Malaysia's cultural traditions and how businesses communicate within the culture

What are the major cultural groups? 

The country of Malaysia belongs to the south eastern part of Asia. In addition to this, it is a multicultural nation owing to its composition of different cultures with the Malay people constituting the greater portion of 50.1% of individuals ( Zakaria, 2013 ). Majority of the latter individuals are Muslims. Also, people who practice both the Islamic and Malay culture automatically become part of this group. The Chinese Malaysians are the second largest group in the country constituting 22.6% of all the entire population ( Zakaria, 2013 ). They are the major drivers of the businesses and trading activities within the country. Also, Buddhism and Taoism form the largest part of the religion of these individuals. The Non-Malay Bumiputra, in addition to other indigenous groups, form 11.8% of all the individuals ( Zakaria, 2013 ). These are the Biyaduhs, Kadazan, Iban, and Dayak. Indian Malaysians account for 6.7% of all the individuals, with other groups accounting for 8.8% of the population ( Zakaria, 2013 ). 

Concurrently, Thailand is also located in south eastern Asia. With 67 million individuals, it has a diverse population comprising various cultures and beliefs. There are 3 major cultural groups within this country, namely: Thai, Khmer, and Malay. The first group represents 91.5% of individuals within the nation ( Gudykunst & Kim, 1984 ). The main religion for this group is the Theravada Buddhists where ancestral worship is practiced. The Khmer people, on the other hand, constitute 2.3% of people in the country ( Gudykunst & Kim, 1984 ). Majority of these individuals are confined to the rural regions. Also, 2.1% of individuals belong to the Malay culture which has a penchant for clothing items and trading activities ( Gudykunst & Kim, 1984 ). In addition to this, the manner in which people dress within this culture is highly regarded. It is a depiction of social status, beauty, and power within the community. 

What cultural traditions affect how businesses communicate within the culture? 

The Malaysian culture comprises of a pro-business government implying that the nation has a high regard for foreign direct investment. Owing to this, up to 5000 different organization have set up businesses within this region owing to the diversity of cultural practices adopted by Malaysian nationals ( Zakaria, 2013 ). The culture of these people have a significant influence on how business is conducted. Most importantly, one has to consider that Islamic religion has a great impact on businesses. In some provinces, Friday is considered to be a day of prayer; in which case businesses are expected to be closed ( Zakaria, 2013 ). Some areas such as Kuala Lumpur, nonetheless, follow the western culture, though some businesses still do not open on Fridays. There is a strict adherence to the month of Ramadhan, and most organizations are often understaffed during this period. 

The culture of Thailand is very unique to most businesses. Part of the reason why this is the case lies on the idea that for you to be able to establish a successful business you have to first establish a good relationship with the customers. In this country, negotiations cannot be undertaken prior to building a relationship. Individuals have to have a one-one encounter before emailing or calling each other ( Gudykunst & Kim, 1984 ). Failure to observe such elements is likely to have an adverse effect on a business. The leaders are also highly respected and held with high regard, and in most cases, they occasionally socialize with their subordinates and mentor them. Samsung is, therefore, expected to understand that the first and most important concept of Thailand is the aspect of building great relationships, which end up contributing to the success of the business. 

What factors such as religion and language will impact communication? 

There are various aspects which impact on communication between companies and the residents of Malaysia. Cultural flexibility, for instance, is an element that Samsung will have to focus on. This involves the idea of extending the ideas and services enjoyed in one`s country to the host country ( Zakaria, 2013 ). This will, however, have to be consistent with the faith and beliefs of people in Malaysia. Also, communication is an important aspect, whereby first encounters necessitate formality and respect. Besides, when greeting the Malays, the foreign individuals should wait for the women and men to extend their hands first ( Zakaria, 2013 ). Also, people in this culture rely mostly on non-verbal forms of communication such as body language and tonal variation. Also, it is crucial to note that most of them appreciate hinting of certain things rather than directly stating something like saying “no” ( Zakaria, 2013 ). In addition to this, silence is highly regarded, and people appreciate it when others pause after being asked a questions since it would appear that they have given the matter adequate thought. 

As formerly mentioned, religion plays a critical role in the Business sector in Thailand. A majority of the natives are Buddhists. This implies that Samsung will have to adhere to the beliefs of these individuals. In some instances, the men are supposed to take up monkhood at one point within the course of their lives ( Gudykunst & Kim, 1984 ). As a result, various agencies and organizations have to offer time off for such individuals to engage in the cultural practice. 

What cultural factors will affect acceptance of the product message 

Cultural heritage undoubtedly influences the product message in many way. There are a number of cultural factors that may affect product messages within the Malaysian culture. For instance, gift giving is uniquely equipped to an extent such that people in the country initially refuse to be gifted before accepting as a sign that they are not greedy ( Zakaria, 2013 ). Something that Samsung should avoid at all cost is flowers since they are not offered as gifts as a result of being viewed as items that should only be offered to ailing and dead individuals ( Zakaria, 2013 ). Besides, white, black and blue gift wrappers should be avoided at all costs. This is due to the fact that they are mourning colors. Also, gifts specifically meant for the young children should not be wrapped and neither should be emblazoned with images of birds like storks since this is a sign of bad lack according to the culture of these people ( Zakaria, 2013 ). In addition to this, in case the Company decides to have a celebration ceremony, alcohol is not to be served to people unless they consent to the idea of drinking. 

The importance of product messages is also evident in Thailand where a number of factors affect the development of foreign entities. Majorly, the factor of language barrier is a major hindrance to the development of products. Samsung will have to translate its products into the national language since there is no guarantee that all the prospective clients can speak or understand English. Besides the Thai language is not easily comprehensible to the foreign learner. “Saving face” is another significant factor affecting the product message (Gudykunst & Kim, 1984) . The delivery should be done in a manner that does not make it appear like the Company is criticizing any individual, failure to which it may lose its “face” (Gudykunst & Kim, 1984) . Based on the above indications, it is fundamental to note that Samsung will have to take not on all of the issues mentioned in a bid to ensure that it is in a position to establish a successful business, both in Malaysia and Thailand. 

Major Cultural Groups 

References 

Gudykunst, W. B., & Kim, Y. Y. (1984).  Communicating with strangers: An approach to intercultural communication . Addison Wesley Publishing Company. 

Zakaria, N. (2013). Creating cross-culturally competent leaders for global teams.  The Academic Executive Brief ,  3 (2), 1-3.