The Importance of English Communication Skills in Marketing Department at PT.Cahaya Sejahtera Abadi.
ABSTRACT
Menghadapi era globalisasi, perusahaan-perusahaan mengalami
persaingan yang semakin ketat. Persaingan bukan hanya dari pesaingpesaing lokal, tetapi juga dari pesaing-pesaing global.
Dalam penelitian tugas akhir ini, saya membahas peranan keahlian
berkomunikasi dalam Bahasa Inggris dalam bidang pemasaran pada
perusahaan ekspor-impor. Saya menyadari bahwa Bahasa Inggris dipakai
sebagai bahasa internasional terutama dalam era global saat ini. Oleh
karena itu, kemampuan berbahasa Inggris diperlukan dalam bidang
pemasaran, terutama pada perusahaan ekspor-impor, karena
perusahaan ekspor-impor mempunyai pemasok dan pembeli yang
berasal dari luar negeri.
Pada penelitian ini saya ingin mengetahui mengenai pentingnya
penggunaan Bahasa Inggris bagi para tenaga pemasaran dalam
berkomunikasi dengan para konsumen luar negeri di PT.Cahaya
Sejahtera Abadi. Para tenaga pemasaran dalam perusahaan ini seringkali
diharuskan untuk menggunakan Bahasa Inggris dalam pekerjaan mereka
sehari-hari.
Dari hasil penelitian yang telah dilakukan, saya melihat adanya
masalah karena tidak semua tenaga pemasaran di perusahaan ini dapat
berkomunikasi dengan menggunakan Bahasa Inggris dengan baik.
Melalui tugas akhir ini, saya ingin mengajukan beberapa solusi terhadap
masalah komunikasi yang terjadi di bidang pemasaran tersebut.
Mengingat pentingnya Bahasa Inggris dalam bidang pemasaran,
terutama di perusahaan ekspor-impor, maka dengan ditulisnya tugas
akhir ini, saya berharap dapat memberikan sumbangsih pemikiran
sehingga timbul kesadaran bagi perusahaan-perusahaan untuk memakai
Bahasa Inggris yang baik dan benar dalam memasarkan produk mereka.
i
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………. i
DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY……………………………………… ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………… iii-iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………... v
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………... 1-5
A. Background of the Study
B. Statement of the Problem
C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study
D. Description of the Institution
E. Limitations of the Study
F. Organization of the term paper
CHAPTER II. THEORETICAL REVIEW…………………………………. 6-8
CHAPTER III. CAUSE AND EFFECT…………………………………... 9-11
CHAPTER IV. POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS……………………………… 12-13
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSION……………………………………………. 14-15
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………….. 16
v
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Every good company will try to satisfy their customer’s needs, which
are unlimited. In order to fulfill those needs, the company should make
strategies. Marketing is one of the company strategies to deliver
messages about the good quality of its products to potential customers in
order to be known, acknowledged and remembered.
In order to face the worldwide globalization in the year 2010,
companies must prepare themselves to compete with foreign
organizations. One example is an export-import company. Every single
day, an export-import company deals with various foreign companies, and
the marketing department is responsible for communicating with foreign
buyers. It is the marketing department’s task to spread a message to
potential customers in order to make them notice and acknowledge their
products. The marketing department has to interpret what the buyer wants
in order to match the goods with the buyer’s expectation.
In an export-import company, the marketing department is very
essential, because without the marketing department, it is difficult for a
company to promote its products to the customers. In order to do the task
1
Maranatha Christian University
properly, marketing staff should have good communication skills,
especially in English. Nowadays, it is undeniable that English is the most
acceptable language for international consumers. Therefore, it is very
important to master English because one cannot avoid the fact that there
are dynamic and global exchanges of goods throughout the world. It is
clear that to have good communication skills is very important, especially
for people dealing with marketing.
English is the common language used in the world of business,
especially the worldwide business. That is why it is an advantage for a
person who works in marketing department to be able to speak English
fluently. The following quotation mentions how English can be used as the
language of the world: “English can bring healthy and positive effect on
the company’s activities and productivity” (Griffin and Pustay,1996:172).
All in all, I believe that the ability to use English both orally and verbally
is very important. I also find out that good communication skills in English
will help markerter to be able to introduce their products so their company
can compete with other foreign companies. Therefore, I decide to analyze
the importance of communication skills for the marketing department staff,
especially in an export-import company.
B. Statement of the Problem
PT.Cahaya Sejahtera Abadi is an export-import company, which
produces many kinds of jewelries. The marketing department is
necessary in this company, as the company mostly deals with foreign
2
Maranatha Christian University
companies so that the marketing staff should have good communication
skills, especially in English.
