02 Jul Finnish Professionals Raising Indo-Pak Business Culture Awareness at Viexpo
Viexpo successfully executed a business event at 19th of June in Vaasa. The basic theme of the event was to provide the insights and understanding of the Indian and Pakistani business culture. The participants of the event were professionals from different companies operating in Finland including few Indian managers from different organizations.
The presenter, Mr. Iqbal, is a Pakistani born internee at Viexpo with an international business degree from the University of Vaasa. He was born in Pakistan and has worked in multinational firms which provided him with broader understanding of different business cultures and values.
Mr. Iqbal discussed e.g. how traditional European or Finnish culture is different than Indo-Pak culture and what the current opportunities and trends are in the Indian and Pakistani business area that Finnish companies can benefit from. He pointed out that it is of vital importance to properly understanding a certain business culture and its needs in order to successfully conduct business there.
Some potential business areas for Finnish companies, discussed during the presentation, are renewable energy, waste and water management, waste to energy, healthcare solutions and smart technology etc.
Mr. Iqbal also explained how to address the potential customers, what the Do’s and Don’ts of Indo-Pak business societies are, and what the strategies and arrangements to successfully execute a business deal are in the Indian and Pakistani culture.
For instance, when a person says you that, “I am not very interested in the deal, thanks”, that does not necessarily mean an end to a deal in India and Pakistan. You are still expected to figure out if the intention is to make you come up with better offers or if the person is actually quitting. Moreover, people avoid saying a direct “NO” even if the answer is in negative. One other example of cultural difference is that bosses are hardly called by their names but with designation and with sir/madam or other such honorary words. These are some glimpses from the detailed contents of the presentation.
The discussion between Finnish and Indo-Pak professionals provided sources of rich information, clarification and business directions to the participants. Viexpo expects to see the practical implications and results of the event discussions in near future. Moreover, we are determined to continue our tradition of holding such productive events in the future as well.
By Arshed Iqbal, MA International Business