Comments on: The Competitive Indian http://6ampacific.com/2006/03/13/the-competitive-indian/ Basab Pradhan's weblog about business and life in a 'flat world'. 6 AM Pacific is the best time for a global conference call. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:44:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Devang Kothari http://6ampacific.com/2006/03/13/the-competitive-indian/#comment-6750 Devang Kothari Sun, 01 Jul 2007 18:41:12 +0000 http://sixampacific.com/?p=11#comment-6750 I agree with Nyayapati. I think we are confusing competitiveness with rude and anti-social behavior. I would hope that, as India's standard of living increases, people would find ways to be better mannered and have greater consideration for others. I remember when I was growing up and we would take the S.T. (government) buses -- there would be a huge crowd of people pushing each other to get in. For some reason, we could never assemble in a line. Therefore, I think Praban's experience is nothing new, but the same old thing that's been happening in India for the last 30 years - albeit it's a plane instead of a government bus. However, I have great hope that 15 years from now our collective mentality would have changed quite a bit. I agree with Nyayapati. I think we are confusing competitiveness with rude and anti-social behavior. I would hope that, as India’s standard of living increases, people would find ways to be better mannered and have greater consideration for others. I remember when I was growing up and we would take the S.T. (government) buses — there would be a huge crowd of people pushing each other to get in. For some reason, we could never assemble in a line. Therefore, I think Praban’s experience is nothing new, but the same old thing that’s been happening in India for the last 30 years - albeit it’s a plane instead of a government bus. However, I have great hope that 15 years from now our collective mentality would have changed quite a bit.

]]> By: K.A.V.Shetty http://6ampacific.com/2006/03/13/the-competitive-indian/#comment-31 K.A.V.Shetty Sun, 07 May 2006 05:53:13 +0000 http://sixampacific.com/?p=11#comment-31 I don't agree with Pranab's analysis. He has evidently not watched Indian behaviour closely. Indians in all towns have this bad habit of rushing and not diong things in an orderly fashion. I have seen air passengers rush in the mannerdescribed by him in all towns including Delhi. So do train passengers many of whom have this nasty habit of standing near the door with their luggage ten minutes before their destination is due to arrive. You will also notice many people getting up from cinema theatres 5 minutes before the movie is fully over. This is a well known Indian trait to be found in people of all States. Delhi, with its aggressive Punjabi culture, can hardly be an exception I don’t agree with Pranab’s analysis. He has evidently not watched Indian behaviour closely. Indians in all towns have this bad habit of rushing and not diong things in an orderly fashion. I have seen air passengers rush in the mannerdescribed by him in all towns including Delhi. So do train passengers many of whom have this nasty habit of standing near the door with their luggage ten minutes before their destination is due to arrive. You will also notice many people getting up from cinema theatres 5 minutes before the movie is fully over. This is a well known Indian trait to be found in people of all States. Delhi, with its aggressive Punjabi culture, can hardly be an exception

]]> By: K.A.V.Shetty http://6ampacific.com/2006/03/13/the-competitive-indian/#comment-30 K.A.V.Shetty Sun, 07 May 2006 05:47:28 +0000 http://sixampacific.com/?p=11#comment-30 I don't agree with Pranab's analysis. He has evidently not watched Indian behaviour closely. Indians in all towns have this bad habit of rushing and not diong things in an orderly fashion. I have seen air passengers rush in the mannerdescribed by him in all towns including Delhi. So do train passengers many of whom have this nasty habit of standing near the door with their luggage ten minutes before their destination is due to arrive. You will also notice many people getting up from cinema theatres 5 minutes before the movie is fully over. This is a well known Indian trait to be found in people of all States. Delhi, with its aggressive Punjabi culture, can hardly be an exception I don’t agree with Pranab’s analysis. He has evidently not watched Indian behaviour closely. Indians in all towns have this bad habit of rushing and not diong things in an orderly fashion. I have seen air passengers rush in the mannerdescribed by him in all towns including Delhi. So do train passengers many of whom have this nasty habit of standing near the door with their luggage ten minutes before their destination is due to arrive. You will also notice many people getting up from cinema theatres 5 minutes before the movie is fully over. This is a well known Indian trait to be found in people of all States. Delhi, with its aggressive Punjabi culture, can hardly be an exception

