Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Call centres'
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Chassioti, Efthimia. "Queueing models for call centres." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2005. http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/53535/.
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This research develops and evaluates queueing models that can be used to model characteristics of basic call centres, i.e. multi-server systems with time-dependent arrival rates, general service time distribution and state-dependent abandonments on arrival (balking). The discrete-time modelling approach which has previously been used for modelling the time-dependent behaviour of multi-server queues is extended to incorporate state-dependent balking. Pure birth state-dependent arrival processes are studied for different arrival rates and are extended for the case of a recurrent arrival rate. Two approximations are introduced to model time-dependent systems with state-dependent balking. These approximations are proved to bound the actual solution for M(t,n)/D/s systems. A simulation model for systems with state-dependent balking is developed. Empirical tests versus this model show that the two approximations provide bounds of controllable accuracy. The performance of systems with balking is studied. Results show insensitivity to the service time distribution. The pointwise stationary approximation (PSA) generally performs well for these systems. A simple formula to estimate the mean number in the system is derived for busy systems with balking. Insights potentially useful to call centre management are reported.
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Barnes, Nina. "The retention factors of call centre agents at a financial institution in the Western Cape." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4566.
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Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS)The aim of the study was to identify the retention variables highlighted as most important by call centre agents at a financial institution in the Western Cape. In addition, to assess which of the independent variables they place more importance on; and to determine whether differences exist between the retention variables highlighted as most important by the respective age and gender groups.
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Ellway, Benjamin Piers William. "Call centres : work, service, & technologies." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.609748.
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Collin-Jacques, Caroline. "Professional labour in call centres : a comparative study of nurse call centres in England and Quebec (Canada)." Thesis, Royal Holloway, University of London, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.407187.
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Bettesworth, Fiona. "Factors influencing performance of call centre agents : a study of a South African outsourced call centre." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/23840.
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This paper explores the factors influencing performance of call centre agents in a South African outsourced call centre in the motor industry, specifically in respect of organisational identification, job satisfaction and emotions at work. The ability to compete in the global economy will become increasingly reliant on the ability of organisations to satisfy the needs of customers. As organisations outsource the call centre element of their businesses to dedicated call centre providers, these call centre providers will need to become even more competitive. This ability to compete relies on their ability to increase productivity for financial control, whilst increasing their ability to satisfy the customers of organisations they represent. This cannot be done without correctly identifying the factors that drive work performance in call centre agents. The data were collected via a self-completed questionnaire based survey conducted among agents of a South African outsourced customer service centre, which interacts with the customers of a large motor manufacturer. The findings indicate that work performance is not directly correlated with organisational identification, job satisfaction or emotions at work, but these factors remain essential to the competitiveness of the organisation in respect of retention of the highest performers, and cannot be ignored. Positive emotions of call centre agents require further investigation as a driver of work performance, in respect of inherent positive well-being of workers and external factors that might influence positive well-being.Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2009.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
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Janse, van Rensburg Yolandi-Eloise. "Engagement in call centres : exploring eliciting factors." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/5193.
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Thesis (MComm (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Researchers have labelled call centres as the modern equivalent of the ‘factory sweatshops’ of the industrial era, and refer to them as the ‘satanic mills of the 21st century’. A review of the literature revealed the lack of employee engagement amongst call centre representatives (CCRs) to be a central concern in this fast-emerging global industry. Consequently, the current study was undertaken to identify and investigate various antecedents of employee engagement. The objective of the study was, firstly, to gauge the level of employee engagement amongst a sample of CCRs in South Africa and, secondly, to track the paths through which salient antecedents affect this engagement. More specifically, the relationships between sense of coherence (SOC), leadership effectiveness (LE), team effectiveness (TE) and employee engagement (E) were investigated. A quantitative research approach was followed whereby a positive psychology paradigm underpinned the examination of specific personal and job resources that could enhance engagement within the call centre environment. A cross-sectional survey design was used and a non-probability convenient sample of 215 CCRs was selected. The measuring instruments comprised the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale of Schaufeli and Bakker (2003) to measure engagement, the Team Diagnostic Survey of Wageman, Hackman and Lehman (2005) to measure team effectiveness, the Leadership Practices Inventory of Kouzes and Posner (2001) to gauge leadership effectiveness, and the Orientation to Life Questionnaire of Antonovsky (1987) to measure sense of coherence. A series of structural equation modelling analyses were performed. Contrary to the ‘electronic sweatshop’ image and its attendant symptoms of depression, emotional exhaustion, anxiety, demotivation and dissatisfaction attached to call centre jobs (depicted in the literature), the results show a high level of employee engagement for the CCRs in the sample. Also, personal resources, such as SOC, and job resources, such as TE, related significantly to E. A non-significant relationship was found to exist between LE and E. The implications of the results for the practice of human resource management in call centres are elaborated upon.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Oproepsentrums is al deur navorsers bestempel as die moderne ekwivalent van die ‘hongerfabrieke’ van die industriële tydvak, en as die ‘sataniese meule van die 21ste eeu’. ‘n Oorsig van die literatuur toon dat die gebrek aan werknemerverbintenis onder oproepsentrumverteenwoordigers (call centre representatives (CCRs)) ‘n sentrale kommer is in hierdie vinnig ontluikende globale bedryf. Gevolglik is hierdie studie onderneem om die verskillende antesedente van werknemerverbintenis te ondersoek. Die doelwit van hierdie studie was eerstens om die vlak van werknemerverbintenis in ‘n steekproef van oproepsentrumverteenwoordigers in Suid-Afrika te meet, en tweedens om die weë waardeur die pertinente antesedente hierdie verbintenis beïnvloed, op te spoor. Meer spesifiek is die verhoudings tussen samehangsin (sense of coherence (SOC)), leierskapdoeltreffendheid (leadership effectiveness (LE)), spandoeltreffendheid (team effectiveness (TE)) en die werknemer se verbintenis (engagement (E)) ondersoek. ‘n Kwantitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is gebruik in terme waarvan ‘n positiewe sielkundige paradigma die ondersoek van spesifieke persoonlike en werkhulpbronne onderstut het wat verbintenis in die oproepsentrum-omgewing kon verhoog. ‘n Deursnee- opname-ontwerp is gebruik en ‘n nie-waarskynlikheidsgerieflikheidsteekproef van 215 oproepsentrumverteenwoordigers is geselekteer. Die meetinstrumente het die volgende behels: die Utrecht Work Engagement Scale van Schaufeli en Bakker (2003) om verbintenis te meet; die Team Diagnostic Survey van Wageman, Hackman en Lehman (2005) om spandoeltreffendheid te meet; die Leadership Practices Inventory van Kouzes en Posner (2001) om leierskapdoeltreffendheid te meet; en die Orientation to Life Questionnaire van Antonovsky (1987) om samehangsin te meet. ‘n Reeks ontledings van struktuurvergelykingsmodellering is uitgevoer. In teenstelling met die beeld van ‘n ‘elektroniese hongerfabriek’ en die gepaardgaande simptome van neerslagtigheid, emosionele uitputting, angstigheid, demotivering en ontevredenheid wat met werk in oproepsentrums gepaard gaan (soos in die literatuur uitgebeeld), toon die resultate ‘n hoë vlak van werknemerverbintenis vir die oproepsentrumverteenwoordigers in hierdie steekproef. Persoonlike hulpbronne soos samehangsin, en werkhulpbronne soos spandoeltreffendheid, het ‘n noemenswaardige verband met verbintenis getoon. ‘n Nie-betekenisvolle verhouding is gevind tussen leierskapdoeltreffendheid en verbintenis. Die implikasies van die uitslae vir die menslike hulpbronnepraktyk in oproepsentrums word ook bespreek.
