Value Systems: The Basis for Behavior Much of the business in Malaysia is conducted by the Chinese and Indians, who have a very different system of values from the eth-nic Malays.. ● 3 B
Trang 1Malaysians obviously feel comfortable with their own cultural traditions and will defend them
■ * Know Before You Go
Malaysia is close to the epicenter of the tsunami of 2004, but it was shielded from full impact by the island of Sumatra in Indonesia Besides the tragedy of the earthquakes and tsunamis, the greatest hazards faced by the average foreign traveler are those found in most countries near the equator: sunburn, heat stroke, and/or digestive upsets Frighten-ing incidents reported in the global news that also occur, but are relatively rare, include: mob violence, typhoons, and floods
Malaysia maintains some of the strictest censorship laws in the world It is official policy to insulate the Malaysian population from the “corrupting” foreign media Foreign journalists are routinely asked to leave the country after writing something uncompli-mentary about Malaysia
Although Malaysia has virtually no Jewish population, anti-Semitism is common, especially among Muslims Even former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad publicly blamed Jews for his country’s financial problems
Bribery and corruption are not unknown in Malaysia Historically, Malaysia has been considered less corrupt than Indonesia but more corrupt than Singapore (which enforces strict antibribery laws)
● 3 CULTURAL ORIENTATION
Cognitive Styles: How Ethnic Malays Organize
and Process Information
Although the ethnic Malays have assimilated many indigenous religious rituals into their Islamic religion, they adhere to the closed thinking of Islam when it comes to accepting outside information into their everyday lives Information is processed subjectively and associatively, and this leads to personal involvement in problems rather than abstract analysis
Negotiation Strategies: What Ethnic Malays Accept as Evidence
The subjective feelings of the moment form the basis for truth, with faith in the ideologies of Islam having a very strong influence
Trang 2Only the most westernized and secular of ethnic Malays will use objective facts as the sole source of the truth
Value Systems: The Basis for Behavior
Much of the business in Malaysia is conducted by the Chinese and Indians, who have a very different system of values from the eth-nic Malays The following three sections identify the Value Systems
in the predominant culture—their methods of dividing right from wrong, good from evil, and so forth
Locus of Decision-Making
The individual ethnic Malay makes decisions based upon the immediate situation and the relationships among those involved The highly religious may refer to Islamic guidebooks which detail the proper way to handle every decision in life
Ethnic Malays are quick to organize and have the support of the group behind their decisions They are not good at confrontations and try to communicate in such a way as to alleviate conflict They seldom use a categorical “no.” It is important for foreign business executives to develop a personal relationship with their Malaysian counterparts
Sources of Anxiety Reduction
Solid religious beliefs among ethnic Malays give structure and stability to life The norm is a nuclear household with strong ties to both the husband’s and wife’s extended families The extended family
is expected to help in time of need There is little friction between common law and Islamic law, as they are often combined into a single pronouncement Respect for authority, unbreakable family ties, and the performance of proper social behavior provide strength in times
of stress
Issues of Equality/Inequality
Most states have sultans, and the division between royalty and commoners is rarely bridged Royalty is treated with great deference,
Trang 3which includes elaborate ritual and special terms of address The eth-nic Malays hold the political power, but they and the economically dominant Chinese continually joust with each other Ethnocentrism and stereotypes abound, but virulent racism is stifled Malaysians practice the strong masculine hierarchy of a secular Muslim state
Cultural Note
Malaysia has joined a selective core of intellectual property conventions They include the Berne Convention for Protection of Copyright, the Paris Convention (relative to patents and trademarks), and the Patent Cooperation Treaty Malaysia has managed to stay out of the spotlight while many of its neighbors have been targeted as pirates and counterfeiters As a former colony of the United Kingdom, Malaysia carries vestiges of common law trademarks
● 3 BUSINESS PRACTICES
Punctuality, Appointments, and Local Time
● Although most Malays are Muslim, not all of Malaysia follows the traditional Islamic work week pattern (Friday is the Islamic holy day, so the traditional Muslim “weekend” is Thursday and Friday) The Malaysian capital city, Kuala Lumpur, is in the state
of Selangor, where the work week is Monday through Friday
● It is important to be on time for all business appointments Never make a Malaysian executive wait
● The majority of Malaysian businesspeople are Chinese; they are likely to be prompt The majority of government officials are ethnic Malays Their culture is very different from that of the Chinese, and they have a more flexible concept of time Although foreigners are expected to be on time, an ethnic Malay may or may not be prompt
