Indonesian business culture is very different from western style of doing business. When doing business in Indonesia the differences in cultural and business behavior are among the biggest challenges for every businessman.
The following article will give you some useful information when interacting with Indonesian partners and show you some common mistakes westerners often make
Key elements of Indonesian business culture
Relax and don’t be pushy
Time is relative in Indonesia. As in many countries in South East Asia, the recognition of time is based on a cyclic interpretation whereas the western cultures recognize time based on a linear interpretation. In particular, this means that for westerners it is important to have a defined start, a result and work steps to reach the result.
In Indonesia people use the thinking of the “right time” for important issues. Some topics do not need to be finalized on a fixed date or deadline, but at the right time to do it.
Especially for Europeans this makes business quite confusing because some of the factors which influence the right time are not always logical for European thinking. As a foreigner you may lose patience and become pushy to move the deal ahead (e.g. signing a contract).
Indonesians mostly become confused and even frightened by such behavior because it contradicts the local culture. Westerners are well advised to keep calm if things seem not to go ahead. Try to find out the reason and even if they do not seem logical for you try to accept it. Being too pushy may result in losing your Indonesia partner.