Doing a Business in Indonesia
Abstract
This paper explores the ways on how U.S. organization should communicate with the Indonesians and what they should look into before approaching a foreign business. There are a few important factors discussed in this paper and they are the cultures, ethnicity, language, business etiquettes such as clothing, gestures, age, and date format. These factors should be looked at closely in order to have a successful business in Indonesia.
To start a business in a foreign country, it is crucial to understand the culture, social, customs and language of the country to be successful. Understanding the cultures help us predict how a person is going to act, negotiate, speak and make decisions (Morrison & Conoway, 2006). The cultures are different between the United States and Indonesia. What may be acceptable in U.S may not be acceptable in Indonesia; in other words they have different perceptions, a slight mistake can cause the potential business project to backfire. Javanese culture should be looked at when we are making a reference to Indonesia because Javanese population comprise approximately 45 per cent of the Indonesian population and in addition, the attitudes and worldview penetrates the Indonesian bureaucracy, military and government (Dean, 2000). There are a few objectives that should be considered, such as the language used, hand gestures, clothing, and more.
First of all, English is widely spoken in Indonesia especially in Jakarta, amongst the business people and youngsters. The primary language in Indonesia is Bahasa Indonesia so interpretation might be needed in countries outside Jakarta where English language is not commonly used (UKTI, 2010). “Terima Kasih” meaning “Thank You” in Bahasa should be said after the meeting or when necessary, to call a man, one should refer them as “Bapak”; and “Ibu” to a woman because it shows respect for the culture as well as building the relationship with one another.
There are different ethnicity in
This paper explores the ways on how U.S. organization should communicate with the Indonesians and what they should look into before approaching a foreign business. There are a few important factors discussed in this paper and they are the cultures, ethnicity, language, business etiquettes such as clothing, gestures, age, and date format. These factors should be looked at closely in order to have a successful business in Indonesia.
To start a business in a foreign country, it is crucial to understand the culture, social, customs and language of the country to be successful. Understanding the cultures help us predict how a person is going to act, negotiate, speak and make decisions (Morrison & Conoway, 2006). The cultures are different between the United States and Indonesia. What may be acceptable in U.S may not be acceptable in Indonesia; in other words they have different perceptions, a slight mistake can cause the potential business project to backfire. Javanese culture should be looked at when we are making a reference to Indonesia because Javanese population comprise approximately 45 per cent of the Indonesian population and in addition, the attitudes and worldview penetrates the Indonesian bureaucracy, military and government (Dean, 2000). There are a few objectives that should be considered, such as the language used, hand gestures, clothing, and more.
First of all, English is widely spoken in Indonesia especially in Jakarta, amongst the business people and youngsters. The primary language in Indonesia is Bahasa Indonesia so interpretation might be needed in countries outside Jakarta where English language is not commonly used (UKTI, 2010). “Terima Kasih” meaning “Thank You” in Bahasa should be said after the meeting or when necessary, to call a man, one should refer them as “Bapak”; and “Ibu” to a woman because it shows respect for the culture as well as building the relationship with one another.
There are different ethnicity in
References: Morrison, T., & Conoway, W. A. (2006). Kiss, bow, or shake hands: The bestselling guide to doing business in more than 60 countries. (2nd ed., p. 242-245). Massachusetts: Adams Media. UKTI Team. (2010). Doing business in Indonesia. UK Trade & Investment, Retrieved from http://www.ukti.gov.uk/export/countries/asiapacific/southeastasia/indonesia/doingbusiness.html About Indonesia and Bahasa Indonesia. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.languagestudiesindonesia.com/ Dean, G. (2000). Doing business in Indonesia. Retrieved from http://okusi.net/garydean/works/Doing Business in Indonesia.pdf Varner, I., & Beamer, L. (2010). Intercultural communication in the global workplace. (5th ed.). New York, New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Moran, R. T., Harris, P. R., & Moran, S. V. (2007). Managing cultural differences, global leadership strategies for the 21st century. (7th ed., p. 401). Butterworth-Heinemann.