The 10 countries forming the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) or commonly called Southeast Asia are a multicultural patchwork without equal, with 11 official languages among them, and a mul­titude of different dialects spoken day-to-day. Religious diversity is also a key feature, with Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world (270 million people), mix­ing with Christian Vietnam and Philippines (205 million people) and Buddhist Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar (139 million people). And the workforces of these coun­tries are highly mobile and diverse.

This diversity can be a source of strength for companies operating in the region, but also requires them to ad...