Corporate Culture in Pune

"Workplace Culture". What is it and does it really matter? I've often heard this term in conversations when you are talking about Google or Sun Microsystems. Or for that matter what is it that you really miss about your old job and bang comes the answer "the culture".

In my opinion, "workplace culture" is synonymous to the environment, the atmosphere you work in. Which has been created by the people who work there and over the years has been emulated by others who joined the organization. Be it good, be it bad it has all been carried forward. It is the "system". And as kids, we have been taught to adapt to the "system" and not "revolt" against it. "Workplace culture" defines how you treat newcomers into your Project family - you can either be hostile or inclusive and accommodative. It defines how you interact with your peers and superiors, the openness, the freedom to voice your opinions. It defines how much tension is always in the air as you swipe your cards in and enter the corridors of your workplace. It dictates whether you will live in freedom or in fear. It dictates when you come in to work and when you leave and how much time you spend on lunches and coffee breaks. Someone set the rules and they become graved in concrete for the rest of the lifecycle of the project. It percolates from the top management to the lowest orders.

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Now why should it affect one? It does because we are all social animals and not robots. We spend 8 hours or 3/4ths of a day if you are working for one of those top Indian Services Firms at work. And if you are not having fun what you are doing, then you got a problem. "Workplace culture" after all is nothing but "Social Behavior" at workplace.

The reason why I started off with this post was I found "Workplace Culture" in Pune quite different. I leave it to your discretion to judge if it is different good or different bad. I know it is politically incorrect to generalize as huge a thing as Corporate Culture for a place as big as Pune. But having worked in 2 companies and heard a few up, close and personal stories, I think I will do it justice. A few experiences...

a) Day 2 of a job - Manager introduces to two most senior members - persons A and B. While he is doing that, one does not even have the courtesy to look up. Leave alone standing up and shaking hands. What a great first impression!

b) Day 3 - A "hi" is met with a hostile unfriendly stare.

c) All this while, this has just been a dark place. No other introductions have happened except the 2. The others around don't even bother and refuse to acknowledge that there is someone new sitting behind them.

d) Week 2 - Person A refuses to address X by name. A comes and taps on the table - what a gentle way of addressing someone.

e) We don't really care if you are having your lunches alone.

f) "I've just returned from a trip to Germany. So I'm going to flaunt my travel stories by shouting loudly on the phone." How lame!

g) So what if you are from down South. We will all rattle in the local language even if you don't understand.

h) Manager A walks into a meeting and addresses Manager B sitting in the meeting so rudely that makes you think "What have I got into?".

Well, never before in the past 6 years have I heard or experienced of such stories until now. What is surprising is the fact that the same organization has cultures that are poles apart in different locations. Pune definitely needs a cosmo look to make it a choice of the preferred offshoring destination in India. On a closing note, I would also like to say that where there are such people, there have also been some very nice and supportive people.

Categories: Corporate, work, culture, Pune