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Majakwara, Jacob. "Application of multiserver queueing to call centres." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015461.
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The simplest and most widely used queueing model in call centres is the M/M/k system, sometimes referred to as Erlang-C. For many applications the model is an over-simplification. Erlang-C model ignores among other things busy signals, customer impatience and services that span multiple visits. Although the Erlang-C formula is easily implemented, it is not easy to obtain insight from its answers (for example, to find an approximate answer to questions such as "how many additional agents do I need if the arrival rate doubles?"). An approximation of the Erlang-C formula that gives structural insight into this type of question would be of use to better understand economies of scale in call centre operations. Erlang-C based predictions can also turn out highly inaccurate because of violations of underlying assumptions and these violations are not straightforward to model. For example, non-exponential service times lead one to the M/G/k queue which, in stark contrast to the M/M/k system, is difficult to analyse. This thesis deals mainly with the general M/GI/k model with abandonment. The arrival process conforms to a Poisson process, service durations are independent and identically distributed with a general distribution, there are k servers, and independent and identically distributed customer abandoning times with a general distribution. This thesis will endeavour to analyse call centres using M/GI/k model with abandonment and the data to be used will be simulated using EZSIM-software. The paper by Brown et al. [3] entitled "Statistical Analysis of a Telephone Call Centre: A Queueing-Science Perspective," will be the basis upon which this thesis is built.
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Jason, Bronwin Anastasia. "An adaptive user interface model for contact centres." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/989.
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Contact centres (CC), are the primary interaction point between a company and its customers and these are rapidly expanding in terms of both workforce and economic scope. An important challenge for today's CC solutions is to increase the speed at which CCAs retrieve information to answer customer queries. CCAs, however, differ in their ability to respond to these queries and do not interact with the computer user interface (UI) in the same way as they each have different capabilities, experience and expertise. Studies have provided empirical support that user performance can be increased when the computer UI characteristics match the user skill level. Adaptive user interfaces (AUIs) are the key to creating personalised systems. Their sole task is to provide an interface most suitable to users' needs whilst facilitating the users' varying skill levels. The aim of this research was to develop an AUI model for CCs to support and improve the expertise level of CCAs. A literature review of CCs, user expertise, AUIs and existing AUI models resulted in the proposal of an AUI model for CCs. The proposed AUI model was described in terms of its architecture, component-level and interface design. An AUI prototype was developed as a proof-of-concept of the proposed AUI model. A literature review on existing AUI evaluation approaches resulted in an evaluation strategy for the proposed AUI model. The AUI prototype was evaluated according to the evaluation strategy that was identified. User testing incorporating eye-tracking and a post-test questionnaire was used to determine the usefulness and usability of the AUI prototype. Significant results were found with regards to user satisfaction ratings, the learnability of the AUI prototype and its effectiveness. This dissertation makes an important contribution in the design of an AUI model that supports and improves the expertise level of CCAs. The model could be used to assist the development of CC applications incorporating AUIs. Future research is however needed to evaluate the effect of the proposed AUI model in a larger CC environment.
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Barnes, Alison Kate School of Industrial Relations & Organisational Behaviour UNSW. "'The centre cannot hold': resistance, accommodation and control in three Australian call centres." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Industrial Relations and Organisational Behaviour, 2005. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/22026.
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Drawing upon case studies of three organisations operating six call centres in Australia, this thesis explores the manifestations and interplay of employee resistance and accommodation in response to five facets of employer control: electronic monitoring; repetitious work; emotional control; the built environment; and workplace flexibility. Accommodation refers to the ways workers protect themselves from and adapt to the pressures that make up their day-to-day experiences of work. Accommodation, unlike resistance, which implies opposition to control, may superficially resemble consent to control. I argue that resistance and accommodation are not polar opposites; rather they are both reflections of the conflict and tensions that lie at the heart of the employment relationship. At the study sites, employees utilised resistance and accommodation both separately and concurrently. An explanation of these seemingly contradictory responses and of the links among accommodation individual resistance and collective resistance lies in the concept of ???self???. In this thesis, ???self??? refers to workers??? perceptions of fairness, dignity and autonomy. I examine how these notions frame worker discontent and promote employee solidarity. ???Everyday resistance???, a concept first developed by Scott (1985) in relation to peasant struggles, is employed to highlight the existence of subterranean struggles in workplaces that otherwise appear to be harmonious. At the study sites, everyday resistance was a multi-faceted, widely employed strategy whose strength lay primarily in its immediate impact. There was, however, no necessary sequential development from accommodation, through everyday resistance to overt, formal forms of conflict. What was evident was that multiple responses to employer control could co-exist and inhibit or promote one another. But it was through organised collective resistance that more formalised gains were made and widely held grievances addressed. I suggest that, although everyday resistance may lay the groundwork for more formal struggles, one should not conclude that traditional collective resistance is ???genuine??? resistance and everyday resistance is simply a second-best prelude to it. Although conflict is always present, its intensity differs. If we are to understand the complexity of worker responses to managerial control, we need to expand the theoretical frameworks within which we analyse and interpret conflict.
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Legros, Benjamin. "Optimization of multi-channel and multi-skill call centers." Phd thesis, Ecole Centrale Paris, 2013. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00997410.
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Call centers have been introduced with great success by many service‐oriented companies. They become the main point of contact with the customer, and an integral part of the majority of corporations. The large‐scale emergence of call centers has created a fertile source of management issues. In this PhD thesis, we focus on various operations management issues of multi‐skill and multichannel call centers. The objective of our work is to derive, both qualitative and quantitative, results for practical management. In the first part, we focus on architectures with limited flexibility for multi‐skill call centers. The context is that of call centers with asymmetric parameters: unbalanced workload, different service requirements, a predominant customer type, unbalanced abandonments and high costs of crosstraining. The most knowing architectures with limited flexibility such as chaining fail against such asymmetry. We propose a new architecture referred to as single pooling with only two skills per agent and we demonstrate its efficiency under various situations of asymmetry. In the second part, we focus on routing problems in multi‐channel call centers. In the first study, we consider a blended call center with calls arriving over time and an infinitely backlogged queue of emails. The call service is characterized by three successive stages where the second one is a break. We focus on the optimization of the email routing to agents. The objective is to maximize the throughput of emails subject to a constraint on the call waiting time. Various guidelines to call center managers are provided. In particular, we prove for the optimal routing that all the time at least one of the two email routing parameters has an extreme value. In the second study, we examine a threshold policy on the reservation of agents for the inbound calls. We study a general non‐stationary model where the call arrival follows a non‐homogeneous Poisson process. The optimization problem consists on maximizing the throughput of outbound tasks under a constraint on the waiting time of inbound calls. We propose an efficient adaptive threshold policy easy to implement. This scheduling policy is evaluated through a comparison with the optimal performance measures found in the case of a constant stationary arrival rate, and also a comparison with other intuitive adaptive threshold policies in the general non‐stationary case. In the third study, we consider a call center model with a call back option, which allows to transform an inbound call into an outbound one. The optimization problem consists on minimizing the expected waiting time of the outbound calls while respecting a service level constraint on the inbound ones. We propose a routing policy with two thresholds, one on the reservation of the agents for inbound calls, and another on the number of waiting outbound calls. A curve relating the two thresholds is determined.
