I think you've missed a whole point here, unless I'm missing something. This guy Ayyadurai just did his job. He published a report and was axed, because as most of us know India IS very corrupt. Did you read the Nature India Article http://www.vashiva.com/shiva-ayyadurai-nmarticle….? It's pretty awful — and I read it after following a link from http://freedomforscience.blogspot.com, started by Indian scientist, and article written by Ogletree.

This has nothing to do with NRI's, this is about unabased corruption of Mr. Brahmachari. At UC Berkeley, I found out in talking to an old Prof. Emeritus, that Brahmachari use to routinely steal an plagairize others work. I think we all need to do our research on Brahmachari.

Jason

Thanks for posting.

This example appears to be a textbook case of expat culture shock, and is an extremely common tale among expatriate corporate staff sent to India. As you will be aware, in Dr Ayyadurai's case it is probably more appropriately termed "reverse culture shock" as it involves returning from the host nation to the home.

In my experience as a recruitment manager, working with students travelling in both directions and personally as an expatriate who lived in Asia for many years, reverse culture shock is more personally destructive as it is often unexpected. You think that because you are "going home" it will somehow be easier to reassimilate. Often times, it is not. Study abroad students experience it all the time – finding the return home as difficult to come to terms with as the initial foray into the new world. In Dr Ayyadurai's case, he may have mistakenly assumed that he experienced culture shock travelling from India to the US as a child, but didn't give it a thought on his return. Even if he had been aware of culture shock, he may not have identified the symptoms on his return to India, and therefore attributed his frustrations to the workplace around him. This is a recipe for disaster.

Whether culture shock or reverse culture shock, it is something that Dr Ayyadurai could easily have been prepared for, if he had had some cross cultural awareness training that highlighted reverse-culture-shock before returning to India. Either he did not have this preparation, or he felt that "as an Indian" he was returning to a culture he mistakenly thought he was still familiar with.

Many Indians who have lived abroad for a singificant amount of time feel drawn back to India – particularly if their parents remain in India and are aging. India is (apparently) booming economically and (theoretically) flush with opportunity, however returning home to a lesser-developed country for an expat who has lived for a long time out of the country calls for significant planning. The country doesn't have to be India, it just has to be less developed and less controlled than the one the expat has become familiar with.

Urban India is one of the most challenging environments to work in at a corporate level. Frustration at inefficiencies and lack of response are very common causes of culture shock agitation which unchecked will continue to fester. After years of orderly life in the USA, most expats moving to, or returning to India are going to be frustrated and inevitably overwhelmed with the complete lack of privacy, personal space, urban filth, and shambolic chaos.

As with all things Indian, everything tends toward extremes. For everything that progresses rapidly, something else hasn't changed for eternities. Indian corporations are populated with fast, energetic, headstrong staff, yet are mired in teeth-grindingly slow and conservative bureacracy. Cutting edge technological innovations are developed in India on a daily basis and yet the country groans and wheezes with a grossly inadequate and overwhelmed infrastructure. In Mumbai it is impossible to fit in more than two meetings in a day if they are in opposite sides of the city. Traffic (indeed the roads themselves) are so chaotic and teeming that sometimes "car-ma" (if you will excuse the crude pun) seems to be the only rule of the road. As you mentioned, heirachy and face are extremely important. You cannot fight the system in India. It has been the system for too long, and is far too huge. If you do try to fight against it, you will invariably lose. Mahatma Ghandi put it succinctly into context when he advised followers to progress with purpose but be aware that "whatever you do will be insignificant…." New arrivals and returners MUST learn to go with the flow.

The article did not say whether Dr Ayyadurai had ever been back to India after leaving as a child, but frankly, I am not surprised at the response he received when he rebelled against the system, and effectively turned whistle-blower for little more reason than the fact he felt undervalued. Not only did he reject the established channels (irrespective of their inefficiency), but he also publicly humiliated his senior managers and administrators and potentially exposed the company in a negative light. He could not possibly have been naive enough to think that he would have any employment protection in India. Ironically, he would probably be met with the same response in any major international corporation – whether it be in India, New Zealand, or the USA. Writing to the Prime Minister with his complaints is nothing short of ludicrious. Something tells me that he wouldn't have gotten a response from the Prime Minister's office either.

Missy, it is great to see the service that you are offering to students and organisations who need knowledgeable guidance in such subjects before venturing abroad themselves, Keep up the great work.

Warm regards

Brett Muir