● The Indian minority conception of time is closer to the Malay than to the Chinese However, the Indians a foreign businessper-son is likely to come in contact with are professionals: lawyers, reporters, physicians, and so forth They will expect punctuality
● Social events in Malaysia involving different cultural groups have different rules In general, when invited to a social event, most
Trang 4Malaysians arrive on time or slightly late Never be more than a half-hour late
● A social event hosted by observant Muslims will be without alco-hol There will be no predinner “cocktail hour” and (probably) no appetizers, so the meal may be served close to the time given on the invitation
● Once a close friendship has been established, guests may arrive
a few minutes early to a social occasion If you are the host and your guests are close friends, it is important to be ready early
● Try to schedule appointments as early as possible Malaysian executives are extremely busy Many travel frequently, especially
to conferences in their area of specialization
● English is the language of many business transactions and cor-respondence However, the English spoken often has native inflections, syntax, and grammar, which can easily lead to misunderstandings
● Bahasa Malaysia is the official language of Malaysia Although most government officials will speak some English, they may prefer to hold meetings in their native tongue Fortunately, an English-speaking translator is usually close at hand
● All official correspondence with government officials must be in Bahasa Malaysia You may accompany this correspondence with
an English translation, if you wish
● Unlike in nearby Singapore (which has mandated Mandarin Chinese as the official Chinese dialect), Malaysian Chinese often speak mutually unintelligible dialects of Chinese As a result, the only spoken language a Cantonese-speaking Chinese may have
in common with a Hakka-speaking Chinese is English Similarly, the different linguistic groups within the Indian community often speak English between themselves English is seen as a unifying force in Malaysia
● Although lunch has generally been reduced to a single hour (from two hours), Muslims may take a two-hour break on Fridays in order to attend a mosque
● Executives often work far longer days than their subordinates do The Chinese, especially, have reputations as workaholics
Trang 5● Holidays in Malaysia vary from state to state The heavily Muslim states do not celebrate any non-Islamic holidays (including Easter, Christmas, and Western New Year’s Day) For Malaysia’s official
holidays, visit www.kissboworshakehands.com.
● Malaysians usually write the day first, then the month, then the year (e.g., December 3, 2010, is written 3.12.10 or 3/12/10)
● Malaysia is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (G.M.T + 8), making it thirteen hours ahead of U.S Eastern Standard Time (E.S.T + 13)
Negotiating
● Malaysians prefer to do business with persons they know and like Establishing this personal relationship will take time, but it is vital for success
● The pace of business negotiations in Malaysia is slower than in the West Be patient; it would be unusual to complete a complicated business deal in only one visit Expect to take several trips over a period of months Indeed, little will happen at the first meeting except getting acquainted
● Courtesy is the single most important attribute for successful relationships in Malaysia This civility in no way hinders the determination of Malaysian businesspeople to get their own way
● Standards of polite behavior vary widely between cultures Many Malaysians will ask you highly personal questions (such as “Why aren’t you married?” or “How much do you earn?”) without real-izing that Westerners find such questions intrusive Simply smile and change the topic—and be aware that you, too, will unknow-ingly violate local standards of polite behavior
● Because courtesy requires that a Malaysian not disagree openly, the word “no” is rarely heard A polite but insincere “yes” is simply
a technique to avoid giving offense In Malaysia, “yes” can mean anything from “I agree” to “maybe” to “I hope you can tell from
my lack of enthusiasm that I really mean ‘no.’”
● “Yes” really means “no” when there are any qualifications attached
“Yes, but ” probably means “no.” “It might be difficult” is a dis-tinct “no.”
Trang 6● A clear way to indicate “no” is to suck in air through the teeth This sound always indicates a problem
● When it comes to making a decision, a “yes” often comes more quickly than a “no.” This is because a way must be found to deliver the “no” politely The “no” may even be delivered through a third party
● Because Malaysians (especially the Chinese) often consult astrolo-gers, signing a contract may be delayed until an “auspicious” day arrives
● In Malaysia, as in Indonesia and much of Asia, people who lose their tempers are considered unable to control themselves Such individuals are not trusted or respected
● Be cautious in asking Malaysian Chinese a question English speakers would give a negative answer to the question “Isn’t my order ready yet?” by responding “no” (meaning, “No, it’s not ready”) The Chinese pattern is the opposite: “yes” (meaning,
“Yes, it is not ready.”)
