Abstract :
The movement of professional services and multinational back office
functions from the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia to developing
countries in South America, Eastern Europe, and North and Southeast Asia makes
great economic sense to both parties. However, the political, social, and educational
repercussions on the market economy of outsourcing to these destinations are less
clear. In some countries where the offshore and outsourcing (O&O) industry is
expanding, such as the Philippines, language policy in the schools and in vocational
and other tertiary sectors is being mandated to underpin the success of this
multibillion-dollar industry. Social change is also occurring: Social roles and family
structures are changing to accommodate night shifts; the incomes of new graduates,especially women, employed in the O&O sector are lifting families out of poverty; the
increasing number of women earning a substantial income is expanding the domestic
retail sector. The continuing success and expansion of the O&O industry in countries
such as the Philippines and India is dependent on the effective English language
proficiency and performance of customer service representatives (CSRs), who must
keep native English-speaking customers satisfied through smooth and efficient
communication around their problems.