However, during my apprenticeship in this company, I discovered that
most of the marketing staff do not have good communication skills in
English and this becomes one of the major problems in this company. The
problem occurs because it is difficult for the company to deal with foreign
companies, as miscommunication as well as misunderstanding often
occurred. As an example, I noticed that during the apprenticeship period,
miscommunication and misunderstanding often happened in negotiating
the products and the prices, as well as dealing with the deadlines and
dispatch.
C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study
The aim of the study is to define the problem related to English
communication skills in the Marketing Department of PT.Cahaya
Sejahtera Abadi and propose some potential solutions; as well as offering
the best solution of all.
It is expected that the study can be beneficial for PT.Cahaya Sejahtera
Abadi so that they will realize that marketing staff must possess English
competence to face the global competition. This study can also give
information to the readers about the importance of communication in
English language needed by marketing staff in an export-import company.
Besides this, the study can motivate myself to learn English more
seriously, especially in relation to the marketing world.
3
Maranatha Christian University
D. Description of the Institution
PT. Cahaya Sejahtera Abadi was founded on 2 August 2003 in
Bandung by Mr. Sufriady lee. The background of this company is a gold
retail company. The mission of this company is to develop the product
marketing in other countries, because the market potential is bigger than
the local market.
In 2003 this company had three staff and fifteen employees. In the first
year, this company produced fifty kilograms jewelries with the local market
(Indonesia) as the target. However, in 2005, the price of gold increased
75% up. This situation influenced the local market, and thus, this
company did marketing exploitation for export orientation continuously.
In the third year, this company started international markets in Dubai
and Hongkong. The products of this company can be accepted in the
international market because this company always maintains the quality
of the product.
In 2007 the price of gold has increased by almost 30%. It is caused by
the ever-increasing price of petroleum. Because of Mr.Sufriady’s diligence
and hard work, he can maintain his company and compete with other
companies of similar business. At the present time, this company can
produce ten kilograms of jewelries every month and have ten staff and
sixty employees.
4
Maranatha Christian University
E. Limitations of the Study
In this study, I mainly focus on the marketing department within the
company, as I consider that its marketing department has a major
problem in communicating in English. I apply library research in writing
this term-paper and also refer to my internship journal for daily details.
F. Organization of the term paper
This term paper begins with the Abstract, a concise summary of the
entire paper in Indonesia. The Declaration of Originality and the
Acknowledgements follow this Abstract. After that is the Table of
Contents, followed by its five chapters:
Chapter I
is the introduction to the analysis
Chapter II
contains the library research
Chapter III
analyzes the factors of the problem
Chapter IV
contains the solution of the problem
Chapter V
contains the conclusion
In the final part, I present successively the Bibliography.
5
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
Based on the research, I would like to conclude the importance of
English communication skills in a marketing department. The marketing
staff of PT. Cahaya Sejahtera Abadi must possess English competence,
especially when dealing with foreign customers. By mastering English
well, they will be able to do their task properly. There are some functional
types of spoken and written English used in marketing department by the
marketing staff, which are, negotiation, offering a new product, and
meeting and visiting.
In facing the global era nowadays, marketing staff should have a good
negotiation skill, which is, a part of communication skills in English
language. Yet, if they cannot speak English fluently, how can they perform
their job well as a marketing staff? The ability of using spoken and written
English is very essential for marketers because their tasks demand them
to communicate and negotiate with customers from other countries.
However not every marketing staff can use English properly, as they have
problems in using proper English, usually with the vocabulary and
pronunciation. They also find difficulty in using appropriate grammar.
14
Maranatha Christian University
To overcome the problems above, I suggest the best solution for the
marketing staff at PT. Cahaya Sejahtera Abadi is that they have to learn
English more by taking an English course because it is important for
marketing people to be able to speak English for their marketing purpose.
I think taking a course will help improve their English so they will be fluent,
both in oral and written English. The future, if the company has decided to
recruit new personnel or to open a job vacancy, they have to put English
ability as one of the requirements. I do hope the solution could be helpful
for the marketing staff at PT. Cahaya Sejahtera Abadi.
15
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Printed Sources
Kaplan, Burton. Strategic Communication. New York: A Division of
HarperCollins, 1935.
Nuttal, Chris J. Business Studies. University of Cambridge, 2005.
Parsons, C. J, and S. J. Hughes. Written Communication for Business
Students. London: Edward Arnold, 1970.
Electronic Sources
Kaplan, Burton. “Master of Science in Strategic Communication.” 19 Sept
2007 http://www.ce.columbia.edu/masters/about.cfm?Pid/
McCarthy, John. “The Common Business Communication Language.” 14
May 1996. 19 Sept 2007. http://wwwformal.stanford.edu/jmc/cbcl
16
Maranatha Christian University
Menghadapi era globalisasi, perusahaan-perusahaan mengalami
persaingan yang semakin ketat. Persaingan bukan hanya dari pesaingpesaing lokal, tetapi juga dari pesaing-pesaing global.