● Malaysians of all ethnic groups are comfortable with silence
A silent pause allows time for thought; it does not necessarily signal either acceptance or rejection Westerners often find such pauses uncomfortable
● Age and seniority are highly respected If you are part of a delegation, line up so that the most important persons will be introduced first
If you are introducing two people, state the name of the most impor-tant person first (e.g., “President Smith, this is Engineer Wong”)
● Business cards should be printed (preferably embossed) in Eng-lish The majority of Malaysian businesspeople are ethnic Chinese,
so you may wish to have the reverse side of some of your cards translated into Chinese (gold ink is the most prestigious color for Chinese characters) Your business card should contain as much information as possible
● The exchange of business cards is a formal ceremony in Malaysia After introductions are made, the visiting businessperson should offer his or her card Make sure you give a card to each person pres-ent Present your card either with both hands or with your right hand (with the left hand lightly supporting your right) Give your
Trang 7card to the recipient with the print facing him or her (so the recipi-ent can read it) He or she will receive the card with both hands, then study the card for a few moments before carefully putting it away in a pocket You should do the same when a card is presented
to you Never put a card in your back pocket (where many men carry their wallets) Do not write on someone’s business card
● Topics to avoid in conversation include any criticism of Malaysian ways, religion, bureaucracy, or politics Also, avoid any discussion
of sex or the roles of the sexes
● Good topics for discussion include tourism, travel, plans for the future, organizational success (talking about personal success is considered bombastic), and food (while remaining complimen-tary to the local cuisine)
Cultural Note
Speak in quiet, gentle tones Always remain calm Leave plenty of time for someone to respond to a statement you make; people in Malaysia do not jump on the end of one another’s sentences They often leave a respectful pause (as long as ten seconds) before responding Westerners often assume that they have agreement and resume talking before a Malaysian has the chance to respond
Business Entertaining
● Take advantage of any invitations to social events Establishing successful business relationships hinges on establishing strong social relationships
● Food is vitally important in Malaysian culture Indeed, the stan-dard Chinese greeting literally means “Have you eaten?”
● Invitations to social events may not come immediately Be patient and let the Malaysians make the first invitation You cannot successfully host a social event until you have been a guest at a Malaysian event
● Respond to written invitations in writing
● Generally, spouses may be invited to dinners but not to lunch However, no business will be discussed at an event where spouses are present
Trang 8Cultural Note
Among all ethnic groups, kissing in public (even a quick peck on a cheek) is considered unacceptable Only the most fashionable and cosmopolitan of Malaysians will give even a quick kiss in greeting
● 3 PROTOCOL
greetings
● Malaysia has three major ethnic groups, each with its own tradi-tions: Malay, Chinese, and Indian
● With younger or foreign-educated Malaysians, a handshake is the most common form of greeting The standard Malaysian hand-shake is more of a handclasp; it is rather gentle and lasts for some ten or twelve seconds (By contrast, most North American hand-shakes last for only three or four seconds.) Often, both hands will
be used
● In Malaysia, westernized women may shake hands with both men and women Malaysian businessmen usually wait for a woman
to offer her hand It is perfectly acceptable for a woman to sim-ply nod upon an introduction rather than offering her hand
A woman should offer her hand only upon greetings; too-frequent handshaking is easily misinterpreted as an amorous advance (Among themselves, men tend to shake hands both on greeting and on departure.)
● Ethnic Malays are generally Muslim Traditionally, there is no physical contact between Muslim men and women (Indeed, if a religious Muslim male is touched by a woman, he must ritually cleanse himself before he prays again.) Because of this, women should not offer to shake hands with Malay men, nor should men offer to shake hands with Malay women Of course, if a western-ized Malay offers to shake hands, do so
● The traditional Malay greeting is the salaam, which is akin to a handshake without the grip Both parties stretch out one or both hands, touch each other’s hand(s) lightly, then bring their hand(s) back to rest over their heart This greeting is done only between
Trang 9people of the same sex: from man to man or from woman to woman However, if cloth (such as a scarf or shawl) prevents actual skin-to-skin contact, then a Malay man and woman may engage in the salaam
● Among Malaysian Chinese, the traditional greeting is a bow How-ever, most now shake hands or combine a bow with a handshake Chinese men are likely to be comfortable shaking hands with a woman—more so than men from other ethnic groups of Malaysia
● Many Malay Indians are Hindu Most Hindus avoid public contact between men and women, although not as assiduously as obser-vant Muslims Men may shake hands with men and women with women, but only westernized Hindus will shake hands with the opposite sex Malaysian Indians may also be Sikhs or Christians
or Muslims; all avoid public contact between the sexes
● The traditional Indian greeting involves a slight bow with the palms of the hands together (as if praying) This greeting, called
the namaste, will generally be used only by older, traditional
Hin-dus However, it is also an acceptable alternative to a handshake when a Western businesswoman greets an Indian man
● Just as the British greeting “How do you do?” is rhetorical, Malay-sians have many rhetorical greetings Chinese greetings often involve food “Have you eaten?” or “Have you taken food?” are rhetorical greetings; answer “yes,” even if you are hungry Similarly,
a typical Malaysian greeting when meeting on the street is “Where are you going?” This is also rhetorical; “For a walk” or “Nowhere
of importance” are perfectly acceptable answers—indeed, the latter is the English equivalent of the traditional Malay response You are not expected to reveal your itinerary
Titles/forms of Address
● Addressing Malaysians properly is a complex affair, especially for Westerners unfamiliar with the naming patterns of Malaysian ethnic groups Take your time over an introduction, which will probably involve business cards Repeat the title and name of the person and ask if you are pronouncing them correctly This often