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Chen, Jianrong. "An architecture for agent-oriented virtual inhabited call centres." Thesis, Oxford Brookes University, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.250511.
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Matos, Patricia R. M. A. "Precarious labour in Portuguese call centres : an anthropological study." Thesis, Goldsmiths College (University of London), 2010. http://research.gold.ac.uk/6531/.
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This thesis explores the themes of alienation and exploitation within the Portuguese call centre sector by focusing on the nature of value-creation in the organisation of labour, the effects this regime has on workers’ consciousness and agency, and how these effects are expressed in terms of class, gender and age. These questions are examined within the broader political and economic context. In recent years the ‘call centre domain’ in Portugal has been transformed into the main symbol of precariedade laboral (labour precariousness). The categories of trabalho precário (precarious labour), trabalhador precário (precarious worker) and precariedade laboral (labour precariousness) have recently entered into everyday language in Portugal. They are used by politicians and journalists as well as social movements and citizens as a way of protesting against the growing insecurity, contingency and vulnerability of formal wage employment as is found, for instance, in the increase of ‘atypical forms of employment’ such as temporary agency work. Call centres have been described as ‘electronic sweatshops’ because of such characteristics as repetitive tasks, high turnover, stress and burnout, psychological aggression from ‘angry’ customers, low autonomy in work tasks and automatism (scripting), leading to the stereotype of call centre workers as ‘human answering machines’. My research argues that, in the call centre labour regime workers are subjected to management by tight surveillance which robs humans of their defining characteristics of creative/symbolic thinking and complex communication and language. This management also imposes a gendered division of labour which separates men working in technical support help lines from women working in commercial help lines. The dispossession of call centre operators from what they do comes both from the gap between their expectations of and aspirations to social mobility, which were inculcated through their circles of socialization (family, state, school), and the feeling of ‘falling from grace’ after finishing their college degrees and having to enter into call centre work. This is a form of work which is not only socially perceived as unskilled, inferior and lacking career options, but most importantly as a form of work in which humans are disguised as robots. I conclude by situating my main findings within the anthropological and sociological scholarship related to the nature of value-creation in the capitalist labour process, gender commodification and the subjective experience of dispossession, downward class mobility and stigma.
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Basi, Jatinder Kaur Tina. "Globalisation and transnational Indian call centres : constructing women's identities." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.421339.
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Gordi, Michelle Romilla. "Job satisfaction of call centre representatives." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2006. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&.
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The aim of the study is to prove that a correlation exist between job satisfaction and the levels of absenteeism, turnover, performance and customer satisfaction. Data were collected using the Job Satisfaction Survey which is a self-administered questionaire to measure job satisfaction of call centre representatives. Additional data were collected using the company's existing measures for measuring absenteeism, turnover, performance and customer satisfaction. The study found a relationship between job satisfaction and performance, between job satisfaction and turnover and between job satisfaction and customer service. However, no relationship was found between job satisfaction and absenteeism, which is consistent with previous studies.
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Chicu, Doriana. "Employees and customers in call centres: confirmatory and exploratory study." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/396290.
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Aquest estudi tracta de connectar les disciplines de RH i Màrqueting, i examina el model de service-profit chain (SPC) en el sector de Call Centre, caracteritzat per un servei remot i un negoci basat en la reducció de costos.
Les dades s'han col·lectat del Projecte "Global Call Center Project". Hem realitzat dos estudis. En el primer estudi (confirmatori) s'ha emprat una mostra internacional (n = 937). En el segon estudi (exploratori) vam utilitzar una mostra espanyola (n = 109).
Els resultats revelen que el model SPC té una aplicació diferent en els call centres. Encara que a nivell general podem confirmar la majoria de les relacions del model, els resultats indiquen que la satisfacció del client és un resultat separat, i no un precursor del rendiment de l'empresa. També trobem una alternativa de mesurar el constructe individual de la satisfacció de l'empleat amb dades disponibles de la organització. Addicionalment, vam descobrir certes discrepàncies en la relació entre la productivitat i la satisfacció dels empleats.El presente estudio es una conexión entre las disciplinas de RH y Marketing, y examina el modelo service-profit chain (SPC) en el sector de Call Centre, caracterizado por un servicio remoto y un negocio basado en la reducción de costes. Los datos se han colectado del Proyecto “Global Call Center Project”. Hemos realizado dos estudios. En el primer estudio (confirmatorio) se ha empleado una muestra internacional (n = 937). En el segundo estudio (exploratorio) utilizamos una muestra española (n = 109). Los resultados revelan que el modelo SPC tiene una aplicación diferente en los call centres. Aunque a nivel general podemos confirmar la mayoría de las relaciones del modelo, los resultados indican que la satisfacción del cliente es un resultado separado, y no un precursor de rendimiento de la empresa. También encontramos una alternativa de medir el constructo individual de satisfacción del empleado con los datos organizacionales disponibles. Adicionalmente, descubrimos ciertas discrepancias en la relación entre la productividad y la satisfacción de los empleados.
This thesis is an interface between HR and Marketing discipline, by examining the Service-Profit Chain (SPC) model in the context of call centre, characterized by remote service and cost cutting business models. Data was gathered from the Global Call Centre Project. We carried out two studies. The first one is a confirmatory study, using an international sample (n=937). In the second study we use a Spanish sample (n=109) and carry out an exploratory study. Findings reveal that the SPC model behaves somewhat differently in call centres. Although there is general support for most of the links in the model, the results indicate that customer satisfaction in the call centre industry is a separate outcome, rather than a precursor to company performance. In addition, we found a way to measure the individual level of employee satisfaction construct with organizational available data. We also discovered some discrepancies in the relationship between employee satisfaction and employee productivity.
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Smith, Marisa Kay. "Innovation activities in call and contact centres : an exploratory study." Thesis, University of Strathclyde, 2009. http://oleg.lib.strath.ac.uk:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=11807.
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Strydom, Aletta Sofia Louisa. "On assessing performance management systems in South African call centres." Thesis, Unisa, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/153.
