Overview

How do you impress your Indonesian counterpart in your first meeting?

How do you plant your seeds for future business in Indonesia?

What will assure you that a negotiated deal is a done deal?

In the late 1990's, Indonesia experienced both economic and political turmoil as the Ruphia, its currency, devaluated and its leadership went under the most dramatic change in close to 40 years. World leaders waited to see whether Indonesia would survive these immense changes. In this country with the fourth largest population in the world, however, business is now returning to a state of normalcy. This is due to basic Indonesian values: respect for elders and seniority, and maintaining harmony and relationships among Indonesia's diverse cultures. This is something that the prospective business partner, expatriate manager, or future employee of an Indonesian firm should keep in mind.

In this chapter, we will cover the many values of Indonesian business cultures and provide you with the knowledge you need to interact successfully with your Indonesian partners and potential clients. It will also cover the many essences of doing business with Indonesians, thereby helping you to improve your skills in negotiating with and managing Indonesians.

The chapter begins by testing your current skills in dealing with Indonesians. It will then present the inherent cultural values of Indonesians and show how these compare to those other cultures in the book. Several of my firsthand experiences and those of other people dealing with Indonesian business communities will be presented. Specific...