How Cultural & Economic Factors Affect International Business

Introduction

Company profile Grameen Phone is the number 1 mobile operator with 44% market share (September, 2010). Number of subscribers stands at 2865 mn (Sep'10). - For 2010 up to end 03, total revenues were SOT 55. 1 ho versus R0T48. 6 hr for same comparable period in 2009, whereas 525 for 2010 up to end 0. 3 was SOT 523 against BDT 537 for the same period in 2009. - Initial capex cycle of geographical coverage build Out complete. - Subscriber churn levels at 1% per month in 2010; amongst the lowest in emerging Asian markets. One of the largest ISPs in Bangladesh with approximately 4. 5mn active subscribers. - Its network covers over 99. 14% of the population in all 64 districts of Bangladesh and 88. 84% of the total land area, and the network infrastructure included around 114,000 TRXs in more than 7,200 base stations. - Grameenphone operates on both OSM 900 & 1800 bands with a bandwidth of 22MHz. The recent allocation of 7,4M1-lz to OP in addition to the 14. 6MHz it already has will help to decrease the pressure on GPs network. OP has 11300 base stations in over 6500 locations across Bangladesh.

Overview Grameen Phone (GP) started operations in 1997. In 2009, GP offered 69,439,400 ordinary shares at BDT 10 (US$. 014) each, in addition to a BDT 60 (US$ 0. 871 premium, totaling BDT 4. 86 bn (US$ 70. lSmn) & got Listed on OSE & CSE. - Quickly after its inception in 1997, GP established itself as the leading mobile operator in the country by providing superior coverage and better network quality perception than its competitors. - In the last 4 years, market dominance of GP has slowly eroded through intense competition, falling from 63% in 2005 to about 44% (September 2010). GP's AR? U has teen constantly declining, as mobile voice tariffs continue to fall and as greater numbers of subscribers come from lower income groups. From USD 5. 4 in Q1'07, the ARPU has come down to USD 3. 03 in 03'10 (02 2010 USD 3. 47). - GP was the first mobile operator to introduce prepaid mobile connections in Bangladesh in 1999. Apart from internet services through EDGE, Crameenphone is also the only medium through which Cell Bazaar operates a service where people can buy and sell products through a mobile.

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It also operates a telemedicine service called Health line, It provides a host of other VAS services including ringtones, welcome tunes, SMS-MMS, instant messaging, sports-news updates, stock market updates, electronic ticketing service etc. . However, to turn its business GrameenPhone divides its communication process into three sectors These are explained below: Communication with the customer Communication with the organization Communication with the dealers or agents 1. 2 objectives of the study The primary purpose of the report is the fulfillment of the course requirement.

The main objectives of the report are as follows: * To fulfill the partial requirement of the “Business Communication” course offered in MBA program. * To explore advantages provides by the skill of Business Communication and contribution to the profitably of the organizations as well as economy of Bangladesh. * It will also enable me to improve my skill on report writing. As corporate executive put great value on report writing as an important element in management success, this part of the course will repare me to face the future challenges of corporate world. * To analyze the benefit of applying the skill of communication in organizations. * To analyze how GP build up their Communication System.

Methodology Source of data

I would like to make sure that I have all the necessary data required to come up with effective result. Therefore, I have combined both primary and secondary data collection method. All data related to this study is attached with the appendix. A. Primary source of data: * Interview of customer manager working at GP B. Secondary source of data: * Internet * Newspaper archive * Annual Report of GP 2010 . 4 significance of the study The reason behind choosing this topic, there are basically 3 reasons behind choosing this topic. 1. It is one of the most important matter for us how a large multinational Company operates their Communication process. 2. What is the main communication strength of maintaining large scale of customs? 3. How GP keep up Communication process? 1. 5 Limitation of the study In doing this study we have to face some limitations, those are Employers were not interested to talk. Employees reluctant to share internal matter.

For understandability we had to use very simple statistical tools. We were not able to collect enough information from government research agency.

Findings and Analysis 2. 1 Communication method with customers: After fourteen years of operation, Grameen Phone has about 30 million subscribers as of may 2008. To retain the current subscriber and to increase the number of them, Grameen Phone has to communicate its customer continuously. As a result it comes to know about customers problems, expectations and demand from the company. To do so, Grameen Phone gets linked to its subscriber 24 hours throughout the year by providing information.

Moreover, the company fascinates the customer by giving every type of facilities such as SIM replacement, change of address as so on in their customer care centre. To provide these services. The company communicates with its customers through direct or indirect method. These methods are described below. Products and service Direct Method Through this direct process, the effective communication of Grameen phone with its customer occurs in a two way, face to face situation where both verbal and non verbal symbols and languages are apparent to both parties, which can be called level 1 communication.

Moreover the company deals with its subscribers by level 2 communication where a two ways, but now face verbal situation occurs. Both in these two types of communication, instant feedback are available. As a result, the company can gradually learn about what subscriber wants from the company and can fill its subscribers demands, expectations and solve problems as per as its ability. However, after learning about the expectation, demand and problem of subscriber, Grameen phone divide these things into three segments and these are Request # Complains # Queries After doing so, then Grameen phone inform their management by doing email in he internet. Actually, in the whole process of corresponding, Grameen phone prefers too email subscribers and management. There are some kinds of examples on direct method are shown below through which Grameen phone be connected with customers. $ *111*# all time get to any information $ 121 hot online service: $ Message service ; Email contacts $ Customer Management centre 121 HOTLINE SERVICE GrameenPhone Ltd. Launched “GP Service Month” from March 1 , to further improve the delivery of after-sales services Enjoy prioritized customer service by simply dialing121.

