Budi and Malay workplace ethics
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JABS-02-2015-0018 |
| Pages | 78-92 |
| Published date | 04 January 2016 |
| Date | 04 January 2016 |
| Author | Christopher Richardson,Md Salleh Yaapar,Sabrina Amir |
| Subject Matter | Strategy,International business |
Budi and Malay workplace ethics
Christopher Richardson, Md Salleh Yaapar and Sabrina Amir
Christopher Richardson is
based at Graduate
School of Business,
Universiti Sains Malaysia,
Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
Md Salleh Yaapar is
based at School of
Humanities, Universiti
Sains Malaysia, Pulau
Pinang, Malaysia.
Sabrina Amir is based at
the University of
Queensland Business
School, Brisbane,
Australia.
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of budi, a concept incorporating moral values
and intellect, in shaping the Malay workplace ethics and behaviour of the Malays.
Design/methodology/approach –This is a conceptual paper investigating how existing knowledge of
budi and Malay cultural traditions manifests and affects contemporary workplace practices.
Findings –Although the origins of budi can be traced back to pre-Islamic Malay civilisation, its
influence can still be found in contemporary workplace settings. For example, the hierarchical
organisational structure and workplace etiquette that characterise Malay managerial practices are
related to budi. At the same time, this paper also suggests that budi may potentially serve as a catalyst
for certain less desirable work practices, including the greater importance attached to prioritising social
relations over work performance.
Originality/value –In analysing budi, the paper explores a largely overlooked cultural concept within
management literature. Although the Malay world is a rapidly growing centre of economic and business
activity, relatively little scholarly attention has been devoted to exploring the cultural underpinnings and
foundations that shape and influence Malay managerial and workplace practices among Malays.
Keywords Cultural values, Culture
Paper type Conceptual paper
Introduction
The Malays[1] have long been perceived as being courteous people (Swettenham, 1942).
This is perhaps not too surprising when one considers that politeness and respect
are traditionally regarded as the essence of Malay society and are reflected in the
behaviour, tone, language (of both the verbal and non-verbal varieties) and customs of its
people (Chuchu and Mahali, 2014;Hasnudin, 2012;Ramli, 2013. Individuals who are kind
and gracious in behaviour and speech are regarded as halus (refined), while those who are
less sensitive and considerate with their mannerisms are considered despairingly to be
kasar (crass, coarse) (Ahmad, 2011;Goddard, 1997). In traditional Asian societies, which
are largely collectivist in nature (Fang, 2010;Hofstede, 1980;Liu and Almor, 2016), one’s
perception by others often carries considerable importance. Therefore, as noted by
Goddard (1996), there is a relatively strong urge to closely align oneself with the norms and
expectations of the society at large. Such feelings carry added weight in the Malay culture,
where there is usually a firm desire to avoid mendapat malu (being embarrassed or put to
shame). In short, there is a greater emphasis on moral and ethical themes among the
Malays than we see in many contemporary Western societies (Goddard, 2001). However,
in spite of the emergence and growth of the Malay world on the global business stage
(Ahmad, 2014;Richardson et al., 2012), the ethics of the Malays as far as the domain of the
workplace is concerned has been somewhat overlooked by scholars. Consequently, the
various ethical principles that guide the Malays’ behaviour in the workplace – including
the concept of budi, with which the present article is concerned – are not fully understood
in the mainstream literature. This needs to be addressed not only to advance global
Received 12 February 2015
Revised 2 July 2015
Accepted 8 July 2015
PAGE 78 JOURNAL OF ASIA BUSINESS STUDIES VOL. 10 NO. 1, 2016, pp. 78-92, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1558-7894 DOI 10.1108/JABS-02-2015-0018
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