Cross-cultural communication challenges in international customer service : case study of APEX DMIT in Bangladesh
Zihad Ul Islam, Md (2026)
2026
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202604156579
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202604156579
Tiivistelmä
In the context of the modern globalized service systems, the effectiveness of cross cultural interaction can be considered a decisive factor of customer satisfaction and the general quality of the service. The thesis challenges the communication barriers experienced by APEX DMIT, a Bangladeshi organisation that offers international customer services to customers in different geographical locations. The researcher incorporated a qualitative and mixed-method research approach.
The primary data were solicited by way of semi structured interviews that were carried out on five employees, as well as a survey that was conducted among forty members of staff who work in different sections of APEX DMIT. The secondary data was obtained through organisational papers and other related scholarly literature. Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics were applied to the data.
The results have revealed that the main cross cultural communication issues include differences in communication style, language barriers, and regional differences in customer expectations. These barriers have a strong impact on customer satisfaction, especially with regard to the service quality aspects of empathy and responsiveness. It was found that the international customer service performance in terms of customer service language competencies can be significantly improved with the help of fortification of language skills, institutionalisation of structured intercultural training, and standardised communication rules. This study, therefore, adds to the empirical knowledge about the cross cultural communication in service organisations and gives practical suggestions as to how global communication with customers can be streamlined.
The primary data were solicited by way of semi structured interviews that were carried out on five employees, as well as a survey that was conducted among forty members of staff who work in different sections of APEX DMIT. The secondary data was obtained through organisational papers and other related scholarly literature. Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics were applied to the data.
The results have revealed that the main cross cultural communication issues include differences in communication style, language barriers, and regional differences in customer expectations. These barriers have a strong impact on customer satisfaction, especially with regard to the service quality aspects of empathy and responsiveness. It was found that the international customer service performance in terms of customer service language competencies can be significantly improved with the help of fortification of language skills, institutionalisation of structured intercultural training, and standardised communication rules. This study, therefore, adds to the empirical knowledge about the cross cultural communication in service organisations and gives practical suggestions as to how global communication with customers can be streamlined.