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As one part of the NC, The Indian call center is wholly a product of globalization and developments in communication technology, And it is a good example to demonstrate those demands, challenges and contradictions when managing across culture. Firstly, challenges are often associated with Conflicts, this paper would analysis the challenges from using one common business language in linguistic differences background and building strategic culture and value system after considering about the The host country culture.
Following these. Then, it will explore the demands when facing with those halogens including selecting and training employees in farsighted and correct way, leadership and management ability to give adaptable orientation and guarantee the implementation of the cross-cultural measures are also been needed. A multinational company faced with many challenges when it coming into a different country. En of the key points is cultural difference which including many difference cultural elements such as religion, value, tradition and language. Cultural factor plays an important role in the real business world, this role cannot be replaced by any other factors nor can it be ignored by any equines Organizations, understanding and valuing cultural differences is a complex challenge, ignoring this can create animosity and division between employees, leading to internal challenges that will hinder overall performance. Z Of these, challenge from linguistic difference needs to be consider about particularly, because language has been found to be one of the strongest indicators of group identity and thus to be a particularly powerful element of group differential and ethnic conflicts (Swift and Wallace, 2011 The internationalization of modern business, and the resulting complexity of Ross-cultural communications has meant that a typical multinational corporation (NC) is forced to operate in many languages -?? increasing the potential for confusion and misunderstanding, and increasing their costs as a consequence of translation and interpreting-Consequently, many have adopted a common corporate language (CLC) for use between branches of the same organization, but located in different countries.
In the meanwhile, for reducing intercultural conflict, Using one common language can be seen as an obvious demand, from the companies’ management point of view. Arguably it could simplify communication within and between departments, units and subsidiaries, and would also enhance the control of the communication procedures (Marksman et al. , 1997). Against this backdrop, English is undoubtedly a dominant language in the international business and tends to become the common corporate language by default in multinationals(Pickier et al. , 2005). Using English as a common language seems especially important in global service industry which facing the global customers directly such as Gee’s call center in India.
The employees in this industry are required to provide high quality service to customers through the use of voice-based emotional labor, and also focus on speed and efficiency In each of these interactions, Service is their product actually using a common language to talk with the customer segments especially the English speakers (Poster, 2007). But in fact, many multinational firms set subsidiaries in Africa, Asia or other countries where the local people do not use English in. For example, India has 17 major languages with around 22,000 dialects, just ever half the Indian in call center workforce is bilingual with Hindi the first language, and most of the Indian employees who use English have a serious accent problem.
In addition, there is another challenge about how to transfer the corporation’s core values and culture from the headquarter across different culture hinders and build a NC strategy culture. A strong and clear corporate values and culture system is necessary, it supports adaptation and develops organization’s employee performance by motivating employees toward a shared goal and objective; and finally shaping and channeling multimillionaires to that specific direction should be at the top of operational and functional strategies. A clear organizational value system can reduce uncertainty, role ambiguity, and conflict, allow for the accurate prediction of other’s behavior, and make successful interpersonal interactions more likely (Angelino et al. , 1989).
Academics and practitioners argue that the performance of an organization is dependent on the degree to which the values of the culture are widely shared. During this film the working principle and organizational culture has been highlight in the call center which act as En service part Of the multinational company, Call centers are all about punctuality and deadline, but Indian time is often stretchable in their lifestyle. Indian also lacks Awareness of service and any tradition of customer service, but The employees in this industry are required to provide high quality service to customers through the use of voice-based emotional labor, and focus on speed and efficiency in each of these interactions, they need care customers and have to solve their problems (Poster, 2007).
There are many steps needs to be take to meet the challenges when managing across culture, one essential demand is selecting employees and training them effectively. To prevent clash with local mores, the most expeditious approach in overseas units is to hire people who fit into the overall corporate culture. The organization must be attractive to those graduates who will prove “loyal” and “functional. ” A NC looks for locals who have the ability to fit company culture after intensive orientation. Once they have assimilated company ways, these indigenous employees can bridge the gap between corporate culture and country culture, this has to be consensus n a hire.
If Conflicted employees stay with the organization, their contribution may be limited; they may also spread attitudes, opinions and behaviors that are unhelpful to the organization. In the film, NC eliminated some Applicants with extreme anti-American sentiment (Begley and Boyd, 2003). *Still Although numerous employers consider that training is nothing more than a waste of financial resources and believe that there are enough experienced employees available on the labor market that do not require further training at work (Kanji and Bankable, 2007 ). The benefits of employee training have already been widely recorded in the literature (Minivan, 2007).
In India, organizational training is exceptionally viewed as a social advantage to the point that employees find it challenging to even consider transferring any new acquired skills in training to their working environments These can be seem from the Indian Northeast training institution ( Hydrotherapy and Stewart, 2003 ). Training can not only perpetuate corporate culture but also protect its interface with national culture. Specifically, it can facilitate mommies employees’ sensitivity to other cultures and make employees be familiar with their customers worldwide. Systematic training effort could also be useful for local employees in relationship building and help them better understand and appreciate why their expatriate superiors behaved and made decisions the way they did, and thereby help improve work interactions through reduction of waste and inefficiencies incident to miscommunication and misunderstanding (Manatee and Nelson, 2004). ROR studies about training among multinational companies tend to focus on raining and development of expatriates and international management teams especially on cross cultural and language training. It is also critical to focused on the training and development of host country nationals who working at the subsidiaries of Macs (Connie et al. , 2007). Taking the Indian call center as an example, One indispensable part within training is language learning. Post-recruitment raining involves 4-8 weeks of in-house voice or accent training including exposure to Hollywood movies, US, UK or Australian national publicity films depending on customer base.
Because customer interactions rely on language skills including quite specific voice intonations or accents, they also require more complex processes embedded within the cultural and social norms including a comprehension of culturally specific colloquialisms and expressions. But the company should realize the cultural scenery and naturalization. It is not practical to try and get staffs to speak in an accent which is not match, they would sound either phony or robot. It is better to speak in a natural and neutral accent which neutralizing with first language. Besides, employees need to build a Multicultural consciousness and deepen the understanding of other countries. The content of the training including Idioms, courtesy title, meanings about gestures and places of interest Furthermore leadership and management capability with The effectiveness and flexibility seems needed.