Lived Experiences of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Agents from Non-Language Fields in Cross-Cultural Communication
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20560031Keywords:
business process outsourcing (BPO), cross cultural communication, non-language graduates, lived experiences, cultural awareness, coping strategies, communication barriersAbstract
This study examined the cross-cultural communication experiences of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) agents who graduated from non-language academic fields such as nursing, engineering, business, information technology, and other programs not related to English. Specifically, it aimed to identify the challenges they encountered, the coping strategies they developed, and how they made sense of their early experiences in the BPO workplace. The findings of the study also served as the basis for the development of an English Training Guide for BPO Agents from Non-Language Fields designed to support communication skills and workplace adaptation. This study employed a qualitative research design using Thematic Narrative Analysis. The participants were eight BPO agents from Iloilo City selected through purposive sampling based on their non-language academic backgrounds and a minimum of six months of BPO work experience. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a focus group discussion, which allowed participants to share detailed accounts of their communication experiences, challenges, and adjustments in the BPO industry. The narratives were analyzed to identify common patterns across participants’ experiences. The findings revealed themes including communication barriers, cultural misunderstandings, emotional challenges, professional identity development, and adaptive coping strategies. Despite the difficulties encountered, participants demonstrated resilience and developed practical ways to improve communication skills and adjust to workplace demands. Based on these findings, the study proposed the development of an English Training Guide focused on communication skills, cultural awareness, customer interaction strategies, and emotional resilience. This output aims to provide practical support for new BPO agents from non-language backgrounds and to enhance training programs that can help them adapt more effectively to the communication demands of the BPO industry.
References
Balana, S. M. B., & Paglinawan, J. L. (2025). Across borders: Opportunities and challenges of Filipino college graduates in foreign workplaces. International Journal of Social Sciences and Communication Studies. https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ijsscs/article/view/4961
BMC Psychology. (2023). The hidden costs of emotional labor on withdrawal behavior: the mediating role of emotional exhaustion, and the moderating effect of mindfulness. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40359-023-01392-z
Bugay, M. A., & Gutierrez, M. R. M. (2020). Communication Challenges in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Industry: Input to English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for BPO Agents. The Normal Lights, 14(1), 194–216. https://po.pnuresearchportal.org/ejournal/index.php/normallights/article/view/1502
Candelario, C. M. C., et al. Integrative Review of Workplace Health Promotion in the BPO Sector. Sciencedirect / PMC, 2024. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535224000132?via%3Dihub
Contreras, C. T. (2021). Analysis of agents’ readiness in taking calls: Perspectives on language assessments and its effectiveness. JETAL. https://jurnal.uhn.ac.id/index.php/jetal/article/view/1393
Dosdos, A., Orais, M. K., Polinar, M. A., Payao, R. B., & Delantar, A. B. (2023). Emotional Intelligence and Coping Mechanisms among Selected Call Center Agents in Cebu City. International Journal of Open-Access, Interdisciplinary & New Educational Discoveries. https://etcor.org/storage/iJOINED/Vol.%20II(3),%20827-838.pdf
Friginal, E. (2009). The language of outsourced call centers: A corpus-based study of cross-cultural interaction. John Benjamins. https://benjamins.com/catalog/scl.33
Garcia, R. (2012). Coping mechanisms of Filipino call center agents: A qualitative inquiry. Philippine Journal of Psychology, 45 (1), 78–92. https://digibug.ugr.es/handle/10481/91337
Gudykunst, W. B. (2003). Cross-cultural and intercultural communication. Sage Publications. https://www.sagepub.com/shop/buy-a-book/cross-cultural-and-intercultural-communication-1-226099?_gl=1*1xaxf76*_up*MQ..*_ga*NjY3MDE0Nzg2LjE3Nzg4Nzk3MDk.*_ga_60R758KFDG*czE3Nzg4Nzk3MDkkbzEkZzAkdDE3Nzg4Nzk3MDkkajYwJGwwJGg5NzI5NjQ5ODg.
Lockwood, J., & Forey, G. (2016). Globalization, communication and the workplace: Talking across the world. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Globalization-Communication-and-the-Workplace-Talking-Across-the-World/Lockwood-Forey/p/book/9780415532476
Perculeza, N. P. Employee Resilience in a BPO Company. eJournals.ph, 2025. https://ejournals.ph/article.php?id=29311
Philippine News Agency (PNA). (2024). BPO firm’s workforce expansion to benefit Ilonggos Iloilo Metropolitan Times. (2023). Iloilo among preferred sites for BPO operations. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/search
Polinar, M. A. (2023). Emotional Intelligence and Coping Mechanisms among Selected Call Center Agents in Cebu City. International Journal of Open-Access, Interdisciplinary & New Educational Discoveries. https://etcor.org/storage/iJOINED/Vol.%20II(3),%20827-838.pdf
Schunk, D. H., & DiBenedetto, M. K. (2020). Motivation and social cognitive theory. Contemporary Educational. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0361476X19304370?via%3Dihub
SuperStaff. Filipino Call Center Agents 2025: Empathy-Driven Support. Blog, 2025. https://superstaff.com/blog/empathy-driven-filipino-call-center-agents/
Ting-Toomey, S., & Dorjee, T. (2019). Communicating across cultures (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. https://www.guilford.com/books/Communicating-Across-Cultures/Ting-Toomey-Dorjee/9781462536474
The Normal Lights. (2020). Communication challenges in the BPO industry: Input to ESP for BPO agents. https://www.po.pnuresearchportal.org/ejournal/index.php/normallights/article/view/1502
Unity Communications. (2023). BPO and cross-cultural communication analysis: Challenges. https://unity-connect.com/our-resources/bpo-learning-center/bpo-and-cross-cultural-communication-analysis
Zagabe, M. J.-P. (2017). Impact of English language training on linguistic and cultural identity of call center employees. The Qualitative Report, 22(13), 3536–3555. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol22/iss13/6
