Indonesia Culture Tips
When traveling to the worlds largest Muslim country, in terms of population, the following tips will come in handy:
* The national motto, “Unity in Diversity,” speaks to the 300 ethnic groups that live there. Approximately 90% of the population is Muslim, but religious freedom is guaranteed by the constitution.
* The Indonesian concept of “face” means keeping someone from feeling shame (called “malu”). It is an integral part of the way people interact.
* Bahasa Indonesian, the national language, has 12 ways of saying “No” and several other ways of saying “Yes” when the actual meaning is “No.” Thus, the culture is considered very indirect.
* Decisions are made through discussion and consensus, with a great deal of emphasis placed on maintaining group harmony.
* The Indonesian nation thinks of itself as one family, with the president referred to as bapak (father). Indonesians see themselves as members of a group first and as individuals second.
* Many Muslims do not have surnames. Instead, men add the father’s name to their own name with the connector “bin”. So Noor bin Isa, would be Noor, the son of Isa. Women use the connector “binti”, so Zarina binti Isa would be Zarina the daughter of Isa.
* As a hierarchical society, managers may take a somewhat paternalistic attitude to their employees.
- taken from RW3′s CultureWizard™
