| Taboo for one culture may be considered not | | | | info concerning recent HR issues in Indonesia or |
| taboo in other culture. Something acceptable in | | | | you can ask Human Resource services promoted |
| your culture may be considered taboo for | | | | at this website.Be patient with tardiness and |
| Indonesians. To understand what is taboo or not | | | | imprecision |
| taboo for Indonesians, you shall read "Do's and | | | | Indonesians usually call the tardiness as "Rubber |
| Don'ts" below.Do | | | | time ( Jam Karet)". It is common in Indonesia to |
| Introduce yourself with handshaking and smile | | | | be unpunctual in meeting, dating and in starting an |
| Indonesians are a polite people and very tolerant | | | | event. However, try be punctual. If you are late, |
| towards foreigners and their manners. | | | | in the future they will be later than you. Don't be |
| Handshaking (salaman) is customary for men and | | | | late for meetings (even if they never start on |
| women alike on introduction and greeting, | | | | time). Punctuality and technical precission requires |
| accompanied with the usual smile. Indonesians like | | | | a lengthy learning process.Be low profile |
| to establish relationships. The greeting process is | | | | If you disagree with your business partner/ |
| very important. Well begun is half done. Always | | | | friends/ employees try to say it in a manner that |
| shake hands with your business partner. Be | | | | it will give the impression of non-confrontational. |
| humble in your negotiations and give your | | | | Be modest in your negotiations/ discussions and |
| business partner the highest respect.Greet and | | | | give them the highest respect. Bowing with smile |
| smile at everybody notwithstanding their level | | | | is also gesture of salutation. This low profile |
| position. | | | | attitude shows that you are respectful |
| Smile indicates friendliness. Arrogant people will | | | | person.Learn Indonesian Language |
| not reply their smile/ greeting with smile. They will | | | | Language is a mean of communication. It is |
| think people, who do not reply their smile, are not | | | | essential to convey the meaning. Not all |
| easy to talk with. Smiling at them can make them | | | | Indonesians acquire International Language, such |
| comfortable.Win the informal leader's heart | | | | as English. By communicating in Bahasa Indonesia |
| In the company, there are formal leader such as | | | | (Indonesian Language), communication with |
| managers and supervisors. However, among the | | | | Indonesians will be held understandably. If you |
| staff or operators, there is person that is | | | | cannot communicate in Indonesian Language, you |
| respected and always listened by the others | | | | can use English but you must simplify your |
| although this person does not have high job level | | | | language, speak slowly and clearly to make it |
| position. This kind of person has strength in social/ | | | | more comprehensible.Reward the employees for |
| interpersonal relation. To approach and make good | | | | their loyalty |
| relationship with this person can help you to win | | | | Payment by result is not readily accepted. People |
| his/ her group. Politely, build his/her character and | | | | expect to be rewarded also for their loyalty.Avoid |
| he/ she will act as a channel to your employees | | | | dismissal of employees |
| and give you information about employee's | | | | Dismissal of employees is culturally |
| conditions and their response.Ask a simple | | | | undesirable.Conduct "Gotong Royong" |
| question and call their name | | | | "Gotong Royong" is Indonesian term for mutual |
| Asking simple question can make them feel that | | | | cooperation. It calls for community |
| you care about them. Indonesians prefer personal | | | | commitment.Understand status differences |
| closing. If you ask simple question and call their | | | | In Indonesia, status differences are unavoidable |
| name, you have done the ice breaking. They will | | | | and viewed positively.Be polite |
| feel secure and think that you are friendly.Be a | | | | Formal politeness and restraint of emotions are |
| good model of discipline and give them real | | | | imperative.Show the respect to the family of the |
| example | | | | deceased |
| Indonesians tend to duplicate the behaviour of | | | | Do condolence visit and assistance. Use cash for |
| the people they respect. If you are their superior, | | | | token donation. Wear black, white, and blue dress. |
| they will imitate your behaviour because you are | | | | These are the dress code for condolence visit.Be |
| their model. This feature can be used to build their | | | | careful in handling the disobedience against |
| attitude toward discipline. If you are their superior | | | | company regulation |
| and they see you put the rubbish to the dustbin | | | | Transgression against company regulation must |
| or clean the dirty cup, they will follow your action. | | | | be handled carefully.Give direct appraisal of |
| They will follow you because you are their model. | | | | performance |
| When they see you participating in maintaining | | | | Direct appraisal of performance can be delicate. |
| cleanliness, they will understand your action and | | | | It is as delicate balancing act.Don't: |