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The research aims to establish a framework whereby performance management systems can be assessed in terms of its effectiveness. The industry in which research is conducted is the call centre industry in South Africa.The field of Performance Management is receiving more attention today than ever before. This is due to the fact that many companies are becoming more and more frustrated by the ‘disconnect’ that exists between formulating their strategy and successful delivery against it. The aim of this research is to determine how performance is managed in organisations, but more importantly, how it should be managed. To this end, this research considers the total endeavour required to manage performance as a system, and wishes to contribute towards specifying how this system must ‘hang together’. This research is conducted against the backdrop of the call centre industry in South Africa. The call centre industry is an area of potential growth in South Africa and in need of evaluating and improving their performance results to meet or exceed the international benchmarks. This level of global pressure makes call centres an appropriate subject of analysis on a topic such as Performance Management. The nature of this research was mostly exploratory, by firstly reviewing existing theory and literature relevant to this subject. Subsequent to this, two assessment instruments were used to assess the desired situation with regards to Performance Management Systems in South African call centres. The one instrument was developed as a result of the theory and literature reviewed during this research project (the PMSAI). Another, existing, instrument, the PMA®, (De Waal, 2004) was also used to provide a different view and provides an opportunity to triangulate this project. It also addresses the current status of Performance Management Systems in South African call centres to highlight shortcomings as a basis to review and improve these systems. The main findings of this research are that a successful Performance Management System should take cognisance of a number of factors in- and outside of the organisation as well as the interplay between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ elements in the system. Examples of these factors are the industry and focus of the organisation, as well as what the Performance Management System must be used for. Examples of ‘hard’ vs ‘soft’ elements are responsibilities for performance targets (hard) and the level of buy-in to achieve the targets (‘soft’). In the end, a perfect ‘answer’ to Performance Management is elusive and is likely to remain so mainly due to the inherent complexity and level of variety that this system must cater for.
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Labarthe, Carrara Javier. "Hardiness personality and its relation to voluntary resignation in call centers." Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, 2017. http://repositorio.pucp.edu.pe/index/handle/123456789/123830.
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This paper discusses the relationship between hardiness personality and workers’ voluntary resignation from call center jobs. The aim is to understand the decision to leave through a subject’s personality. The hardiness personality questionnaire developed by Moreno, Garrosa and Gonzalez (2000) was administered to a sample of 81 telemarketers. A higher probability of voluntary resignation was found in those with low hardiness personality as well as in those with higher levels of education. The greater permanence of workers with a high level of hardiness personality shows that there are individual traits that facilitate the way in which the worker deals with the demands and the perception of the work setting, which influences the voluntary resignation decision in this type of organizations.En el presente trabajo se analiza la relación entre la personalidad resistente, y el egreso voluntario de los trabajadores en call centers. Se pretende entender la decisión de egreso, a través de la personalidad. Se aplicó el cuestionario de personalidad resistente desarrollado por Moreno, Garrosa y Gonzalez (2000) a una muestra de 81 teleoperadores. Se encontró una probabilidad mayor de egreso voluntario en las personas con baja personalidad resistente así como las que cuentan con mayores niveles de escolaridad. Esto nos permite señalar que existen rasgos individuales que facilitan la gestión de las demandas y la percepción sobre el contexto laboral que influye en la decisión de egreso en este tipo de organizaciones.
Dans le présent travail, la relation entre la personnalité résistante et le départ volontaire des travailleurs dans les centres d’appels est analysée. Il est destiné à comprendre la décision de sortir, à travers la personnalité. Le questionnaire sur la personnalité résistante développé par Moreno, Garrosa et Gonzalez (2000) a été appliqué à un échantillon de 81 télévendeurs. Nous avons trouvé une probabilité plus élevée de départ volontaire chez les personnes à faible personnalité résistante ainsi que chez celles ayant un niveau de scolarité plus élevé. Cela nous permet de souligner qu’il existe des caractéristiques individuelles qui facilitent la gestion des demandes et la perception du contexte de travail qui influence la décision de quitter ce type d’organisation.
Neste trabalho se analisa, a relação entre a personalidade resistente e a saída voluntária dos trabalhadores em centros de chamada. Pretende-se compreender a decisão de saída, através da personalidade. Foi aplicado o questionário de personalidade resistente desenvolvido por Moreno, Garrosa e Gonzalez (2000) em uma mostra de 81 teleoperadores. Uma maior probabilidade de retirada voluntária foi encontrada em pessoas com baixa personalidade resistente assim como aqueles com níveis mais elevados de escolaridade. Isso nos permite apontar que existem traços individuais que facilitam o gerenciamento das demandas e a percepção sobre o contexto de trabalho que influencia a decisão de saída neste tipo de organizações
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McGuire, Treasure Madeleine. "Consumer medicines call centres : a medication liaison model of pharmaceutical care /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2005. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe18728.pdf.
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Holdsworth, Lynn. "Empowerment,satisfaction and employee well-being : the dilemma for call centres." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.631667.
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Although empowerment is acknowledged as a beneficial form of work design for both employees and organisations, there is limited research into the concept within call centres. Two studies were conducted to explore four dimensions of psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and employee well-being for employees in call centre environments. Study 1 compared the perceptions of empowerment, job satisfaction and well-being of customer service agents, administration staff and supervisors within six call centres. Overall working as a customer service agent offered less autonomy, but was no less satisfying, than working in administration at the same level. However, all non-supervisory call centre workers reported poorer well-being than the general working population. The results for the customer service agent role revealed that more empowerment led to higher job satisfaction, improvement in employee wellbeing and a reduction in intention to leave. However, an inverted U-shape relationship between empowerment and job satisfaction suggested that too much empowerment decreased job satisfaction and impaired employee wellbeing. Comparisons between diverse service management models suggested customer service agents felt "high commitment" models to be the most empowering, satisfying and best for well-being. However, the introduction of limited empowerment practices into "mass service models" could reduce unwanted turnover. The second study used a longitudinal design in one call centre. Study 2 evaluated the effect of an organisational development programme on empowerment, job satisfaction, employee well-being, and performance for customer service agents. Study 2 . substantiated the inverted U-shape relationship between empowerment and job satisfaction. The organisational "development programme improved business performance and employee wellbeing, but reduced satisfaction and perceptions of empowerment, and could result in an increase in unwanted turnover. The findings suggest a cautious approach when introducing empowerment practices. From the employee perspective some empowerment is beneficial. However, from the organisational perspective, unless empowerment is introduced unequivocally, and in a controlled and supportive way, the result may not produce a commensurate improvement in performance and outcomes desired. Limitations of the studies are discussed and recommendations for future research are proposed.
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Forgiarini, Ilvo. "Management practices that support retention in South African inbound call centres." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/23865.
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The turnover of call centre agents in South Africa is higher than in most other industries. The costs incurred to retain agents versus the replacement costs of an agent are massive. This research focused on inbound call centre agents and the perception of five management practises which were compared with both managers and agents in two large call centres. The five management practises tested were communication, call centre structure, performance management, recruitment and selection, and training and development. These five practises impacted on the agents’ intention to leave by 36%. A non-probability sampling method was used to select a sample of inbound call centre agents; a total of 82 agents were surveyed. Regression, stepwise selection, Wilcoxon Scores Rank Sum test, Pearson and Spearman correlation tests were some of the tools used to interpret the survey. The research concluded that communication had the strongest correlation with an agent’s intention to leave. Communication had the best combination of a matching variable to be predicted on a stepwise selection. The research further showed that the managers’ and call centre agents’ perception differs to the extent that managers believe sufficient communication is made to keep call centre agents satisfied, and this is contrary to the agents perception. Interesting to note is that 82% of the agents have considered leaving their organisation at some point, 63% of the employees do not want to be working at their current employer in the next year, and 53% had considered leaving within the past three months. This research has contributed to the body of knowledge. Organisations and managers are well positioned to direct their focus to specific management practises identified in the research which will assist them in retaining call centre agents.Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
unrestricted
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Durbin, Susan. "Is the knowledge economy gendered? : call centres as a case study." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2004. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/639/.
