The Case of the Untouchable Water Carrier free essay sample

The caste system was and continues to be a terrible reality for people in Europe and Asia. Even though it is not as prominent now as it was before it was abolished, it still affects many people all around the world. To be born into a status, one that you can never leave or outlive is a great tragedy. How does one come to terms with knowing that a choice was never an option? It doesn’t matter if all the laws changed today, the fact remains that the human race is habitual: people will continue to operate based on what they have done for years. The abolition of slavery and the caste system didn’t mean that people would stop doing it but merely meant that it was no longer legal to do it. In this case, Raman tries to exact change because after all, the caste system was abolished, there are no more titles, and everyone should be allowed to have a job as long as they meet the qualifications. We will write a custom essay sample on The Case of the Untouchable Water Carrier or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He had every right to give Kishore a job, but he didn’t count on the mindset of the people he worked with. To them history was the present, and they were not about to break a habit that was pretty much all they knew to be constant. Relevance to International Business: Raman’s quandary here is one that most companies must deal with when plying their trade in countries outside of their own. MNE’s must comply with the policies of the country that they wish to conduct business or invest in. In the case, Raman’s bank has opened a branch in a location that is developing similar to a company moving its business into a developing country. This is an example of competitive positioning as they are using pre-emptive methods to secure profitability in that area. As such an established bank they should have been more aware of the local responsiveness of the personnel in their new branch. Even though the caste system had been abolished, the locals had not adjusted their mindset because it was already adopted as a habit to them. In a more direct sense, Raman made a decision on behalf of the company based on company policy and therefore there should have been no conflict as staff should follow policies. Unfortunately, the staff led with their beliefs and as a result jeopardized the operations of the bank and should be reprimanded as such. However, as an MNE the bank will be aiming to keep costs down and focus on keeping both customer and employee happy so â€Å"the untouchable water carrier† will most likely be the one to feel the brunt of the reprimand. Conclusion/Managerial Implication: As a manager at that bank Raman should have done more research on how the lifestyle of that particular region operated compared to where he was transferring from. His decision to hire the â€Å"untouchable† was not a wrong decision because, the fact still remains that the caste system was abolished. However, if he had done his research he would have known that the mindset of his staff was not up to par with his beliefs or the current law in regards to the caste system. He is now in a predicament where he will either risk losing clients or renege on a promise that he gave to Kishore by offering him the job in the first place. This is a lesson for other MNE’s as well because as they move into â€Å"unknown† territory they must thoroughly research the area and the people that live there to understand the culture and to aid in an easy diffusion process.