Globalization, Communication and the Workplace Talking Across The World [Paperback]

The global developments in Information Technology Enabled Services have transformed customer service encounters which were until recently face-to-face. The major business areas of healthcare, insurance, banking and media are increasingly moving their customer processes to call centres, web based interaction, and email. ITES is set for explosive growth over the next decade, alongside being increasingly outsourced to non-English speaking destinations. The need for good English language communication skills is becoming ever more acute.This book looks closely at interactive communication in customer-facing services, featuring the voices of both academics and those in industry. It aims to integrate the work of applied linguists, teachers, trainers and businesses. After an initial discussion on the value of research to applied training, the major issues of ITES communications are addressed with either an academic analysis being followed by a training example derived from it, or with an analysis of a workplace problem followed by a research-based solution proposal. This volume should appeal to a wide readership in academic, business training and HR departments.

Notes on Contributors Part I: Current Issues in English Communication in the Globalized Workplace 1. Introduction, Gail Forey (Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong) and Jane Lockwood (The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong) 2. English in Tiers in the Workplace: A case Study of Email Usage, Li Lan (Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong) and Lucy MacGregor (University of Leeds, UK) 3. English as a Key Resource to Business and Development, Catherine Nickerson (Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, India) 4. Communication Skills in Contemporary Service Workplaces: Some Problems, Anna Kristina Hultgren & Deborah Cameron (University of Oxford, UK) Part II: Managing the Telephone Relationship with the Customer: Interpersonal Complexity 5. I was so angry. It was unbelievable... A Comparison of l³i