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This thesis investigates the gendering of the knowledge economy and argues that women are being excluded from key areas within it, through their employment in call centres. Access to knowledge and participation in the knowledge economy, primarily through the use of information technologies, are the focus for a critical debate around social inclusion and exclusion. Gender inequalities are rarely considered, with a few notable exceptions. Women's relationship with knowledge is considered and developed through the analysis of four knowledge types. This demonstrates that access to and involvement in the knowledge economy is gendered. The relationship between skills and gender is analysed, confirming the perpetuation of patriarchal perceptions held by male senior managers about why women are employed in call centres. Management style in this relatively new sector is investigated to establish whether or not it has been re-gendered. Most knowledge economy writers posit the decline in management hierarchies and the `end of career'. This research reviews the implications of this for women's careers in management. The thesis critically considers women's involvement in the call centre design process, drawing upon existing empirical research on the social shaping of technology and the theoretical debates of actor network theory. This confirms that the design process is gendered and hierarchical, due to the exclusion of women. The investigation of women's relationship with the knowledge economy is researched through analysis of knowledge types, skills, management styles, career progression and the design of technology and the working environment in call centres.
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Schefe, Neville Lindsay. "The systematic improvement of advice given by public sector call centres." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2006. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/16279/1/Neville_Schefe_Thesis.pdf.
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The persistent demand for increased accountability and value for money in the public sector from both the public and governments raises the issue of quality of service in advice-giving by governmental agencies. The goal of this study is to develop a model to validate frameworks able to contribute to improved advice-giving through the application of knowledge management principles.
Zack's (2001) Four Knowledge Problem Model, Brogowicz, Delene, and Lyth's (1990) Synthesised Service Quality Model, and Markus's (2001) Theory of Knowledge Reuse are used to examine knowledge strategies in advice-giving through the application of a case study methodology. Two Queensland public-sector call centres are investigated.
This study confirms that although the studied call centres operate under differing business drivers, agents have developed strategies generally consistent with those suggested by Zack (2001) to deal with uncertain, complex, and ambiguous problem types. No equivocal problems were encountered in the study. The solution of the former problem pair of uncertainty and complexity relies on knowledge that is codified and stored in databases, while the latter equivocality and ambiguity, seeks out experts who apply both technical and functional knowledge to the problem resolution. Roles performed by call-centre agents predominantly align with those described by Markus (2001), with the opportunity to enhance performance through contribution by shared-work producers to knowledge repositories. The problem-solving strategies employed by agents and the technical capabilities of the call centres combine to deliver a level of service quality which, although meeting client expectations, has been able to be improved through the application of knowledge strategies targeting efficient problem resolution through knowledge reuse.
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Schefe, Neville Lindsay. "The systematic improvement of advice given by public sector call centres." Queensland University of Technology, 2006. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16279/.
Full textAbstract:
The persistent demand for increased accountability and value for money in the public sector from both the public and governments raises the issue of quality of service in advice-giving by governmental agencies. The goal of this study is to develop a model to validate frameworks able to contribute to improved advice-giving through the application of knowledge management principles. Zack's (2001) Four Knowledge Problem Model, Brogowicz, Delene, and Lyth's (1990) Synthesised Service Quality Model, and Markus's (2001) Theory of Knowledge Reuse are used to examine knowledge strategies in advice-giving through the application of a case study methodology. Two Queensland public-sector call centres are investigated. This study confirms that although the studied call centres operate under differing business drivers, agents have developed strategies generally consistent with those suggested by Zack (2001) to deal with uncertain, complex, and ambiguous problem types. No equivocal problems were encountered in the study. The solution of the former problem pair of uncertainty and complexity relies on knowledge that is codified and stored in databases, while the latter equivocality and ambiguity, seeks out experts who apply both technical and functional knowledge to the problem resolution. Roles performed by call-centre agents predominantly align with those described by Markus (2001), with the opportunity to enhance performance through contribution by shared-work producers to knowledge repositories. The problem-solving strategies employed by agents and the technical capabilities of the call centres combine to deliver a level of service quality which, although meeting client expectations, has been able to be improved through the application of knowledge strategies targeting efficient problem resolution through knowledge reuse.
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Jouini, Oualid. "Stochastic modeling in call centers operations management." Châtenay-Malabry, Ecole centrale de Paris, 2006. http://www.theses.fr/2006ECAP1022.
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Le sujet de cette thèse porte sur le développement et l'analyse de modèles stochastiques pour l'aide à la décision dans les centres d'appels. Dans la première partrie, nous considérons un centre d'appels où tous les agents sont groupés ensemble. Nous étudions les bénéfices de la migration depuis cette configuration à celle où les agents sont organisés en pool. Chaque pool est responsable d'un portefeuille de clients. Ensuite, nous considérons un centre d'appel avec des clients impatients. Nous développons des politiques dynamiques pour l'affectation des clients aux différentes files d'attente. L'objectif est lié aux qualités de service différenciées exprimées en terme du pourcentage de clients perdus. Enfin, nous étudions un centre d'appel qui annonce les délais d'attente aux clients. Nous montrons les avantages de l'annonce des délais sur les performances du système. Dans la deuxième partie, nous considérons un processus de naissance et de mort de forme générale. Nous calculons les moments de plusieurs variables aléatoires liées aux temps de premier passage d'un état à un autre. Ensuite, nous montrons un résultat de concavité dans une d'attente avec des clients impatients. Nous montrons que la probabilité d'entrer en service est strictement croissante et concave en fonction de la taille de la file d'attenteIn this thesis, we focus on various operations management issues of call centers. We derive both qualitative and quantitative results for practical management. In the first part of the thesis, we investigate the impact of team-based organizations in call centers management. We develop queueing models that show the benefits of the team-based organization in providing better performances. Next, we consider a multicall call center with impatient customers. We develop dynamic scheduling policies that assign customers to the waiting lines. We focus on differentiated service levels criteria related to the fraction of abandoning customers. Finally, we propose a call center model in which we provide information about queueing delays to customers, and we quantify its effect upon performance. In the second part of the thesis, we tackled the quantitative analysis of stochastic processes ans queueing models. First, we derive several closed-form expressions of the moments of first passage times in general birth-death processes. Second, we investigate some monotonicity properties for the probability of being served in markovian queueing systems with impatient customers
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Liao, Shuang Qing. "Dimensionnement des centres d’appels avec incertitude sur les paramètres d’arrivées." Thesis, Châtenay-Malabry, Ecole centrale de Paris, 2011. http://www.theses.fr/2011ECAP0027/document.