Dalam penelitian tugas akhir ini, saya membahas peranan keahlian
berkomunikasi dalam Bahasa Inggris dalam bidang pemasaran pada
perusahaan ekspor-impor. Saya menyadari bahwa Bahasa Inggris dipakai
sebagai bahasa internasional terutama dalam era global saat ini. Oleh
karena itu, kemampuan berbahasa Inggris diperlukan dalam bidang
pemasaran, terutama pada perusahaan ekspor-impor, karena
perusahaan ekspor-impor mempunyai pemasok dan pembeli yang
berasal dari luar negeri.
Pada penelitian ini saya ingin mengetahui mengenai pentingnya
penggunaan Bahasa Inggris bagi para tenaga pemasaran dalam
berkomunikasi dengan para konsumen luar negeri di PT.Cahaya
Sejahtera Abadi. Para tenaga pemasaran dalam perusahaan ini seringkali
diharuskan untuk menggunakan Bahasa Inggris dalam pekerjaan mereka
sehari-hari.
Dari hasil penelitian yang telah dilakukan, saya melihat adanya
masalah karena tidak semua tenaga pemasaran di perusahaan ini dapat
berkomunikasi dengan menggunakan Bahasa Inggris dengan baik.
Melalui tugas akhir ini, saya ingin mengajukan beberapa solusi terhadap
masalah komunikasi yang terjadi di bidang pemasaran tersebut.
Mengingat pentingnya Bahasa Inggris dalam bidang pemasaran,
terutama di perusahaan ekspor-impor, maka dengan ditulisnya tugas
akhir ini, saya berharap dapat memberikan sumbangsih pemikiran
sehingga timbul kesadaran bagi perusahaan-perusahaan untuk memakai
Bahasa Inggris yang baik dan benar dalam memasarkan produk mereka.
i
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………. i
DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY……………………………………… ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………… iii-iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………... v
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………... 1-5
A. Background of the Study
B. Statement of the Problem
C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study
D. Description of the Institution
E. Limitations of the Study
F. Organization of the term paper
CHAPTER II. THEORETICAL REVIEW…………………………………. 6-8
CHAPTER III. CAUSE AND EFFECT…………………………………... 9-11
CHAPTER IV. POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS……………………………… 12-13
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSION……………………………………………. 14-15
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………….. 16
v
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Every good company will try to satisfy their customer’s needs, which
are unlimited. In order to fulfill those needs, the company should make
strategies. Marketing is one of the company strategies to deliver
messages about the good quality of its products to potential customers in
order to be known, acknowledged and remembered.
In order to face the worldwide globalization in the year 2010,
companies must prepare themselves to compete with foreign
organizations. One example is an export-import company. Every single
day, an export-import company deals with various foreign companies, and
the marketing department is responsible for communicating with foreign
buyers. It is the marketing department’s task to spread a message to
potential customers in order to make them notice and acknowledge their
products. The marketing department has to interpret what the buyer wants
in order to match the goods with the buyer’s expectation.
In an export-import company, the marketing department is very
essential, because without the marketing department, it is difficult for a
company to promote its products to the customers. In order to do the task
1
Maranatha Christian University
properly, marketing staff should have good communication skills,
especially in English. Nowadays, it is undeniable that English is the most
acceptable language for international consumers. Therefore, it is very
important to master English because one cannot avoid the fact that there
are dynamic and global exchanges of goods throughout the world. It is
clear that to have good communication skills is very important, especially
for people dealing with marketing.
English is the common language used in the world of business,
especially the worldwide business. That is why it is an advantage for a
person who works in marketing department to be able to speak English
fluently. The following quotation mentions how English can be used as the
language of the world: “English can bring healthy and positive effect on
the company’s activities and productivity” (Griffin and Pustay,1996:172).
All in all, I believe that the ability to use English both orally and verbally
is very important. I also find out that good communication skills in English
will help markerter to be able to introduce their products so their company
can compete with other foreign companies. Therefore, I decide to analyze
the importance of communication skills for the marketing department staff,
especially in an export-import company.
B. Statement of the Problem
PT.Cahaya Sejahtera Abadi is an export-import company, which
produces many kinds of jewelries. The marketing department is
necessary in this company, as the company mostly deals with foreign
2
Maranatha Christian University
companies so that the marketing staff should have good communication
skills, especially in English.