Dedicated customers care managers are available round the clock, 24 hours A day and 7 days a week only to serve you better. Business Solutions postpaid subscriber can call 121 absolutely free of cost. Customer Management Center In an effort to provide after sales services closer to where the customers live, more than 8000 GP Service Desks have been opened around the country, located in all upazila in the 61 districts where the Grameen Phone network has coverage. These GP Service Desks are equipped to provide most of the after sales services and are open from 10am - 6pm on all weekdays.

In addition, all the 600 GP customer Centers located in the divisional cities now remain open from 8am – 8pm everyday including all holidays. Email And Message Service On the other side, if any subscriber wants to inform about their problems, they can do it through email contact or message service also. As a result, they can be linked with GP very closely. Indirect Method On the other side, Grameen phone communicate with its subscribers through indirect method by level 3 communications where a two way, face verbal communication does not occur. Only written or printed documents or photo mages are circulated on bill board and advertisements are telecast on television and so on. As a result, instant feedback is not available in this process. Thus the company their facilities of SIM card to subscribers. Some kinds of indirect method are also given below:

• Advertisement on television
• Advertisement on bill board
• Advertisement on newspaper.
• Advertisement on internet.

Communication Methods

In The Organization: To achieve its operating goals, Grameen phone’s needs to direct and coordinate its interdependence of units and individuals toward a desired point.

As a result, a formal organization structure results from efforts to achieve coordination. On the other side, coordination results from effective communication and well organized programs or systems. There is a formalized hierarchy of Grameen phone has been shown below. Here, organization chart defines the scope of the organization. The people generally occupy roles and perform functions in all those spaces in the organization chart, he pictured structure could seldom be considered a final answer. However, to conduct function, the officials of GP have o contact with each other.

Generally, GP believes in informal communication when they usually talk to each other. But, to submit a proposal, report to their management, they prefer to email communication better. They do not submit these things by direct handing over. On the other side, their communication in mobile by colleague is free as they have their own company mobile SIM. 2. 3 Communication Flow In The GP The flows of communication within the organization may be upward, downward, or horizontally directed. Grameen Phone Limited has downward and upward communication flows which are following:

Downward Communication

Downward Communication is that from superior to subscriber-from boss to employee, and from policy maker to operating personnel. Five elements of downward communication are following: Job instruction: Teaching new or current employees how to do a particular task. Rationale: The justification for the organization and its goals; how a particular function fits into the total organization. Information: Orientation to the company - its rules, practices, procedures, and history. Feedback about job performance: Supervisors evaluation or appraisal of employee performance.

Ideology: The effort to convey to and install in employees a degree of enthusiasm, loyalty, or support for the organization. This flows, of course, related to the hierarchical structure of the organization. Upward communication: When management requests information from lower organizational levels, the resulting information becomes feedback to the request. This is called upward communication. This communication keeps management informed about the feelings of subordinates, helps management identity both difficult and potentially promotable employees, and paves the way for even more effective downward communication.

Basically these two types of communication flow are used by the Grameen Phone. 2. 4 Communication System in GP Every organization has two types of communication system. Grameen Phone is not except from them. It has also two types of communication system which are following: External System: This system is typified by the formal organization chart. This system is used to control individual and group behavior and to achieve organizational goals. Some elements of external system are following: #Business letter #Report writing #Business proposal Memorandum report etc.

Internal System

The internal system develops as people interact within the formal, external system and certain behavior patterns emerge, patterns which accommodate social and psychological needs. In internal system, both formal and informal elements of communication are used which are following: #Grapevine #Face to face communication #PABX #Mobile #Letter etc 2. 5 Communication With The Agents The products and services of Grameen Phone are sold through the following channels: Grameen Phone at present has 450 Point of sales all over Bangladesh in order to sell their mobile phones.

These Point of Sales include # 11 Dealers and their franchises. 78 Outlet Agents. 52 Individual agents. Among the 11 Dealers, at present –Flora, Grameen Telecom, Brothers and Butterfly, are the leading ones, with the maximum number of franchises. Besides their products, Grameen Phone also sell service. Services are sold through info Centers and Hotline. Info center provides spot solutions. Here subscribers can get subscription. Trained and friendly officers are serving at Info Center from 8am-6pm.

There is also 01 Sales ;Logistics officer who is responsible for providing SIM(Subscribers Identification Module) cards and handsets to the subscribers and distribution of marketing items. At present there are 6 Info centers, two in Dhaka and rest four in the other four regional heads, namely, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna. Not only has that Grameen Phone interacted with the agents in the following way:

• Mobile Phone
• Online
• Face to face communication.

Basically these are the communication process GP used in operate their organization.

Conclusion

By conducting survey I am able to reach this point that the communication skill of Grameen Phone is really overwhelming. Not only that its effectiveness in communication helps it in a large way to achieve its organizational goal. The Communication process of Grameen Phone helps the organization to enlarge its business. So there is no doubt that “Business communication skill is important for a business to achieve its organizational goal”.

Reference

1. Grameen Phone Annual Report 2010
2. Communication for Business by Shirley Taylor
3. “Business communication and English” by Lecica. http://www. grameenphone. com/

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