On the 20th
of March we travelled to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. I was really
impressed by the differences in business etiquette and communication style between
Indonesia and England. First of all, I want to tell you something more about
the business etiquette.
In
Indonesia, the business attire is very conservative. I thought I was neatly
dressed until Mahyadi Panggabean, the chairman of EOC Enterprises, warned me
that my arms were not covered properly. I knew that I wasn’t allowed to walk
around in a short dress but I didn’t expect the Indonesians to be so strict! Then
there’s also the importance of the business cards. When we arrived, we
immediately had to give our business cards to the receptionist. If you can’t
give them, there could be long delays. In England, this is not required. In
Indonesia, there’s also a habit to show the cards when being introduced to a
business partner. I accepted the business card of one of the representatives of
EOC Enterprises with my left hand, because I’m left-handed. That man looked at me
like I had done something terrible but actually I just had to take it with my
both hands or with my right hand.
Now I want
to go a little bit further on the Indonesian communication style. If you talk
to an Indonesian, you never know what he wants to say. When he says that he
wants to close a deal with you, it doesn’t always mean that he wants to do it.
He might have strong conditions. You really have to read between the lines and
look to people’s gestures and body language to pick up the real message. When
Indonesians say ‘yes’, it doesn’t always mean that they agree with you. It
could also mean ‘no’ or ‘I understand what you’re saying’. That made it
sometimes very hard to communicate. I was also disappointed in the level of
English that some Indonesians had. During our meetings, some people often needed
a translator. According to me, it was quite unprofessional.
As you see,
Indonesia has a lot of different customs. Even though I had some difficulties
with adapting to those differences, I learned a lot. I think I will go back to
this country in my spare time.
Ulrike
Sources:
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/indonesia.html
http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_id.htm
http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Indonesian-Business-Communication-Style.html
I was as surprised as you was, you always have to inform you before visiting a country about the business etiquette and communication style. This could make the difference in doing business, things that we take for granted are not always the same in each culture. If you think you are being polite your interlocutor may interpret the message differently.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenAs you mention, the English level was terrible indeed, in my opinion is the most important language in business world because most of the programs and multinationals are in English. Sometimes it was hard to make myself clear for example in the hotel we stayed they did not always understand us. In the end everything went just fine, local inhabitants really appreciated the effort we made to adapt.
Naomi