Skip to main content

The Shifting Mindset

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Psycho-Social Analysis of the Indian Mindset

Abstract

Paradoxes allow Indians to behave differently with different persons in the same situation, with the same person in different situations, with the same person in the same situation but at different time points, and to act differently from what they feel, think or promise. Indians switch between paradoxes in order to put themselves in other's position and get readily accepted and appreciated or to serve their own interests and goals. They are able to do so because they tend to sense the other person’s moods and motives, what a place or setting holds for them and when to act or wait for an opportune moment. They take a long-term view of a situation to plan a series of steps that are seemingly inconsistent but help them achieve their individual or collective goals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Mindset is also called mental schema or cognitive network, or mental frame. If a mental frame reflects cultural characteristics, it is also labelled as cultural framework.

  2. 2.

    http://www.abuddhistlibrary.com/Buddhism/Swami%20Vivekananda.

References

  • Benet-MartĂ­nez, V., Leu, J., Lee, F., & Morris, M. (2002). Negotiating biculturalism: Cultural frame switching in biculturals with oppositional versus compatible cultural identities. Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology, 33, 492–516.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bieri, J. (1955). Cognitive complexity-simplicity and predictive behavior. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 51, 263–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, S. (1979). The stability of behaviour: On predicting most of the people much of the time. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 1097–1126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forsyth, D. R. (1980). A taxonomy of ethical ideologies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 39,175–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, W. L., Gabriel, S., & Lee, A. (1999). “I” value freedom, but “we” value relationship: Self-construal priming mirrors cultural differences in judgment. Psychological Science, 10, 321–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, R. K. (1999). The truly familial work-organization: Extending the organizational boundary to include employees’ families in Indian context. In H. R. S. Kao, D. Sinha, & B. Wilpert (Eds.), Management and cultural values (pp. 102–120). New Delhi: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, E. T. (1981). Beyond culture. New York: Doubleday.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hong, Y., Morris, M., Chiu, C., & Bennet-Martinez, V. (2000). Multicultural minds: A dynamic constructivist approach to culture and cognition. American Psychologist, 35, 709–720.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, M. L. (2002). A theoretical and empirical analysis of Chinese and Indian negotiating behavior. Unpublished Master Thesis, Aarhus School of Business, Aarhus, Denmark.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kakar, S. (1982). Shamans, mystics, and doctors. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, R. (2004). Brahmanical idealism, anarchical individualism, and dynamics of Indian negotiating behaviour. International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management, 4, 39–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laing, R. D. (1972). The politics of the family and other essays. New York: Vintage Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Menon, T. (2011, December 21). Cognitive network activation. Hyderabad: Indian School of Business Seminar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nehru, J. (1946/2001). The discovery of India (Paperback). New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rafaeli-Mor, E., Gotlib, I. H., & Revelle, W. (1999). The meaning and measurement of self-complexity. Personality and Individual Differences, 27, 341–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roland, A. (1988). In search of self in India and Japan: Towards a cross-cultural psychology. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roland, A. (2005, November 3–5). Multiple mothering and the familial self. Paper presented during an International Conference on Understanding India, Aarhus School of Business, Aarhus, Denmark.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudolph, S., & Rudolph, L. (1967). The modernity of tradition. Chicago: Chicago University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shah, A. B., & Rao, C. R. M. (1965). Tradition and modernity in India. Manaktala, Bombay: Indian Committee for Cultural Freedom.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shils, E. (1961). The Intellectual between tradition and modernity: The Indian situation. Comparative Studies in Society and History (October 11), 433–450.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singer, M. (1972). When a great tradition modernizes: An anthropological approach to Indian civilization. New York: Prager.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinha, J. B. P. (1980). The nurturant task leader. New Delhi: Concept Publishing House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinha, J. B. P. (2000). Patterns of work culture: Cases and strategies for culture building. New Delhi: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinha, J. B. P. (2004). Multinationals in India: Managing the interface of cultures. New Delhi: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinha, J. B. P., & Kanungo, R .N. (1997). Context sensitivity and balancing in organizational behaviour. International Journal of Psychology, 32, 93–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinha, J. B. P., & Pandey, A. (2007). Indians’ mindsets and the conditions that evoke them. Psychological Studies, 52, 1–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinha, J. B. P., Singh, S., Gupta, P., Srivastava, K. B. L., Sinha, R. B. N., Srivastava, S., et al. (2010). An exploration of the Indian mindset. Psychological Studies, 55, 3–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sinha, J. B. P., & Sinha, D. (1990). Role of social values in Indian organizations. International Journal of Psychology, 25, 705–714.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sinha, J. B. P., Sinha, T. N., Verma, J., & Sinha, R. B. N. (2001). Collectivism coexisting with individualism: An Indian scenario. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 4, 133–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sinha, J. B. P., Vohra, N., Singhal, S., Sinha, R. B. N., & Ushashree, S. (2002). Normative predictions of collectivist-individualist intentions and behaviour of Indians. International Journal of Psychology, 37, 309–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sinha, S. R. (2012). Context sensitivity as a factor of organizational behaviour. Social Engineer, 13, 71–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sparrow, L. M. (2000). Beyond multicultural man: Complexities of identities. International Intercultural Relations, 24, 173–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Srinivas, M. N. (1966). Social change in modern India. Berkley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tendulkar, D. G. (1953). Mahatma: Life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Vol. 7). New Delhi: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

    Google Scholar 

  • Triandis, H. C. (1994). Theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of collectivism-individualism. In U. Kim, H. C. Triandis, C. Kagitcibasi, S. C. Choi, & G. Yoon (Eds.), Individualism and collectivism: Theory, method, and application (pp. 41–51). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trompenaars, F. (1993). Riding the waves of culture: Understanding cultural diversity in business. London: The Economic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Varma, P. (2004). Being Indian: The truth about why the 21st century will be Indians. New Delhi: Viking, Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jai B. P. Sinha .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer India

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Sinha, J.B.P. (2014). The Shifting Mindset. In: Psycho-Social Analysis of the Indian Mindset. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1804-3_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics