Conversely, there are several extremely important areas of interaction between culturally diverse business people that can probably never be standardised. And these are the areas that provide major surprises – and costly pitfalls when doing business with Indonesians.
When doing business and leading in Indonesia you can improve your communication, efficiency and profitability by following these tips:
1. Leaders in Indonesia have a very clear, paternal role. Once someone has gained the status of Bapak (a senior person), a power distance evolves between them and their team. The team is expected to show respect and not question the Bapak and indeed, only ask for help when it’s really necessary.
2. Managers have to be especially skilled and alert. Asal Bapak Senang – making the boss happy – is one of the fundamentals of business and brings its own challenges. Employees want and expect to be loyal to a boss, but will also protect them from bad news by covering up or ignoring potential problems.
3. Business in Indonesia is very much relationship-based, and anybody wanting to work with Indonesians must be prepared to make frequent visits to build respect and trust and to maintain communication after any deal is done.
4. Business is conducted in a harmonious, non-aggressive manner. Communication style is indirect. Westerners have to learn not to raise their voices, get excited or enter into an argument with anybody, even a fellow expat, if Indonesians are present.
5. Indonesians relate better to the past and the present than they do to the future, so base business proposals and team motivation on what’s happened before, rather than what may occur in the future.
6. Indonesians freely admit that they operate on jam karet, or rubber time, which can make life frustrating for many managers. Their perception of time is completely different. Indonesians operate in the present – building relationships – and in the past – loyalty, long-standing kinship and what’s safe.
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