Student News
Internships in India with outsource firms prove enriching
In August, Global Track students
Ethan Wang and
Rick Rowland returned from their internships with InPhonic,
a multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1997, this
growing business outsources the majority of its customer service operations with companies in
India, where Ethan and Rick interned as management consultants in customer service
departments. The internships were part of their International MBA Program at the Moore School
of Business.
The interns spent the first 10 days of their internship training at InPhonic's U.S. offices. During that time, Ethan said they learned about the company's origin, its growing pains after its initial public offering and the challenges and opportunities facing the company. Then they boarded a plane for India and a real-world education they will never forget.
Ethan represented InPhonic at the medium-sized Indian business process outsourcing (BPO) company Mphasis in Mangalore (urban population 500,000) and Rick went to a large BPO, Respondez, in the metropolis of Mumbai (population 13 million). Ethan and Rick were tasked with managing the call centers and reviewing the partnership between InPhonic and the Indian corporate partners they were visiting.
"One of my main tasks was to identify inefficiencies of the operation and recommend solutions to address these issues. In addition, I acted as a cultural ambassador to bridge the U.S.-India culture gap," said Ethan.
While numerous languages are spoken throughout India, English is the language commonly used in business. Ethan and Rick each managed about 125 call center reps ages 20 to 25 who they knew would be more effective if they had a better understanding of Americans and daily life in the United States. Rick created a PowerPoint presentation that they used to explain some of the complexities of American culture so the reps could better relate to and converse with their American customers.
Rick's presentation explained that the United States is made up of a diverse population with varied levels of education and income. He covered types of housing, regional dialects and differences, sports, weather, as well as the U.S. system of laws and order that are quite detailed and strict compared to those found in India. He also arranged for the reps to access the USA Today newspaper. "This knowledge of daily life helped the call center reps understand the customer so they could engage them on a personal level," explained Rick.
During the last month of their internship, the two men shared a two-week internship exchange. Ethan and Rick spent two weeks together at Respondez and then both went to Mphasis for two weeks. This gave both men the opportunity to learn about the challenges, successes and the politics of change at three rather different companies during one internship, which proved to be an enriching and eye-opening experience. "During the internship, you learn what you don't learn in class," said Ethan. "This is an incredible program!"
You can learn more about Ethan Wang's experience in India by reading his Internship Web Journal .
—Suzanne Axland
The interns spent the first 10 days of their internship training at InPhonic's U.S. offices. During that time, Ethan said they learned about the company's origin, its growing pains after its initial public offering and the challenges and opportunities facing the company. Then they boarded a plane for India and a real-world education they will never forget.
Ethan represented InPhonic at the medium-sized Indian business process outsourcing (BPO) company Mphasis in Mangalore (urban population 500,000) and Rick went to a large BPO, Respondez, in the metropolis of Mumbai (population 13 million). Ethan and Rick were tasked with managing the call centers and reviewing the partnership between InPhonic and the Indian corporate partners they were visiting.
"One of my main tasks was to identify inefficiencies of the operation and recommend solutions to address these issues. In addition, I acted as a cultural ambassador to bridge the U.S.-India culture gap," said Ethan.
While numerous languages are spoken throughout India, English is the language commonly used in business. Ethan and Rick each managed about 125 call center reps ages 20 to 25 who they knew would be more effective if they had a better understanding of Americans and daily life in the United States. Rick created a PowerPoint presentation that they used to explain some of the complexities of American culture so the reps could better relate to and converse with their American customers.
Rick's presentation explained that the United States is made up of a diverse population with varied levels of education and income. He covered types of housing, regional dialects and differences, sports, weather, as well as the U.S. system of laws and order that are quite detailed and strict compared to those found in India. He also arranged for the reps to access the USA Today newspaper. "This knowledge of daily life helped the call center reps understand the customer so they could engage them on a personal level," explained Rick.
During the last month of their internship, the two men shared a two-week internship exchange. Ethan and Rick spent two weeks together at Respondez and then both went to Mphasis for two weeks. This gave both men the opportunity to learn about the challenges, successes and the politics of change at three rather different companies during one internship, which proved to be an enriching and eye-opening experience. "During the internship, you learn what you don't learn in class," said Ethan. "This is an incredible program!"
You can learn more about Ethan Wang's experience in India by reading his Internship Web Journal .
—Suzanne Axland
September 2006