1.1 Introduction:

Grameen Phone Ltd. is the largest multinational company, operating in Bangladesh that believes

in service to their huge number of customers. Telephony helps to people to work together and to

raise their productivity. This gain in productivity is development, which in turn enables them to

afford a telephone service, generating a good business. Thus development and business go

together. However, to run its business Grameen phone divides its communication process into

three sectors. These are explained below:

Communication with the customer

Communication in the organization

Communication with the dealers or agents

1.2 Objective 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

BBA program

To explore advantages provided by the skill of Business communication and contribution

to the profitability 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 prepare me to face the future challenges of corporate world.

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To analyze the benefit of applying the skill of communication in organizations.

To analyze how GP build up their communication system

1.3 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

1.4 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 customers?

3. How GP keep up its employees and agents motivated by communication process?

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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.

2. Findings & 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 customer’s

problems, expectations and demands 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 and 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.

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Product and Service:

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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 to

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 the internet.

Actually, in the whole process of corresponding, Grameen phone prefers to email

communication. Thus, the company makes a link or communication network between

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 line 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 dialing 121.

Dedicated customers care managers are available round-the-clock, 24 hours a day and 7 days a

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week only to serve you better. Business Solutions postpaid subscribers can call 121 absolutely

free of cost.

Customer Management Centre

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 upazilas in the 61 districts

where the GrameenPhone 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 every day 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 to face verbal communication does not occur.

Only written or printed documents or photo images 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 informs 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.

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2.2 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, the pictured structure could

seldom be considered a final answer. However, to conduct function, the officials of GP have to

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 to colleague is free as they have their own company

mobile sim.

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Organogram Of GP

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2.3 Communication Flow In The GP

The flow 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 form 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 appraisa lof employee

performance.

Ideology: The effort to convey to and install in employees a degree of enthusiasm, loyalty, or

support for the organization.

This flow, 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

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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 which is shown in the page 24. 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

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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.

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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.

3. 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 itsorganizational 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”.

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3. References

Grameenphone Annual Report 2010

“Business communication and English” by William C. Himetreet and Wayne

Murlin Baty.

“Business communication and English” by Lecica.

http://www.grameenphone.com/

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