The Hindu Business Line : For the global Indian, work is indeed worship

Chennai, June 27 You cannot miss them. They are the new face of successful, skilled, sort after and wealthy India. We are talking of the generation of young achievers that jet set across the world to achieve the work of global corporations.

So, it was inevitable that marketers saw in them an influential, new segment. JWT, seems to be the first off the block, coming out with a study titled ‘The Power and the Glory,’ that helps one understand better this animal, that the agency refers to as the global Indian.

The study reveals how the global Indian views his or her career, the success and affluence it brings, and the social position it places him or her in. It tries to uncover the forces that drive the global Indian.

Not surprisingly, the study finds that work is indeed worship at the altar of fame and money for the global Indian.

Manipura or the drive for power, vishuddha or the voice of creative expression –— in search of truth and higher creativity — and ajana or the desire for transcendence or active in telligence are the forces that drive the global Indian.

The study has been carried out using Brand Chakras, a strategic planning tool based on the 2,000-year-old chakra system as laid out by Patanjali, According to JWT, the original chakra system of studying human behaviour has never been used in brand planning and was an initiative of Strategic Planning at JWT India.

Says Ms Mythili Chandrasekar, Senior Vice-President – Corporate Initiatives, JWT, and originator of Brand Chakras, the spirit of the global Indian today drives Indian optimism and confidence, and more people are holding jobs that involve interacting with the world. “We wanted to study the effect of all this exposure, travel, etc, on people’s attitudes and priorities in life,” she says.

The report finds that career is at the heart of the global Indian’s life, affording him an avenue for creativity and innovation, besides vesting him with independence.

Further, the new generation of employees seek ‘globalness’ and feel it is important to work for an international company, which is also seen as a means of boosting the country’s economy.

Success governs relationships

Success at work also governs relationships. Family respect is seen to depend on career success. As such, it is for the wife to actively help and support the husband’s search for glory. Further, the wife is seen as coming second to career. Relationships with friends and networks are important because they could come in handy at a future point of time.

Money is seen as a natural consequence of success at work and leads to a better lifestyle. Wealth also helps one climb the social ladder, which is viewed as an important part of work life.