| they will act together to realize the cleanliness.Build | | | | Give, receive, and eat with the left hand |
| family atmosphere | | | | To give, receive, and eat with the left hand is |
| Indonesians view family as intimate integral | | | | unacceptable and considered impolite. The left |
| relationship, in which its members support each | | | | hand is toilet hand. They usually use their left hand |
| other and feel comfortable and secure. When | | | | to cleanse up after urinating or defecating. That is |
| Indonesians feel as a part of family, they will feel | | | | why they consider the left hand dirty.Touch or |
| secure and motivated to increase their | | | | pat on another's head |
| performance. In good family, there is harmonious | | | | The head is sacred and should be respected. |
| interdependent relationship. There is sense of | | | | Patting on another's head is not done among |
| belonging and sense of ownership in its members' | | | | adults and even should be avoided with |
| attitude. For example, to print name card for your | | | | children.Spit in the presence of people |
| employees, even if for those who in low level, | | | | When an Indonesians are disgusted at seeing the |
| can make them feel as your big family members. | | | | filth or something disgusting, they usually spit. |
| They will be proud because their names are | | | | They will think that you insult them or that you |
| mentioned in their company's name cards. | | | | are disgusted at seeing them. Spittle is also |
| Indirectly, it is also a promotion of your company | | | | considered nauseating.Say that you are atheist |
| because proudly they will show their name cards | | | | Indonesians had traumatic experience with |
| to their friends. Create the events to build their | | | | communists. The past national tragedy in 1966 |
| solidarity as one family, such as outbound and | | | | was related to Indonesian communist party. Many |
| company travelling. Make personal contact rather | | | | Indonesians still consider communists their |
| than writing letters or memos. Don't consider time | | | | enemies. In their mindsets, they always |
| spent to develop personal relationships | | | | misinterpret atheists as communists. It is common |
| wasted.Provide a channel for their ideas/ | | | | for Indonesians to ask about someone's religion. If |
| grievances. | | | | you say that you are atheist or do not believe in |
| Their idea/ grievance is an expression of their | | | | God, they will think that you are communist. Don't |
| morale in the company. If no grievance, it does | | | | say that you are atheist.Put your head up when |
| not mean that it is good conditions. Some | | | | you are in front of them |
| Indonesians purpose to keep silent when they | | | | It is better to make eye contact with them with |
| lose their enthusiasm and trust in their leader/ | | | | friendly smile. If you put your head up, they will |
| superior. It is better to welcome their idea/ | | | | think that you do not want to see them. They will |
| grievance but it does not mean to be totally | | | | think that you are arrogant.Waste your time and |
| permissive. It also does not mean that you bear | | | | effort against Labour Union. |
| all their problems. In this situation, art of listening | | | | It is a trouble if treat the labour union as a group |
| to show that you care about them is essential. If | | | | of militant troublemakers. Keep in mind that they |
| they feel that you care, they will feel humanized | | | | and your company have the same dream. Both |
| and comfortable. On the contrary, if their ideas/ | | | | labour union and your company try to find the |
| grievances are underestimated, they will be | | | | very best way to care about the employee's |
| passive and tend to hide their problem. Grievance | | | | welfare. By respecting them, they will contribute |
| that is ignored can cause disharmony because | | | | their support in time and effort. In recent most |
| they feel that they are not humanized. By | | | | cases, presence of 'authentic' local labour unions |
| providing channel for their aspirations, conducive | | | | does help facilitate the negotiation process when |
| culture is developed. In other word, any one will | | | | Companies and workers are in disputes. |
| feel comfortable to express their idea and give | | | | Companies and workers will need continue to |
| information to you.Provide the opportunity to | | | | trust in each other's mutual goodwill to settle |
| worship and respect their belief | | | | disputes in bipartite negotiations. It does imply to |
| For Indonesians, religion is essential and sensitive | | | | be a degree of willingness on both parties to |
| matter. They need the opportunity for worship. | | | | overcome obstacle through dialogue. If you need |
| All Indonesians are religion embracers. The subject | | | | any assistance in Industrial Relation and Human |
| related to religions is mentioned in Pancasila (Basic | | | | Resource Development, you can use human |
| Principles of RI) and in Indonesia Constitution. The | | | | resource and industrial relation service at Please |
| majority of Indonesians are Moslems. Moslems | | | | don't hesitate to contact us at Instruct/ warn |
| shall performs five times required prayers (Sholat) | | | | your employees rudely with the high stress |
