Prof Raghunathan's blog post is below,
Prof Subhash Bhatnagar's post is here http://www.subhashbhatnagar.org/2011/05/vip-syndrome-peculiarity-of-developing.html
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Raghu <v.raghunathan@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 3:05 PM
Subject: Hi!
To: "Prof. S.C. Bhatnagar" <subhash@iimahd.ernet.in>
Cc: Anirban Mukerji <anirmukerji@gmail.com>
The association between corruption and power distance is not imaginary. Ratings of power distance index and corruption index of countries show a high correlation (Corruption Conundrum, Penguin, 2010). Typically, the countries that have high power distance are also more corrupt and vice versa. So we do need to fight against the power distance index.
The other face of power distance index is our blatant, in your face, 'VIP' culture. As a people, we do not seem to be sufficiently embarrassed that in a so-called democracy, we regularly accept and expect two distinct treatments meted out to two sets of people - the 'VIPs' and the lesser mortals.
Take a look at an average airport - there will be 'VIP' security treatment (translating to there being no security check); 'VIP' lounges; 'VIP' emigration, 'VIP' immigration, 'VIP' parking, and what have you. Go to a police station and your FIR will not be filed if your complaint is against a 'VIP'; or if you are not a 'VIP'. None of the queues that one sees in day-to-day life either in front of the passport office, RTO office, land registration office or any other system where a queue is required for ordinary mortals, apply to VIPs.
VIPs will wait less for receiving justice. VIPs will spend less time behind the slammer for the same crime. We will wait hours and hours for an inordinately late 'VIP' for a function. Even a private marriage reception has a 'VIP' by-passing the queue. A 'VIP' may obstruct road traffic. A 'VIP' may order a pilot about, jeopardising the lives of other passengers. A 'VIP' may jump red lights (this is about the only area where the lesser mortals are more or less at par with the 'VIPs'). A VIP, even a millionaire, gets free security from the state. A 'VIP' almost never has to pay for public events like cricket matches, or other major eventsa¦ One could go on.
Perhaps 'VIPs' do get treated differently in every society; but nowhere is the 'VIP' culture as blatant as in ours. The practice is usually a lot more subtle. Nowhere in the civilised world does a country make its own people appear second-class citizens before fellow human beings. Whatever happened to constitutional equality? Nowhere in the civilised society does one see signages saying 'for VIPs'. It should be possible to rein in the 'VIP' culture in the society in order to reduce the power distance index. If the 'VIPs' find a system inconvenient, they are in the best position to change it, rather than expecting the masses to follow it, and granting themselves immunity.
Clearly then, unless each one of us stops accepting and expecting power-distance gap, and starts bridging this gap; unless each of one of us starts believing that there cannot be a first-class treatment for some and a third-class treatment for others, Lokpal Bill alone will achieve very little.
From: Raghu <v.raghunathan@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 3:05 PM
Subject: Hi!
To: "Prof. S.C. Bhatnagar" <subhash@iimahd.ernet.in>
Cc: Anirban Mukerji <anirmukerji@gmail.com>
Dear Subhash,
I had been meaning to wreite to you to say how I have enjoyed reading some of your posts on your blog, but couldn't get down to doing it as I have been travelling like crtzy last month! I thought I simply must write to you now when an an alumnus Anirban Mukerjee sent me your May 10 post " The VIP Syndrome..." in connection with my article in ET last Saturday (given below) saying how the two of us ahve echoed similar thought!. Our views couldn't have been more identical!! As a matter of fact, yours is much better written! :))
Cheers.
Raghu
The Economic Times: 25 JUN, 2011, 05.38AM IST, V RAGHUNATHAN,ET BUREAU
Power distance index and corruption
Unseemly squabbling between the civil society and the government apart, corruption is not going to be fixed any time soon. No bill, irrespective of whose draft it is, is going to fix corruption unless we first begin to address other related issues among ourselves, as a people.
Not obvious, but related to corruption are two issues: power distance index and its corollary, the 'VIP' culture that permeates all aspects of our lives. Unless we challenge these two parameters which are innate to our culture, nothing much may change fundamentally. What is power distance index?
Power distance index (credited to G H Hofstede) measures the extent to which the less powerful members of the society accept or expect power to be distributed unequally. Higher the acceptance and the expectation of power inequality, higher the power-distance. Typically, though not exclusively, the developed nations have lower power distance indices.
That is why the janitor in a New York skyscraper may think nothing of hailing the CEO on the top floor corner office as 'Hey, Bill!' or the security guard may frisk even a vice president of the country on an airport's security gate. In contrast, feudalistic countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Korea, India, Pakistan, several African countries, and many of the South American countries probably represent high power distance, since these countries are either more autocratic, feudalistic or paternalistic.
The idea of power distance may be assessed from the fact that in rural India in general, anybody in any uniform is easily accepted as one with great authority. In certain districts of Bihar, AP and UP, for example, it is not unusual to see a rural cyclist dismount and stand aside on the road as a jeep passes by, since a jeep to him represents a government official and hence power. Even in our cities for that matter, anybody attired in white khadi commands instant obedience in government offices and such.