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Au cours des dernières années, les centres d'appels ont été introduits avec succès par de nombreuses entreprises axées sur les services comme les banques et les compagnies d'assurance. Ils deviennent le principal point de contact avec les clients, et une partie intégrante de la majorité des sociétés. L'émergence à grande échelle des centres d'appels a créé une source féconde de problèmes de gestion des opérations. Dans cette thèse, nous nous concentrons sur la question de dimensionnement et définition des emplois du temps dans les centres d'appels. L'objectif de notre travail consiste à développer des analyses qualitatives ainsi que quantitatives, afin de déduire des recommandations utiles aux managers.Nous analysons quatre problèmes qui tiennent compte de l'incertitude sur les paramètres d'arrivée des appels. Le processus d'arrivée des appels est supposé suivre un processus non stationnaire et doublement stochastique avec un taux moyen d'arrivée aléatoire.Dans le premier modèle, nous considérons un centre d’appels avec une seule vacation possible. Les agents traitent en même temps des appels entrants et des tâches de back-office. Ceci permet d’avoir une certaine souplesse pour modifier en temps réel la capacité instantanée de traitement des appels entrants. Nous analysons l'impact de la flexibilité offerte par les charges de travail de back-office.Dans le deuxième modèle, nous considérons un centre d'appels avec plusieurs vacations possibles. Les agents traitent seulement des appels entrants. Dans ce modèle, le dimensionnement initialement établi peut être corrigé au cours de la journée de travail. Nous proposons une approche de programmation stochastique en deux étapes et une approche de programmation réglable robuste pour résoudre le problème d’optimisation. En particulier, nous analysons et montrons l'avantage supplémentaire d'utiliser le réglage dynamique sur les coûts de dimensionnement du centre d’appels. Dans le troisième modèle, nous considérons un autre type d'incertitude supplémentaire, qui est l'incertitude sur la distribution de probabilité d'un paramètre aléatoire. Nous proposons une approche combinant la programmation stochastique et la programmation distributionnellement robuste, et nous évaluons son rendement. Le dernier problème de dimensionnement d’un centre d'appels pour lequel le manager se propose de satisfaire un niveau de service global pour toute la journée au lieu d’un niveau de service objectif par période. Nous permettons également la mise à jour du dimensionnement au cours de la journée. Dans notre analyse, nous montrons en particulier les avantages de l'ajout de la flexibilité de mise à jour, et soulignons l'impact d'avoir une contrainte de service niveau globale sur les performancesIn the past few years, call centers have been introduced with great success by many service-oriented companies such as banks and insurance companies. They become the main point of contact with the customers, and an integral part of the majority of corporations. The large-scale emergence of call centers has created a fertile source of management issues. In this thesis, we focus on the issue of staffing and scheduling of call centers. The objective of our work is to derive both qualitative and quantitative results for practical management.We specifically address the analysis of four problems that take into account the important feature of uncertainty in the call arrival parameters. The call arrival process is assumed to follow a doubly non-stationary stochastic process with a random mean arrival rate.In the first model, we consider a single-shift call center blending inbound calls and back-office jobs. By allowing the possibility of real-time changes in the capacity dealing with inbound calls, we analyze the impact of the flexibility offered by back-office jobs.In the second model, we consider a multi-shift call center with single type of inbound calls, in which the scheduling update is allowed. We propose a two-stage stochastic programming approach and an adjustable robust programming approach to efficiently solve the problem. We also analyze the benefits of using dynamic adjustment on scheduling.In the third model, we consider an additional type of uncertainty, namely the uncertainty on the probability distribution of a random parameter. We propose an approach combining stochastic programming and distributionally robust programming, and evaluate its performance.The last model deals with a call center optimization under a global service level constraint instead of period by period constraints. We again allow scheduling decisions to be updated during the middle of the day. We show the advantages of adding the update flexibility, and point out the impact of having a global service level constraint on performance
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Dean, Alison Mary 1950. "Delivering service quality in call centres : customers' responses and frontline employees' views." Monash University, Dept. of Management, 2004. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/5255.
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Rajan, Sweta. "The Balancing Act? : Work-Family Conflict and Balance in Indian Call Centres." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.519814.
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Houlihan, Maeve. "Making sense of call centres : working and managing on the front line." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.418433.
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Free, Alex. "Workplace selves, interactive service work and outsourcing : labour in Kenya's call centres." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 2015. http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/3135/.
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The consequences for workers of the expansion of interactive service work in Nairobi, Kenya, are explored in this thesis. I investigate workplace power relations as forms of control that are implicated in managerial strategies by examining workers' experiences in the call centre sector. The Foucauldian-inspired conceptual framework for this study privileges workplace selves, enabling a focus on how call centre agent conduct is problematized by management. The empirical part of the study uses a multimethod approach that includes interviews, workplace observations and a questionnaire. The empirical analysis demonstrates that while management tends to approach in-house or captive agents as low-status subordinate selves, business process outsourcing (BPO) agents are best regarded as flexible selves, owing to their selectively autonomous working roles and the relative insecurity of their work. As a ‘development’ project, the BPO sector is shown to have a mixed record with respect to agent livelihoods. It has given rise to new opportunities for workers but without providing stable employment. Examining the rationalities underpinning workplace control, my analysis indicates that captive agents can be understood as being subject to a rationality of directed conduct, while their BPO counterparts are more likely to be managed according to a rationality of strategic egalitarianism. Consequently, BPO agents are shown to be implicated in a relatively more complex configuration of workplace power relations than captive agents, with the result that they tend to speak more favourably about work that they also depict as onerous. The empirical analysis provides a basis for advancing theoretical understanding achieved by introducing novel concepts, the most important of which concern modes of workplace 'subjectification': comprehensive observation, selfproblematization and recognizing individualism. These help to position the analysis of managerial strategies in a way that neither regards agents as fully empowered nor assumes worker exploitation as the main outcome. The study demonstrates how management endeavours to oversee the intensive monitoring of conduct while also securing agents' commitment to their roles by providing fulfilling workplace experiences.
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Nusshold, Patricio. "Organisation du travail et souffrance psychique dans les activités de service : le cas des centres d'appel en Argentine." Thesis, Paris, CNAM, 2015. http://www.theses.fr/2015CNAM1023/document.
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Cette recherche est le résultat de deux travaux d’analyse de l’activité dans deux centres d’appels téléphoniques en Argentine. Un travail de terrain, ainsi qu'une appréciation de plusieurs autres centres d’appels téléphoniques dans différents pays, auront servi de point de départ pour étudier deux grands axes: d’une part, l’étude des conséquences du travail dans les call centers sur la santé mentale et d’autre part, l'analyse des différentes approches de cette problématique en vue de sa transformation. La psychodynamique du travail et l’ergonomie de l’activité proposent différents regards, aujourd’hui confrontés aux questionnaires d’évaluation des risques psychosociaux. Cette thèse vise à mieux appréhender le lien entre l’organisation du travail, le contenu des tâches et les conséquences pour les travailleurs argentins, et compare ces résultats avec ceux d' autres pays où des investigations similaires ont été menéesThis research is the result of a thorough analysis of the work of two call centers in Argentina. This fieldwork, building on call center visits undertaken in other countries, is the starting point for the study of two main issues. Firstly, the study of the consequences of call center work for mental health. Secondly, the study of different approaches that support the development of ways to improve it such work. Work psychodynamics and activity ergonomics are two disciplines that propose different points of view on these issues. Nowadays, they both find themselves confronted by quantitative scales that seek to measure psychosocial risks. The aim of this thesis is to increase knowledge on the relationship between work organization and tasks content and highlight the consequences for workers in Argentina. The thesis shall also compare results of the study with those found in other countries
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Kasturi, Anand. "Delivering service at call centres : a critical realist's view of the front line employees' world of work and effectiveness." Thesis, University of Buckingham, 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.289702.
