Last updated on January 2, 2019
Corporate and public organisations now operate on a global scale. Whether dealing with an overseas client, colleague or supplier, or exploring a new business partnership. Interaction with people from different cultures is now an everyday occurrence. The question is, are organisations preparing their people to deal with the challenges of working and doing business internationally?
Few countries might have similar business system, law and regulations. But how do you deal with the cultural gap when you are dealing with people with different culture? What works in your country might not work in other country. In Australia you don’t need to be friends to do business. In Indonesia you need to be friends before you even talk about business. It’s all about relationship and trust where first impression is very important.
If you are going global you need cultural intelligence. It is through language you gain your cultural understanding. Because language is developed through history, tradition, and customs. Every word reflects what its speaker think and act.
You can easily translate the word ‘book’; ‘chair’; ‘table’ just by looking them up in the dictionary and use the words straight away. Indonesians will understand and nobody will get offended even if your pronunciation is slightly off. But, if you constantly pronounce their Indonesian names incorrectly, you could be seen as disrespectful or not to be taken seriously in building relationship. In Indonesia names are considered sacred and must be treated with respect.
Indonesians are ultra-sensitive to differences in rank, age, gender, social status and formality. There are more than 20 YOUs for different rank, age, gender, social status and formality. So, if you translate the word “you” from the dictionary, pick the wrong translation and use it in the wrong context, you can easily cause offence. Indonesian language is about politeness, respect, body language, and emotion control.
If you are thinking about doing business in Indonesia, I think you are making the right decision. As the fourth-largest population on earth, Indonesia is a giant of an economy. With its huge population – 240 million, where 30 – 50 million are middle class population – and its low labour costs, Indonesia is an attractive market for trade and investments. According to the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Foreign direct investment in Indonesia grew 20% last year (2011). Singapore, was the top foreign investor, followed by Japan and the United States, and then the Netherlands and South Korea.
You don’t need to speak Indonesian language fluently before you can do business in Indonesia. Of course the more you know the better. What is more important is how to show respect and good intention towards building a relationship even if it’s only through few words. This is about using the language as a business tool. Cultural awareness and language should be part of global business strategy. How you empower your brand and corporate image through culture will determine your position in the international market.
I strongly believe in the power of words. If you know how to choose the right words for the right people and for the right situation, that is power. When the US President, Barack Obama, visited Indonesia for the first time, every body in Indonesia was anxious. Would he speak Indonesia? Does he still think Indonesia as part of his life. When he address the Indonesian public with “Apa kabar?” in the beginning and end it with “Terima kasih”, the whole of Indonesia fall in love with him. The Indonesian media went berserk. A movie about him was produced, a book about him was written, a group of young people made a statue of him. Obama made the whole nation feel close to him, close to America. Does he speak Indonesian? I’m not sure, probably those four words are the only Indonesian words he remembers from his childhood in Indonesia. However, that was the most powerful four words that brought the relationship between the US and Indonesia closer.