Werner Heesen is a tourism and aviation expert with over 40 years of professional experience. He held senior positions for Deutsche Lufthansa AG in Germany and various foreign markets in Asia and Africa, including as Director South Asia. Heesen worked in India for 13 years. Today he teaches intercultural marketing at the Worms University of Applied Sciences and is with the India advice Dr. Wamser + Batra GmbH worked as department head “Leadership and Control from a Distance”.

Human resources management India

This scenario may not sound familiar to anyone who has experience in India business: For many companies, their commitment to India starts off promisingly. The business forecasts are positive, the local employees seem motivated and the behavior of customers and suppliers is perceived as more European than exotic. As in other foreign markets, quality specifications, schedules and processes are communicated and activities begin.

But slowly but surely problems are piling up and the initial euphoria is dampened one after the other. In production, the agreed quality is not continuously delivered. Agreed timelines are repeatedly not met. The company detects critical deviations in processes. Indian managers and employees provide reasons for identified deficiencies that are incomprehensible to the German company. A serious crisis develops like a smoldering fire, leading to a loss of trust in Indian partners, managers and employees. Suddenly the business decision to go to India is questioned.

But perhaps this challenge can still be overcome. This special, country-specific problem will therefore be discussed in detail in the seminar. The most common misjudgments from a German perspective are analyzed and insights, solution models and behaviors adapted to the Indian market are developed. In selected practical cases, specifically “Indian” influencing factors are presented that can have a lasting negative impact on strategic and operational activities.

The most important topics and questions:

  • Typical problem areas in Indian business
  • Leadership, control, control over distances
  • Why is the area of ​​leadership and governance so often misjudged in relation to India?
  • What are the special features and laws of the Indian market and what insights and conclusions can be derived from them?
  • How do the organizational structures and processes of the German parent company have to be transferred and adapted to the Indian organization?
  • What specific measures can be used to enforce quality and deadline specifications as well as economic guidelines of the parent company in India?
  • Who is responsible in India and for what? How does control work in India?