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Álvarez-Galván, José-Luis. "Service work and subcontracting in the new economy : call centres in Mexico City." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 2010. http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/2207/.
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This dissertation analyses the subcontracting of front-line service work in the new economy. Its aim is to examine how workers' experiences and employment conditions are affected by how subcontractors respond to the challenges and problems of coordination and negotiation with client firms. In recent years, subcontracting has gained popularity as a mechanism to deal with the uncertainty of increasingly challenging business environments. According to mainstream business scholars and social scientists, intense competition, variations in demand and technical change have forced organizations to substitute hierarchical arrangements by market mediated transactions. Nonetheless, the practice of subcontracting also raises important concerns. Subcontracting might blur organizational boundaries, fragmenting employers' authority and affecting coordination between organizations. In other words, subcontracting might involve problems that, in practice, increase transaction costs and affect workers' experiences. This research is based on extensive information collected through 65 in-depth interviews with workers and managers concerning their work experiences in call centres in Mexico City. Call centres are often seen as a flag-ship industry of the new economy, rapidly growing and subject to constant pressures for cost reduction. The Mexican case is also relevant as it is characterized by a weak institutional setting where labour protection is low and business competition is largely unregulated. The findings of this research identify those managerial practices that can be more affected or associated with the difficulties of negotiation and coordination between subcontractors and client firms; narrowed job designs; customer segmentation; the use of contracts for services; supervision approach; union avoidance; the use of internal labour markets to secure management loyalty; and reinforcing social divisions in the workplace. These findings also suggest that a number of practices that were common in the old economy are still relevant in the organization of work in the twenty-first century.
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Scurry, Tracy Louise. "'More than just a 'phone monkey' ... ' : exploring graduate experiences of underemployment in call centres." Thesis, Nottingham Trent University, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.424178.
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Belt, Vicki. "Women's work and restructuring in the service economy : the case of telephone call centres." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.394739.
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Kotze, Theo. "The effect of national culture on customer satisfaction in call centres across national borders." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/23069.
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Characteristics of national cultures have frequently been claimed to influence service quality perception and customer satisfaction. This inquiry investigates this claim by analysing a multinational company’s call centre servicing two markets across national borders. Hypotheses are derived which relate the cultural and customer characteristics of age, gender and socio-economic status to customer satisfaction and perceived service quality within each country.Using multiple regression and CHAID models as well as Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests, the hypotheses are tested by analysing call centre service feedback data on 245 customers in the South African and 201 customers in the British market. Empirical support for the effect of national culture on perceived service quality and customer satisfaction is found.Empirical proof that females report higher levels of satisfaction than males is found while the importance customers place on service quality constructs are proven to vary by age and gender. A call centre management model integrating culture and customer characteristics, which provides a richer perspective of the mechanics of value creation, is suggested.Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
unrestricted
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Carrim, Nasima M. H. "The relationship amongst locus of control, self-determination and job satisfaction in call centres." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/28546.
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Call centres across the globe experience high levels of absenteeism and labour turnover. The reason being: job dissatisfaction. South African call centres are also facing the same problem where absenteeism and labour turnover is on the increase. Job satisfaction is influenced not only by situational aspects of the job environment but by dispositional personality factors of the individual as well. The aim of the study was to determine the possible relationship among locus of control, self-determination and job satisfaction. The study population consisted of (N= 187) call centre agents from a Municipality in Gauteng. The results of the empirical study indicate there is a relationship between locus of control and job satisfaction. Copyright 2006, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Carrim, N 2006, The relationship amongst locus of control, self-determination and job satisfaction in call centres, MCom dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-02132012-105055 / > C12/4/70/gmDissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2006.
Human Resource Management
unrestricted
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De, Sangita. ""The Manager's Voice": A Critical Examination of the Manager's role in the Call Centre." Thesis, Griffith University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365428.
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Call centres have emerged, in the past decade, as a dominant mode of contact between organisations and their customers, both in public and private sectors as well as in profit and not-for-profit sectors. They have become the platform for rich discussions by researchers on info service work, exploring the implications on numerous organisational, work and management practices. The literature on call centres however, tends to focus on employees and their employment conditions with little commentary upon managerial issues. There seems to be a conspicuous omission in expounding the "voice of the manager" in call centres. This study provides a contextualised critical analysis of the managerial role by examining how it varies in different types of call centre organisations. It focuses on the role of the General Manager - those who are formally the head or in-charge of the call centre unit. The unit of inquiry is the 'role' and not the person who occupies the role.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith Business School
Griffith Business School
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Langenhoven, Anja. "How job demands and resources predict burnout, engagement and intention to quit in call centres." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/98070.
