Cultural considerations in diverse contexts

Malaysian Cultural Consideration

CEO and VP for Human Resources

As per your request, I have researched the cultural considerations of doing business in Malaysia. The population cultures of Malaysia consist of Malays, Chinese, Indian, and other indigenous people (Suratman)[footnoteRef:1]. Malay is the national language, although English and other languages are also spoken (Malaysia)[footnoteRef:2]. Malaysians seek to find points of connection with new acquaintances. For example, they seek to connect the new acquaintance in terms of religion. Older men are addressed with "uncle" where women are address with "auntie." [1: Suratman, R.H. Tourism Industry in Malaysia: the Eperience and Challenge. n.d. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/1421294/Tourism_Industry_In_Malaysia_The_Experience_and_Challenge. 29 Mar 2013] [2: Malaysia. 2013. Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Malaysia.html. 29 Mar 2013.]

Handshaking is always done on the initial meeting and continues afterwards. Some frown on the handshaking between women and men, so it is not always deemed as appropriate. If the opposite sex individual holds out their hand, it is deemed appropriate. Otherwise, it should be refrained from. Another importance with handshaking is the use of the right hand to express the greeting. Because the left hand is viewed as used to cleanse the body, it should be refrained from in any greetings, exchange of money, pointing to give directions, or the passage of any objects.

Face is the concept of a good name, a good character, and being held in esteem of one's peers (Malaysia-Language, culture, Cusoms, and Etiquette)[footnoteRef:3]. This extends to school, company, and even, the nation. It can be lost with open criticism, insulting, putting someone on the spot, doing something that brings shame, challenging authority, showing anger to someone, or disagreeing in public. To save face, it is important to always show respect in public and to contain disagreements, even with authority, in private places away from any public exposure. [3: Malaysia-Language, culture, Cusoms, and Etiquette. n.d. Retrieved from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/malaysia.html. 29 Mar 2013]

In efforts to save face, Malaysians rely on non-verbal communication. For example, hinting at a point is used instead of making direct statements. The use of "I will try" is used instead of directly stating, "No." Another non-verbal cue is silence. This is especially important because silence indicates that appropriate thought and consideration is given in answers given to questions. When hasty answers are given, it is considered thoughtless and rude. When mistakes are made, laughter is used to conceal the uneasiness in communications.