An intercultural how-to guide for managers<\/p>\n
Kunci Budaya: Business in Indonesia, The Key to Success<\/p>\n
By Thomas Brandt<\/p>\n
goasia Verlag, 1997<\/p>\n
252 pages<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): It is quite a paradox that Indonesia's rich
\nculture has acted as a formidable magnet for international
\ntourists, yet at the same time, it is seen as an obstacle to
\ndoing business in the country.<\/p>\n
That, in a nutshell, is how Thomas Brandt tries to explain,
\nthrough his book Kunci Budaya: Business in Indonesia, The Key to
\nSuccess, the importance of mastering local practices and
\nunderstanding local cultures to succeed in business in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
An economist at the German-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce,
\nBrandt lays out what all foreign businesspeople or expatriate
\nmanagers, especially those from western countries, need to know
\nabout doing business in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The 252-page book draws mainly from the mistakes, failures and
\nsuccesses of doing business in Indonesia which Brandt gathered
\nover three years through interviews with 150 business executives
\nfrom Indonesia and eight western countries.<\/p>\n
Some of the practical advice, presented with clear examples
\nand illustrated with photographs and caricatures, is general in
\nnature in the sense that it basically refers to expatriates
\nworking overseas.<\/p>\n
But most of the advice the book provides for various aspects
\nof managing a business -- being specific to the Indonesian
\ncondition -- should be highly valuable not only to expatriate
\nmanagers but also their supervisors at the overseas headquarters.<\/p>\n
The book is so specific and detailed in its practical advice
\nthat it devotes a subchapter on how a company must select and
\nprepare managers to be posted overseas. And why mutual
\nunderstanding and trust between overseas headquarters and their
\nmanagers in Indonesia is crucial for a successful business.<\/p>\n
\"In my interviews, I rarely met with expatriate managers in
\nIndonesia who said they were happy with their headquarters,\"
\nBrandt says.<\/p>\n
The book candidly describes how many of the problems faced by
\nexpatriate managers in Indonesia were actually homemade
\n(headquarters) and lists \"how to\" steps to avoid such problems
\nand develop good communications between the head office and their
\nmanagers in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
It is of great help for new expatriates or companies intending
\nto operate in Indonesia because most of the practical advice is
\nnot available in management textbooks or taught in business
\nschools overseas.<\/p>\n
Brandt does not pass any judgment on the merits or demerits of
\nIndonesia's business culture. He simply explains how and why
\nthings are, or should be done in Indonesia in manners which may
\nnot always be acceptable or in line with business practices in
\nthe West.<\/p>\n
Several of the chapters and subchapters which should be
\nparticularly helpful for expatriate managers in Indonesia are
\nthose on conflict management within the Javanese culture, dealing
\nwith Indonesian employees, business negotiations, Indonesian
\napproaches to law and contracts, work ethics, the importance of
\npersonal connections, and how to deal with and court bureaucrats.<\/p>\n
The book is easy to digest because each chapter or subchapter
\nis concluded with an underlining of the most important points to
\nremember or ponder regarding the topics discussed.<\/p>\n
Obviously, the book stops short of discussing in detail
\ncorruption and other forms of illegal payments which are often
\nneeded to facilitate things related to government bureaucracy.<\/p>\n
Neither does it want to mislead expatriates. The book frankly
\nwarns that it is essential to hire trustworthy local staff to
\ndeal with the various government departments because dealing with
\nthese bodies can be most time consuming.<\/p>\n
It acknowledges that procedures at some departments are
\nsometimes delayed for a variety of reasons, including attempts to
\ngenerate \"facilitation money\".<\/p>\n
Many management consultancy companies in Indonesia, the
\nlargest of which usually have technical tie-ups with foreign
\nconsultants, have also published business guidebooks on
\nIndonesia, but most of these emphasize the legal aspects.<\/p>\n
Brandt's book, which was launched here this month, is one of
\nthe few which emphasize the social-cultural aspects -- the most
\nimportant elements to be considered in human resource management
\n-- which is the core of business management.<\/p>\n
The German version of the book made its debut last year but
\nits popularity as an intercultural manager's guide and the role
\nof Indonesia as one of the most favorite places of foreign
\ninvestment in Asia encouraged Brandt to present an English
\nversion.<\/p>\n
The enthusiastic response to the book can also be noted from
\nthe corporate sponsorship behind its publication, which includes
\nalmost all familiar conglomerates from Europe. The sponsors
\ninclude ABB, BASF, Ericsson, Hoechst, Krupp AG, Merck, Siemens
\nand Schering.<\/p>\n
-- Vincent Lingga<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/an-intercultural-how-to-guide-for-managers-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }