, and people are often
generous in paying back their debt. Thus, there is a strong social network shaped
by intricate relationships spanning over generations that shapes ingratiating behavior
in India, which is quite similar to the notion of Guanxi in China. What should also
be noted that many of these activities and behaviors are considered respectable and
serve as social lubricants.
By spending much effort over a period of time, the subordinate is able to win the
trust of the superior and becomes an ingroup member. When a subordinate becomes
an ingroup member, the boss trusts him or her with personal assignments. In fact,
the most dependable subordinate earns the title of “Hanuman,” in that the person is
an able agent of the boss much like Hanuman was to Rama. Since Hanuman is a
favorite Hindu deity, this is not to be taken lightly, and people take pride in affiliating
themselves closely to their superiors to earn this title. It is this kind of emic thick
description that is lost in following the Western model in studying ingratiating
behaviors or other social and organizational behaviors. In the next section, I present
an example of how the cross-cultural approach to research could help us understand
group dynamics in the Indian context (Bhawuk, 2008d) and avoid imposing the
Western model that may not be relevant in Indian organizations.
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