Greeting

Greeting in Indonesian practice can be characterized as a leisurely, formal and rather lengthy procedure. The accepted form of greeting is a light and long handshake.

In Indonesia, Muslim traditions are very strong, as the vast majority of the population of the country professes this religion. As we know, body-to-body contact between the sexes is not accepted among Muslims, so businesswomen coming from abroad should remember that when greeting their male partners, they are not prepared to initiate a handshake, as it is not customary in their culture.

The same applies to foreign men who greet women in a business meeting. A woman is more likely to simply tilt her head (a sort of slight bow) than to extend her hand in greeting.

Some men in Indonesia put their hand to their chest around their heart to greet them. Business women (both Indonesian women and foreign women) tend to shake hands with each other.

In Indonesian culture, a person's status is important. High status is indicated primarily by one's position, position, or age. If your partners include people in one of these categories, it is important to be particularly respectful of them.

If you are greeting a group of colleagues, start with the most senior in position/rank or age. In addition to shaking hands, it is important to exchange a few formal polite phrases with this person.

In greeting close family members, Indonesians shake hands and kiss (on both cheeks).

Introduction

When addressing your Indonesian partner, be sure to mention their title, professional qualifications, or academic degree (rank), if any.

If you do not know your partner's title/degree, position, or qualifications, or if there are none, use common polite forms of address: Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss, followed by either your last name or first name.

When dealing with your Indonesian partner, it is important to consider their status, showing respect by using appropriate forms of address. Some of these forms are based on historical family/tribal/planned relationships. These forms may vary in different parts of the country.

Many Indonesians (especially those in Java) have only a first name that is also used as a surname in all walks of life, such as Sukarno. Muslims living in Indonesia after a pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca usually add the special title Haji (men) or Hajjah (women) to their name, such as Haji Mohammad Suharto.

Husband and wife often have different last names. Women often take their husband's last name after marriage, but not to officially change it. Sometimes men in Indonesia change their surname to their wife's surname as well.

Indonesian men also sometimes change their surname to their wife's surname.

Exchange of Business Cards

The exchange of business cards is an important ritual in business practices in Indonesia. Business cards have a certain representational function, they are your face, so they are very important.

Your business card should have your name, company name, title, and contact information. That said, if your partner is a government official, an academic, or just an important person, put not only your name, title, and contact information on the card, but also your other titles and qualifications. The latter can be omitted in interactions with young entrepreneurs and/or managers.

The text of the business card can be in English. If you are planning to stay in Indonesia for a long time, it is appropriate to have business cards with text in Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) or Chinese (Mandarin) on one side.

If you are a guest, be the initiator when giving your business card to the host, beginning with the oldest. When handing your business card to your partner (as in fact, when receiving it), hold it with both hands. If this is not possible for some reason, hand the business card with your right hand.

In receiving your business card, hold it with both hands for a moment, carefully look at the text, and then place it on the table in front of you or in your business card holder.

Never write or make any marks on business cards that you receive from your Indonesian counterpart.

Small Talk: Overview

A great importance in Indonesian business culture is attached to the development and maintenance of relationships. This is especially important in contacts with foreign partners. Therefore, pay special attention to small talk with an Indonesian party, because the initial contact and even several subsequent meetings are usually devoted to getting to know the partner better.

Indonesians generally prefer a "soft" style of communication, based on gentle manners, a low voice, and polite speech. It is not customary to interrupt the speaker in conversation.

In conversation, it is best to maintain a neutral and polite tone, preferring streamlined and evasive remarks, and make sure no one is offended, even inadvertently.

In Indonesian culture, silence is an important element of conversation, resulting in a silent pause and indicating the participants' attention and respect for the speaker. It is as if they are contemplating what they have just heard. Don't get impatient if you think the pause is too long.

Particularly negative emotions are not welcome during conversations. Showing anger or anger on your part will make the Indonesian partner feel uncomfortable, and is unlikely to lead to a successful relationship on your part. Be sure to consider their opinions in the process of communication.

Preferred Topics

How you travel.

In general acquaintances and business contacts.

Indonesian culture, economy, art - talking about these topics shows your partner that you are interested in having contact with him.

In discussing historical or political topics (which can also be discussed in small talk), you should avoid strong, unambiguous statements and take rather a neutral and soft stance

Any facts or information about your country.

Taboo Topics

Avoid discussing local political issues, especially those related to ethnic unrest.

A variety of religious issues are sensitive in Indonesian society, especially since a wide variety of religions are represented in this state.

Corruption and human rights should not be discussed in Indonesian society.

Everything related to sexual relations and sex trade in particular can be considered taboo topics.

Personal Space

The distance of comfortable communication in Indonesian society is shorter than in other cultures (e.g., the United States or the United Kingdom). They stand quite close to each other during conversations. This distance is even less if they are friends.

Try not to increase the distance between you and your partner during conversations, for example by taking a step back. Your companion is more likely to feel uncomfortable.

In general, physical contact and any touching, except for a handshake, is discouraged. No emotional expression of affection is allowed in public between opposite sexes, including hugs and kisses (even between spouses).

Indonesians avoid touching the opposite sex in conversations, except with close friends and relatives.

In conversations, people of Indonesian culture are more likely to look away if they are with someone older or of higher social status. Direct eye contact is common between peers and people of equal status, but even then, Indonesians often look away.

Communication Specifics

Indonesian society can be characterized as highly contextual. This means that some information is left unspoken or unspoken, because all necessary information is either derived from the situation itself, or is understood without words by all participants in communication because it is contained in the culture itself.

Sometimes nonverbal signals carry much more information than the actual explicit, verbal part of speech. Foreign partners should seek clarification from their Indonesian counterpart if there is any misunderstanding or ambiguity about what is being said.

This style of communication is based on a longstanding bond of mutual dependence between members of a (typically extended) family or clan, which leads to a shared understanding and appreciation of what is happening.

In Indonesian culture an important concept is "face" and the associated "loss of face" and "saving face". It refers to a person's reputation, outward appearance, and image. Loss of face occurs when a person is criticized, objected to or humiliated in front of others.

For Indonesians, regardless of background, saving one's own face and preventing others from losing face is a very important element of communication. Especially if something unpleasant or negative needs to be said, they will behave very carefully, not calling things by their proper names, trying to stick to the formal side and generally talking "around" the topic rather than about it.

In communicating with Indonesian partners, it is important to pay attention to various verbal and non-verbal signals. Indonesians don't like to say "no" in response to a request, as they always try to be polite and avoid conflict situations. In Indonesian there are many ways to say "no" without saying "no".

Building a business relationship with partners from this Asian country, it is important to always keep in mind the characteristics of their communication (above all, the concept of face). In sensitive situations it is better to return to the topic under discussion under various pretexts and ask the question you are interested in several times, but as if in a different perspective. Questions that require direct "yes" or "no" answers should generally be avoided.