]]> By: ila http://6ampacific.com/2006/03/13/the-competitive-indian/#comment-29 ila Sun, 30 Apr 2006 14:16:52 +0000 http://sixampacific.com/?p=11#comment-29 Hello, I had a similar experience but i didnt link it to the availability of an aerobridge. Foll. is the link of my post and analysis by others in case you're interested in reading it. <a href="http://indianeconomy.org/2005/11/23/incentives-for-good-behaviour" rel="nofollow">http://indianeconomy.org/2005/11/23/incentives-for-good-behaviour</a> Hello,

I had a similar experience but i didnt link it to the availability of an aerobridge.

Foll. is the link of my post and analysis by others in case you’re interested in reading it.

http://indianeconomy.org/2005/11/23/incentives-for-good-behaviour

]]> By: Nyayapati Gautam http://6ampacific.com/2006/03/13/the-competitive-indian/#comment-28 Nyayapati Gautam Fri, 28 Apr 2006 04:52:43 +0000 http://sixampacific.com/?p=11#comment-28 Hi! Basab, I think it is a mistake to call this behaviour competitiveness. I think it is more boorishness. And we certainly do not need more of that in the country. The guy who thinks nothing about trampling over “old women and children” is also the guy who will think nothing about bribing the next government official he meets so that he can get ahead in life – Morality, Ethics and Legality be damned. The problem is that while the present lot of students (I am a visiting faculty at a couple of management schools in Mumbai) knows that in the “growing private sector the only thing that matters is merit” there also seems to be a growing feeling that the end justifies the means. The attitude of quite a few students seems to be: “If I have to trample an old woman so that I can get off the plane first I just have got to do it. The old bitch should have gotten out of my way in any case. Her fault that she did not.” The dent in our Honda Accords is frankly the least of the worries we will have if this tribe mushrooms. Nyayapati Gautam <a href="http://www.theindiastory.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.theindiastory.blogspot.com/</a> Hi! Basab,

I think it is a mistake to call this behaviour competitiveness. I think it is more boorishness. And we certainly do not need more of that in the country.

The guy who thinks nothing about trampling over “old women and children” is also the guy who will think nothing about bribing the next government official he meets so that he can get ahead in life – Morality, Ethics and Legality be damned.

The problem is that while the present lot of students (I am a visiting faculty at a couple of management schools in Mumbai) knows that in the “growing private sector the only thing that matters is merit” there also seems to be a growing feeling that the end justifies the means. The attitude of quite a few students seems to be: “If I have to trample an old woman so that I can get off the plane first I just have got to do it. The old bitch should have gotten out of my way in any case. Her fault that she did not.”

The dent in our Honda Accords is frankly the least of the worries we will have if this tribe mushrooms.

Nyayapati Gautam
http://www.theindiastory.blogspot.com/

]]> By: Indian Blogger http://6ampacific.com/2006/03/13/the-competitive-indian/#comment-27 Indian Blogger Tue, 04 Apr 2006 02:07:21 +0000 http://sixampacific.com/?p=11#comment-27 What time was it..Perhaps, the folks just had a connecting flight to catch.!:) What time was it..Perhaps, the folks just had a connecting flight to catch.!:)