Such is the power distance equation in our country that virtually anyone donning whites, accompanied with two grey safari clad men, can jump any queue in the land. High power distance index is why a white Ambassador car full of terrorists with a red light on top could zoom through the Parliament's security. It is also why domestic staff is routinely referred to as servants (derived from serfs or slaves) and continue to be treated shabbily (and our diplomats regularly get sued abroad for mistreating their staff). It is also why those in power never get accustomed to being questioned, because we accept and expect that they will not like to be questioned. That is why the cops way down in the power-distance may not dare question a top corporate or political honcho (unless the Supreme Court steps in, of course).
Not obvious, but related to corruption are two issues: power distance index and its corollary, the 'VIP' culture that permeates all aspects of our lives. Unless we challenge these two parameters which are innate to our culture, nothing much may change fundamentally. What is power distance index?
Power distance index (credited to G H Hofstede) measures the extent to which the less powerful members of the society accept or expect power to be distributed unequally. Higher the acceptance and the expectation of power inequality, higher the power-distance. Typically, though not exclusively, the developed nations have lower power distance indices.
That is why the janitor in a New York skyscraper may think nothing of hailing the CEO on the top floor corner office as 'Hey, Bill!' or the security guard may frisk even a vice president of the country on an airport's security gate. In contrast, feudalistic countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Korea, India, Pakistan, several African countries, and many of the South American countries probably represent high power distance, since these countries are either more autocratic, feudalistic or paternalistic.
The idea of power distance may be assessed from the fact that in rural India in general, anybody in any uniform is easily accepted as one with great authority. In certain districts of Bihar, AP and UP, for example, it is not unusual to see a rural cyclist dismount and stand aside on the road as a jeep passes by, since a jeep to him represents a government official and hence power. Even in our cities for that matter, anybody attired in white khadi commands instant obedience in government offices and such.
Such is the power distance equation in our country that virtually anyone donning whites, accompanied with two grey safari clad men, can jump any queue in the land. High power distance index is why a white Ambassador car full of terrorists with a red light on top could zoom through the Parliament's security. It is also why domestic staff is routinely referred to as servants (derived from serfs or slaves) and continue to be treated shabbily (and our diplomats regularly get sued abroad for mistreating their staff). It is also why those in power never get accustomed to being questioned, because we accept and expect that they will not like to be questioned. That is why the cops way down in the power-distance may not dare question a top corporate or political honcho (unless the Supreme Court steps in, of course).
The association between corruption and power distance is not imaginary. Ratings of power distance index and corruption index of countries show a high correlation (Corruption Conundrum, Penguin, 2010). Typically, the countries that have high power distance are also more corrupt and vice versa. So we do need to fight against the power distance index.
The other face of power distance index is our blatant, in your face, 'VIP' culture. As a people, we do not seem to be sufficiently embarrassed that in a so-called democracy, we regularly accept and expect two distinct treatments meted out to two sets of people - the 'VIPs' and the lesser mortals.
Take a look at an average airport - there will be 'VIP' security treatment (translating to there being no security check); 'VIP' lounges; 'VIP' emigration, 'VIP' immigration, 'VIP' parking, and what have you. Go to a police station and your FIR will not be filed if your complaint is against a 'VIP'; or if you are not a 'VIP'. None of the queues that one sees in day-to-day life either in front of the passport office, RTO office, land registration office or any other system where a queue is required for ordinary mortals, apply to VIPs.
VIPs will wait less for receiving justice. VIPs will spend less time behind the slammer for the same crime. We will wait hours and hours for an inordinately late 'VIP' for a function. Even a private marriage reception has a 'VIP' by-passing the queue. A 'VIP' may obstruct road traffic. A 'VIP' may order a pilot about, jeopardising the lives of other passengers. A 'VIP' may jump red lights (this is about the only area where the lesser mortals are more or less at par with the 'VIPs'). A VIP, even a millionaire, gets free security from the state. A 'VIP' almost never has to pay for public events like cricket matches, or other major eventsa¦ One could go on.
Perhaps 'VIPs' do get treated differently in every society; but nowhere is the 'VIP' culture as blatant as in ours. The practice is usually a lot more subtle. Nowhere in the civilised world does a country make its own people appear second-class citizens before fellow human beings. Whatever happened to constitutional equality? Nowhere in the civilised society does one see signages saying 'for VIPs'. It should be possible to rein in the 'VIP' culture in the society in order to reduce the power distance index. If the 'VIPs' find a system inconvenient, they are in the best position to change it, rather than expecting the masses to follow it, and granting themselves immunity.
Clearly then, unless each one of us stops accepting and expecting power-distance gap, and starts bridging this gap; unless each of one of us starts believing that there cannot be a first-class treatment for some and a third-class treatment for others, Lokpal Bill alone will achieve very little.
--
Anirban Mukerji
Senior Consultant NeGD DIT
New Delhi
+91 8800915588 .
anirmukerji@gmail.com
anirmukerji@gmail.com
For latest information on the e-District Project please visit http://mit.gov.in/content/e-district
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