However, during my apprenticeship in this company, I discovered that
most of the marketing staff do not have good communication skills in
English and this becomes one of the major problems in this company. The
problem occurs because it is difficult for the company to deal with foreign
companies, as miscommunication as well as misunderstanding often
occurred. As an example, I noticed that during the apprenticeship period,
miscommunication and misunderstanding often happened in negotiating
the products and the prices, as well as dealing with the deadlines and
dispatch.
C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study
The aim of the study is to define the problem related to English
communication skills in the Marketing Department of PT.Cahaya
Sejahtera Abadi and propose some potential solutions; as well as offering
the best solution of all.
It is expected that the study can be beneficial for PT.Cahaya Sejahtera
Abadi so that they will realize that marketing staff must possess English
competence to face the global competition. This study can also give
information to the readers about the importance of communication in
English language needed by marketing staff in an export-import company.
Besides this, the study can motivate myself to learn English more
seriously, especially in relation to the marketing world.
3
Maranatha Christian University
D. Description of the Institution
PT. Cahaya Sejahtera Abadi was founded on 2 August 2003 in
Bandung by Mr. Sufriady lee. The background of this company is a gold
retail company. The mission of this company is to develop the product
marketing in other countries, because the market potential is bigger than
the local market.
In 2003 this company had three staff and fifteen employees. In the first
year, this company produced fifty kilograms jewelries with the local market
(Indonesia) as the target. However, in 2005, the price of gold increased
75% up. This situation influenced the local market, and thus, this
company did marketing exploitation for export orientation continuously.
In the third year, this company started international markets in Dubai
and Hongkong. The products of this company can be accepted in the
international market because this company always maintains the quality
of the product.
In 2007 the price of gold has increased by almost 30%. It is caused by
the ever-increasing price of petroleum. Because of Mr.Sufriady’s diligence
and hard work, he can maintain his company and compete with other
companies of similar business. At the present time, this company can
produce ten kilograms of jewelries every month and have ten staff and
sixty employees.
4
Maranatha Christian University
E. Limitations of the Study
In this study, I mainly focus on the marketing department within the
company, as I consider that its marketing department has a major
problem in communicating in English. I apply library research in writing
this term-paper and also refer to my internship journal for daily details.
F. Organization of the term paper
This term paper begins with the Abstract, a concise summary of the
entire paper in Indonesia. The Declaration of Originality and the
Acknowledgements follow this Abstract. After that is the Table of
Contents, followed by its five chapters:
Chapter I
is the introduction to the analysis
Chapter II
contains the library research
Chapter III
analyzes the factors of the problem
Chapter IV
contains the solution of the problem
Chapter V
contains the conclusion
In the final part, I present successively the Bibliography.
5
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
Based on the research, I would like to conclude the importance of
English communication skills in a marketing department. The marketing
staff of PT. Cahaya Sejahtera Abadi must possess English competence,
especially when dealing with foreign customers. By mastering English
well, they will be able to do their task properly. There are some functional
types of spoken and written English used in marketing department by the
marketing staff, which are, negotiation, offering a new product, and
meeting and visiting.
In facing the global era nowadays, marketing staff should have a good
negotiation skill, which is, a part of communication skills in English
language. Yet, if they cannot speak English fluently, how can they perform
their job well as a marketing staff? The ability of using spoken and written
English is very essential for marketers because their tasks demand them
to communicate and negotiate with customers from other countries.
However not every marketing staff can use English properly, as they have
problems in using proper English, usually with the vocabulary and
pronunciation. They also find difficulty in using appropriate grammar.
14
Maranatha Christian University
To overcome the problems above, I suggest the best solution for the
marketing staff at PT. Cahaya Sejahtera Abadi is that they have to learn
English more by taking an English course because it is important for
marketing people to be able to speak English for their marketing purpose.
I think taking a course will help improve their English so they will be fluent,
both in oral and written English. The future, if the company has decided to
recruit new personnel or to open a job vacancy, they have to put English
ability as one of the requirements. I do hope the solution could be helpful
for the marketing staff at PT. Cahaya Sejahtera Abadi.
15
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Printed Sources
Kaplan, Burton. Strategic Communication. New York: A Division of
HarperCollins, 1935.
Nuttal, Chris J. Business Studies. University of Cambridge, 2005.
Parsons, C. J, and S. J. Hughes. Written Communication for Business
Students. London: Edward Arnold, 1970.
Electronic Sources
Kaplan, Burton. “Master of Science in Strategic Communication.” 19 Sept
2007 http://www.ce.columbia.edu/masters/about.cfm?Pid/
McCarthy, John. “The Common Business Communication Language.” 14
May 1996. 19 Sept 2007. http://wwwformal.stanford.edu/jmc/cbcl
16
Maranatha Christian University