]]> By: Sunder http://6ampacific.com/2006/03/13/the-competitive-indian/#comment-26 Sunder Sun, 19 Mar 2006 16:15:10 +0000 http://sixampacific.com/?p=11#comment-26 The point about hundreds or even thousands entering the rat race from small towns and villages in India is valid - and this is the advantage of population. I would even add the urban uneducated or under-educated lower class to this. But these are then the mostly likely to be less progressive or even regressive in their thinking with the same competitive drive, and thus depending on overall economic and political climate, this population will have a high probability of being competitive for the wrong reasons. This makes it important for the leading edge of the population - the educated middle-class not to lose its competitiveness, or the forces of negative competition can begin to dominate. This competitiveness in India is not new, but the last decade compared to the previous few was a time when the leading edge (the educated middle class) had a adominating influence on the country as a whole. So - the cause for thought, if not worry, is on two fronts - every educated, economically capable Indian kid who does not feel the heat will weaken the leading edge just as much as the lack of penetration of education and progressive competition can drag everyone down. After all - one can be competitive in two ways - move as forward as you can getting ahead of those in front of you - or dragging everyone behind or in line with you. The point about hundreds or even thousands entering the rat race from small towns and villages in India is valid - and this is the advantage of population. I would even add the urban uneducated or under-educated lower class to this. But these are then the mostly likely to be less progressive or even regressive in their thinking with the same competitive drive, and thus depending on overall economic and political climate, this population will have a high probability of being competitive for the wrong reasons.

This makes it important for the leading edge of the population - the educated middle-class not to lose its competitiveness, or the forces of negative competition can begin to dominate. This competitiveness in India is not new, but the last decade compared to the previous few was a time when the leading edge (the educated middle class) had a adominating influence on the country as a whole. So - the cause for thought, if not worry, is on two fronts - every educated, economically capable Indian kid who does not feel the heat will weaken the leading edge just as much as the lack of penetration of education and progressive competition can drag everyone down.

After all - one can be competitive in two ways - move as forward as you can getting ahead of those in front of you - or dragging everyone behind or in line with you.

]]> By: Basab Pradhan http://6ampacific.com/2006/03/13/the-competitive-indian/#comment-25 Basab Pradhan Sun, 19 Mar 2006 11:51:21 +0000 http://sixampacific.com/?p=11#comment-25 Harish, I wouldn't worry about that just yet. For every Indian kid who doesn't feel the heat of competition because his parents are rich, there are a hundred more who are entering the rat race from small towns and villages. Harish, I wouldn’t worry about that just yet. For every Indian kid who doesn’t feel the heat of competition because his parents are rich, there are a hundred more who are entering the rat race from small towns and villages.

]]> By: B V Harish Kumar http://6ampacific.com/2006/03/13/the-competitive-indian/#comment-24 B V Harish Kumar Sat, 18 Mar 2006 03:22:05 +0000 http://sixampacific.com/?p=11#comment-24 This sure seems to be straight out of Freakonomics. This sure seems to be straight out of Freakonomics.

]]> By: Sunder http://6ampacific.com/2006/03/13/the-competitive-indian/#comment-23 Sunder Thu, 16 Mar 2006 23:56:25 +0000 http://sixampacific.com/?p=11#comment-23 Competitiveness in India is something many of us relate to - and I can relate to the situation you describe as I myself plan my seat on an flights in the US based on which airport has an aerobridge that connects at the front of the aircraft (in front of row 1) or middle of the aircraft (around row 10). But the question I often think about is - if this tribe is on the rise? With more middle-class children in India going to "International Schools" and expecting their parents cars (even if it is a Maruti 800) as the basic form of transport - there are fewer people in the educated middle class who are growing up with local trains and buses, competitive exams where one small mistake costs 10 places in the class, and pursue holistic learning which emphasizes learning more than winning. Are we looking at the next generation of Indians being less competitive and more satisfied with what they have - and thus leading to this tribe declining - and to what effect? Competitiveness in India is something many of us relate to - and I can relate to the situation you describe as I myself plan my seat on an flights in the US based on which airport has an aerobridge that connects at the front of the aircraft (in front of row 1) or middle of the aircraft (around row 10).

But the question I often think about is - if this tribe is on the rise? With more middle-class children in India going to “International Schools” and expecting their parents cars (even if it is a Maruti 800) as the basic form of transport - there are fewer people in the educated middle class who are growing up with local trains and buses, competitive exams where one small mistake costs 10 places in the class, and pursue holistic learning which emphasizes learning more than winning. Are we looking at the next generation of Indians being less competitive and more satisfied with what they have - and thus leading to this tribe declining - and to what effect?

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