Business and culture

It is said that the more friends you have, the better it is for business. But that’s not the case here in the Philippines. To have more friends could at times be more of a curse than of blessing. Like what happened last week, I texted a lawyer-friend of mine to give me some kind of a “package deal” for his notarial and contract-preparation services. He texted back with a bit of a smiley saying, “Ikaw na’ng bahala, bai ;).” This expression is not very uncommon in business and I’m quite sure that most of you have encountered that phraseology somewhere in your past dealings, or have said the same thing to someone you know like a friend or relative perhaps.

What’s dreadful with the Ikaw na’ng bahala, bai system is that, people begin to lose control of their business when faced with someone close to them. The negotiation ends right away with the customer having a full say and command of the price and the service he or she wants by reason of friendship or affinity.

This practice stems from our “barkadahan” and “kamag-anak” culture which we unwittingly assimilate in the way we do business which also erodes or dilutes our judgment when we are called to separate business and personal relations. For most of the time, we try to please our friends and relatives and offer them the best prices we can give lest we suffer their disdain for being too inconsiderate or forgetful of the pinagsamahan or our kindredship with them if we don't accede to their request.

The Ikaw na’ng bahala, bai system also wears down commitment on both sides. The customer friend or relative would like to think that he/she can postpone payment or worse, choose not to pay at all for the simple fact that it is a favor or privilege being offered by the supplier. On the other hand, this customer cannot also expect timeliness of delivery or quality service from the supplier-friend or relative as it is not only unseemly in our culture, but also improper to demand time or to seek over and above the favor given.

For some people, this may seem at the very least, innocuous or inconsequential, but the Ikaw na’ng bahala is one of those things in our culture that makes business a bit more complicated and awkward for both the customer and the supplier at worst. The terms of business become vague and laden with timidity denying the supplier and the customer the temerity to negotiate what’s mutually favorable from the point of what’s good and beneficial for both.

In addition, we are among those that euphemize a lot. We try to be very indirect or maraming pasakalye over our disgust or dislike for something or for someone in an effort to be cordial and friendly. And we take this habit in business that we are criticized for our lack of clarity and openness by our foreign counterparts. We try to appear that we do not disagree in the business offer even if it’s so obvious in our gesture and expression our sheer lack of interest to the deal.

If you ask me, there is nothing wrong with the way we are. Our being very friendly and close-knit culture speaks of our empathy and sensitivity as Filipinos and how we value our families and kin. They are among our positive attributes and strengths that make Filipinos good in the areas of healthcare and customer service. However, business culture is different. It is in fact indifferent. And sometimes, or should I say more often, business speaks in the language of brutal candor and openness for the sake of mutual understanding and fairness.

This is not to say that we have to be brutally frank to our friends or relatives when they do business with us. We have to put certain limitations about giving favors and accommodations to people we know. Because our friends or relatives can sometimes mistake favor for privilege and may take advantage of such perceived privilege if you do not do something. Say, a friend or a relative may ask a favor in behalf of another that you don’t know. Favors and accommodations that you give may become a precedent to others in the company which could, when left unchecked, become a company culture later -- a culture that thrives in our government for many a decade: The padrino and Kamag-anak Inc., all because of such abused culture. 

Filipinos should learn to separate personal and business issues. Much as we would like to help our friends or our relatives, but we would like to help the business too. Our business does not exist for our relatives and friends alone. It also exists for its stakeholders and workers. Remember, the only interest your “privileged” friend or relative has in your company is what he can get not what he can give.

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