Language and culture are closely intertwined. Having a good understanding of the mother language of your foreign co-workers shows respect. However, being able to speak a second language does not automatically mean that a person is culturally sensitive. Conversely, not being able to speak the language does not automatically mean that they are not.
There are certain situations where language difficulties are often seen as cultural barriers. Take a company’s annual staff outing, retreat, or social gathering, for instance. It is often the case that when arriving at such an occasion, expatriate and Indonesian personnel will initially mingle and then separate into distinct conversational groups. This is especially true if spouses or other family members are present.
I have often seen this held up as an example of a lack of cultural integration within a company. I do not, however, agree that this is necessarily the case. In a social setting, people naturally want to be comfortable. Using a second language is rarely as easy as using one’s mother tongue.
It is an interesting phenomenon in Indonesia that spouses of expatriate employees are often more fluent in Bahasa Indonesia than their husbands or wives. This is partially because spouses may have more opportunity to study Bahasa Indonesia outside the office, while the working spouse is focused on job responsibilities. The generally strong English skills of many Indonesian professionals also contribute to this situation.
It is normally the case, however, that the spouse of an Indonesian employee may not have the same level of English proficiency as the employee. For spouses with limited English ability, joining an English-speaking conversation can sometimes be intimidating, frustrating, or simply exhausting.
The separation of cultural groups at social occasions is often better understood as a language separation than a cultural barrier. People naturally gravitate toward conversational groups where communication feels easiest and most comfortable. Outside the office, people tend to enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere where humor, stories, slang, and shared cultural references play an important role in the conversation. These are often difficult to translate effectively into another language.
In most companies, this is not intended as an exclusion of one group or another. In most cases, people would be happy to welcome their foreign co-workers into their conversational circle, provided communication can flow naturally. It is common to see one group speaking primarily English and another speaking primarily Bahasa Indonesia. This should not automatically be viewed as a negative situation.
While the goal of cross-cultural training is often to improve integration between employees, integration should not be confused with forcing everyone to behave the same way. A successful multicultural workplace allows people to maintain their own identities while still working effectively together.
At the same time, managers should recognize that language is not the only factor influencing workplace communication. In Indonesia, cultural values such as respect for hierarchy, indirect communication, and the desire to maintain harmony can also influence how information is shared and discussed. Understanding these cultural influences can help expatriate managers avoid confusing a cultural issue with a language issue—and vice versa.
Such social situations should be viewed as opportunities for those who are comfortable crossing between language groups to participate in conversations, humor, and the free flow of ideas in both languages. These individuals often become valuable bridges between different parts of the organization.
Cross-cultural integration does not mean making everybody the same. The diversity of employees within any company should be viewed as one of its greatest strengths. The division of personnel into language groups—whether during a company outing, retreat, lunch break, or informal gathering—should not automatically be seen as a sign of disharmony. More often, it simply reflects the fact that people communicate most naturally in their mother tongue.
Keep in mind that in most situations, you will be welcome to participate in the “Joking ‘N Smoking” spirit.
This article was generously contributed by George B. Whitfield III when he was a Technical Advisor with Executive Orientation Services.
