Who's King in India (and why this is important)?

Do you know whoâs the King of India? Youâre thinking, India is a democratic country and doesnât have a King. Wrong. Think again. The King of India is Ran"King" â ranking!! This started off as a light banter with my daughter but then I realized the importance of ranking in the societal culture. The whole discussion was triggered by an observation my daughter made, about a certain pattern of questions asked by Indians in an introductory conversation.

Those of you who have interacted with people from the sub-continent will have noticed these patterns. In general, the questions tend to hinge around your job, your company, your professional life â¦ In particular, theyâre about your pecking order in the organization and of course, the exact title of your designation.

Well, nothing wrong with these questions. They seem pretty innocent, though they sometimes border on annoying. However, they are not random. They are based on a well-structured pattern of seeking information. Once the information is obtained and assimilated, it goes through a rigorous analysis that results in a decisive outcome: whether the person being questioned is junior in rank, or whether you are junior. Based on this, respect is showered or expected. This is an extremely important decision-making element in communications and engagements, and lack of a definitive answer is an obstacle for achieving success.

As I mentioned in one of my previous articles, " Elder Brother Syndrome ", society in India is structured around hierarchy and is society-centric, whereas in the West it tends to be individualistic, and based on self-esteem.

In the society-centric structures, hierarchy plays a huge role. Everybody has his or her own place in the hierarchy and respect is all-important. But the word "respect" assumes a different dimension.

Respect opens doors for you. It means one can give an order and it will be executed without questions asked. Respect means absolute submission from your juniors. Respect is another avatar of power. In hierarchical structures, a measure of allegiance is based on the respect you confer on your seniors, and that conferred on you, by your juniors. People above you have to be respected and people below you have to respect you. The word "respect" therefore is more about arrogance, power, and self-benefit than its more benign definition implies. One is conferred respect according to oneâs position in the hierarchy, rather than oneâs achievements.

Of course, the roots go back to ancient traditions of the patriarchal/matriarchal system of society. Typically, village elders had the most wisdom, acquired from years of experience and accordingly they earned their respect. Experience was more about the length of time rather than how well your time was leveraged. Due to the strong need to adhere to structure, age construed as wisdom forms the basis of a ranking hierarchical structure and respect is the currency that ensures adherence. Society structures were relatively simple, then, with grandparents at the top, parents in the middle, and children at the bottom. Everybody was given a rank based on his or her generation, and within a generation, based on age; respect followed accordingly.

However, this ancient practice was adapted (some say, corrupted) over a period of time.

The first adaptation happened as a result of the fact that children were still being born in the earlier generation, when the next generation started giving birth. In other words, it was quite likely that you had an uncle or aunt who was born after you were born. As per traditional society norms, a person from an earlier generation ranked higher because they belonged to your parentâs generation. Accordingly, you had to show marked respect to your younger uncle or aunt.

The second adaptation happened when a practice evolved that ensured your allegiance to the system. Any disagreements or disobedience to the structure was met with severe punishment â by being whether from society, banished from the community, or in extreme cases, by death. The evolution of this practice ensured various manifestations stemming from the same underlying principles: Elders always know better. Elders always have to respected. Society is second in importance only after God, and therefore norms in society shall never be violated. Respect is handed down as a benefit of a hierarchy, rather than a meritocracy.

The third adaptation happened when urban societies sprouted across the board, and you were exposed to people who were neither your relative nor from the same village. However, people with similar ideas (customs, caste, etc.) decided to expand the definitions of the society to incorporate these changes. People, who appeared to be older than you by age, were given respect and the same applied to younger people, towards you. I still remember an episode way back, when I worked for a Western company and we had hired an Indian company as contractors for our process. An employee from the contracting company invited me and one of my European colleagues to a party at his place. My European colleague was, in position, slightly junior to me but about 10 years older, with lots of grey hair. I was a lot closer in age to the contractor. When I entered his house, it was a normal greeting, with some people remaining seated while some got up to shake hands. However, when my colleague came in, almost in unison, everybody got up and wished him well. He was being showered with all marks of showing respect.

The fourth adaptation happened when new organizations started forming rapidly. Within organizations, a new set of hierarchy was created â a mix of experience and merit. Not surprisingly, communal society norms were imported and adapted into organizational practice. Again, people with higher ranks are respected, and vice-versa.

The fifth adaptation happened when organizational ranks were married with power. This bastardization of the original concept had greater ramifications than any of the others. Let me give you an example: Letâs say you are a seller, and a senior vice president of a company. You are selling services to a buyer and you have to interact with a middle-level manager from the buyer organization. But since he is buying from you, he has more power than you. Which means respect is conferred to him â due to his buying "position"!

As a result of all these adapted practices, in societies like Indiaâs, "rank" has outranked any other organizational behavior topic. As organizations are steeped in hierarchy and practices, itâs very important that one acknowledges and understands why certain norms and habits exist when working with Indian professionals. Itâs still why the preliminary inquisitions tend to follow a certain pattern.

When they ask you questions, they are trying to determine whether they have to give you respect or whether they will receive respect. Respect is no longer a verb but a noun, that comes with your territory. Itâs not earned but conferred, like a title.

Iâve generalized a bit, of course, but my intent is not to trivialize these elements, but highlight their rightful importance. In todayâs global world, understanding the other culture may be a decisive factor, one that makes you stand out from the rest of the crowd.