| in a day and engage Friday prayers mass | | | | intonation or in the presence of other people |
| (Jumatan) at mosque. Respect this tradition and | | | | Don't Show anger. Pointing your finger to people |
| give them time to worship, provide prayer room | | | | to show anger is impolite. Indonesians are also |
| at your office for them to pray. Provide sufficient | | | | sensitive to the high stress intonation and impolite |
| break time in Friday for your employees to give | | | | behaviour. If you feel angry or impatient about |
| them opportunity to engage Friday prayer mass. | | | | something don't show it as you may loose face. |
| The government has set public holidays for | | | | Shouting at them harshly is considered impolite. It |
| religious celebration. In condition that you need | | | | makes them uncomfortable and decreases their |
| your employees to work on holiday, give them | | | | morale. They will be afraid to talk with you or |
| opportunity to worship -- let the Christians | | | | prefer to avoid you. Even if you do not meant to |
| worship on Sunday and Easter, let the Buddhists | | | | be personal, they will feel it is personal and you do |
| worship on Veshak Day, Hinduists worships on | | | | not like them. It also makes them nervous and |
| Nyepi Day. During Islamic fasting month, don't eat | | | | their performance may get worse. Avoid over |
| something in front of them. Usually, during this | | | | criticism and scolding them in the presence of |
| month, they go home early. It is good to conduct | | | | other people, especially their friends or |
| fast breaking dinner at your office to maintain the | | | | subordinates because it they will feel disgraced. If |
| solidarity. Give a greeting when they celebrate | | | | you do it, you decrease their self-esteem, |
| their religion.Offer edible food and non-alcoholic | | | | especially if you do it to the older man. "Saving |
| drink | | | | their face" is wise action when you criticize them. |
| For Indonesians, rice (nasi) is staple food. They | | | | Evade shaming them openly and avoid losing their |
| are not satisfied if they eat without rice. In their | | | | dignity. Avoid the use of rude or taboo word |
| mindset, they will be weak without rice. When | | | | because they tend to judge the people based on |
| providing meal for them, the rice must be | | | | the way they speak. If you want to warn them, |
| included. Majority of Indonesians are Moslems. Not | | | | try to use polite way and interpersonal approach, |
| all foods and drinks are allowed for them to | | | | give suggestion and guide them.Be offended if |
| consume. Don't offer pork or alcoholic drink, pork | | | | Indonesians ask question about your private life |
| and alcohols are forbidden (Haram). Any animal | | | | Don't be offended if Indonesians inquire about |
| with fang is forbidden. Amphibian is also forbidden. | | | | your religion, your marital status or number of |
| If you want to buy food or drink for them, | | | | children. Those are common questions Indonesians |
| choose the food or drink, which are Halal certified. | | | | ask each other, too. These topics usually occur |
| Don't offer beef to your Balinese friend because | | | | during chit-chat. These questions are the opening |
| most of them are Hinduists.Be aware of diversity | | | | conversation to get closer and more familiar to |
| in Indonesia | | | | the persons they speak with.Kiss in greeting and |
| Various religions, Race, ethnic groups with various | | | | in front of public |
| cultures exist in Indonesia. Respect and make | | | | It is not common in Indonesia to greet each |
| good and harmonious relationship with all of them, | | | | other with a kiss. It is only applicable in their |
| notwithstanding their religions and ethnics. SARA | | | | immediate family. It is acceptable to give small |
| (Ethnic Group. Religions, Racial Relation) issues are | | | | kiss your spouse if there are other people. |
| very sensitive in Indonesia. Be careful when you | | | | However, kissing your spouse or your |
| use humour or make a joke, as it may be | | | | fiancé passionately in the presence of |
| misunderstood.Try to get up-to-date information | | | | others is considered taboo. Kissing your friends is |
| on your industry and regulations | | | | not common in Indonesian's culture even less is |
| Try to get up-to-date information on your | | | | kissing those who are of different sex. Be aware |
| industry and regulations as the country is in | | | | of your touch. Giving a hug to or putting your |
| transition. You should up date your company | | | | arm around your friend of different gender is |
| regulation with new government provisions. You | | | | uncommon in Indonesian culture.Hold arms akimbo |
| may consult it to Human Resource Service in | | | | People will consider person, with his/her arm on |
| order get the up dated information of it. If you | | | | the hips and elbows bent outwards, showing |
| face problem related to industrial relation issues, | | | | arrogant way. Indonesians label it as cocky stance. |
| you can consult it to Human Resource Service/ | | | | In maintaining relationship, Indonesians prefer low |
| Consultants because they know about the culture | | | | profile person to arrogant persons.(This article has |
| and prevailing provisions in Indonesia. Visit to get | | | | been distributed by PT. |