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Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2015ENGLISH ABSTRACT : The industrial psychology literature related to call centres highlights the negative aspects of call centre work environments and the resultant adverse impact on workers’ well-being. Call centres have been labelled the “coal mines of the 21st century”, “assembly lines in the head” and “satanic mills” (Janse van Rensburg, Boonzaier, & Boonzaier, 2013, p. 2). High levels of stress, high staff turnover and burnout are all factors that are often experienced by call centre agents (Banks & Roodt, 2011). However, Van der Colff and Rothman (2009) report that some call centre agents, regardless of the high job demands, do not develop burnout. These agents cope better than others under highly demanding and stressful work conditions. To build on these findings, the present study took a detailed look at factors affecting the well-being of employees working in call centres. Specifically, the question was asked, “Why is there variance in work engagement, job burnout and intention to quit amongst the employees in call centres?” The job demands-resources (JD-R) model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014) was used as a framework to investigate the well-being of call centre agents employed in the outbound departments of two branches of a Cape Town call centre. The primary objective of this study was to develop and empirically test a structural model, derived from theory, explaining the antecedents of variance in work engagement, job burnout and intention to quit amongst call centre employees. The antecedents comprise transformational leadership (as a job resource), emotional intelligence and psychological capital (as employees’ personal resources), and emotional labour (as job demands) present in a call centre environment. An ex post facto correlational design was used to test the formulated hypotheses in this research study. Quantitative data was collected from 223 call centre agents by means of non-probability convenience sampling. A self-administered hard-copy survey was distributed to the two call centre branches, given that call centre agents agreed to participate in the research study. Measuring instruments consisted of (1) the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17) questionnaire (Schaufeli et al., 2002), (2) the Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS) (Maslach, Schaufeli & Leiter, 2001), (3) the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS) (Ding & Lin, 2006; Lee, 2000), (4) the Emotional Demands and Emotion-rule Dissonance scales (Xanthopoulou, Bakker, & Fischbach, 2013), (5) the adapted Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ 5x short) (Van Aswegen & Engelbrecht, 2009), (6) the Genos Emotional Intelligence Inventory (Gignac, 2010) and (7) the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (Luthans, Avolio, Avey, & Norman, 2007). The data was analysed using item analyses and structural equation modelling (SEM). A PLS path analysis was conducted to determine the model fit. From the 21 hypotheses formulated in the study, six were found to be significant. It is noteworthy, however, that 12 of the non-significant paths were related to the moderating effects. Hypotheses 1, 3 and 8 were also found to be not significant. However, hypotheses 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 were all found to be statistically significant and therefore supported the JD-R theory (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014), which postulates that job demands are generally the most important predictors of job burnout, whereas job resources and personal resources are generally the most important predictors of work engagement. Also, it was found that call centre agents experiencing a high level of work engagement were less inclined to leave the organisation. The study’s findings shed light on the importance of developing interventions that can foster job and personal resources in the pursuit of optimising work engagement. In addition, the call centre agents can be bolstered in coping with existing job demands and cumulatively this also results in a decrease in the employees’ level of burnout and in their intention to leave the company.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Bedryfsielkundige literatuur met betrekking tot inbelsentrums beklemtoon die negatiewe aspekte van die werkomgewing van inbelsentrums en die gevolglike nadelige effek op werkers se welsyn. Inbelsentrums is reeds beskryf as die “steenkoolmyne van die 21ste eeu”, ‘”monteerbande in die kop” en “sataniese meule” (Janse van Rensburg, Boonzaier, & Boonzaier, 2013, p. 2). Hoë vlakke van stres, hoë personeelomset en uitbranding is faktore wat gereeld deur inbelsentrum-agente ervaar word (Banks & Roodt, 2011). Van der Colff en Rothman (2009) rapporteer egter dat ten spyte van hulle hoë werkvereistes, sommige inbelsentrumagente nie uitbranding ervaar nie. Hierdie agente vaar beter as ander onder hoogs veeleisende en stresvolle werkomstandighede. Om verder te bou op die navorsing wat reeds onderneem is, kyk die huidige studie na die faktore wat moontlik die welsyn van werknemers in inbelsentrums affekteer. Met ander woorde, dit soek na die antwoord op die navorsingsinisiërende vraag: “Hoekom is daar verskille in die werksbegeestering, werksuitbranding en intensie om die organisasie te verlaat onder werknemers in inbelsentrums?” Om op hierdie navorsingsinisiërende vraag te kan reageer, is die job demands-resources (JD-R) model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014) gebruik as raamwerk spesifiek om die welsyn van inbelsentrumagente wat in die uitbel-departemente binne twee takke van ‘n bekende uitbelsentrum, geleë in Kaapstad, te ondersoek. Die hoofdoelwit van hierdie studie was om ’n strukturele model te ontwikkel en te toets wat die antesedente van variansie in werksbegeestering, werksuitbranding en die intensie om die organisaie te verlaat, onder inbelsentrumwerknemers verklaar. Die spesifieke antesedente wat in hierdie studie getoets is, was transformasie-leierskap (as ’n werkshulpbron), emosionele intelligensie en sielkundige kapitaal (psychological capital) (as werknemers se persoonlike hulpbronne), en emosionele arbeid (as werkseise) wat in ‘n inbelsentrum-omgewing teenwoordig is. ʼn Ex post facto korrelasie-ontwerp is gebruik om die geformuleerde hipoteses in hierdie studie te toets. Kwantitatiewe data is by 223 inbelsentrumagente deur middel van nie-waarskynlikheids gerieflikheidsteekproeftrekking ingesamel. ’n Selfgeadministreerde hardekopie-opname is in die twee takke van die inbelsentrum versprei, aangesien hulle ingestem het om aan die studie deel te neem. Die opname het spesifieke latente veranderlikes gemeet wat op die studie van toepassing is deur gebruik te maak van betroubare en geldige meetinstrumente. Hierdie instrumente sluit in (1) die Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17) vraelys (Schaufeli et al., 2002), (2) die Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS) (Maslach, Schaufeli & Leiter, 2001), (3) die Turnover Intention Scale (TIS) (Ding & Lin, 2006; Lee, 2000), (4) die Emotional Demands en Emotion-rule Dissonance skale (Xanthopoulou, Bakker, & Fischbach, 2013), (5) die aangepaste Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ 5x kort) (Van Aswegen & Engelbrecht, 2009), (6) die Genos Emotional Intelligence Inventory (Gignac, 2010) en (7) die Psychological Capital Questionnaire (Luthans, Avolio, Avey, & Norman, 2007). Die versamelde data is deur middel van item-analise en strukturele vergelykingsmodellering geanaliseer. ’n PLS pad-ontleding is onderneem om modelpassing te bepaal. Vanuit die 21 hipoteses wat vir hierdie studie geformuleer is, is ses bevind om betekenisvol te wees. Dit is egter merkwaardig dat 12 van die nie-betekenisvolle bane verband gehou het met modererende effekte. Hipoteses 1, 3 en 8 is ook bevind om nie-betekenisvol te wees. Hierdie nie-betekenisvolle bane kan op grond van verskeie redes ontstaan. Hipoteses 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 en 9 is egter almal bevind om statisties betekenisvol te wees en ondersteun dus die JD-R teorie (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014). Hierdie teorie hou voor dat werksvereistes oor die algemeen die belangrikste voorspellers van werksuitbranding is, terwyl werkshulpbronne en persoonlike hulpbronne oor die algemeen die vernaamste voorspellers van werksbegeestering is. Dit is ook bevind dat inbelsentrumagente wat ’n hoë vlak van werksbegeestering ervaar, minder geneig is om die organisasie te verlaat. Die studie se bevindings werp lig op die belangrikheid daarvan om ingrypings te ontwikkel wat werks- en persoonlike hulpbronne kan kweek in die nastrewing van die optimering van begeestering en om inbelsentrumagente te help om die bestaande werkseise te hanteer. Gevolglik sal hierdie uitkoms lei tot ’n vermindering in die werknemers se vlakke van uitbranding en in hulle intensies om die organisasie te verlaat.
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Lloyd, Anthony. "Life in a northern town : call centres, labour markets and identity in post-industrial Middlesbrough." Thesis, University of York, 2010. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/1432/.
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Since the late 1970s, many towns and cities across the UK have faced processes of deindustrialisation thoroughly transforming the social and cultural landscape for the local population. Middlesbrough, in the North East of England, underwent transformation from labour markets dominated by iron, steel and chemical industries to a reliance on new forms of insecure, flexible service sector employment, typified in this study by call centres. Call centres emerged in the 1990s as a cost-saving efficient delivery system for companies to handle customer contact through the marriage of telecommunications and new information technologies. As a new form of employment, call centres have become popular among academics and journalists. This study aims to explore how the changing nature of capital accumulation, prompted by an ideological shift towards neoliberalism, served to change the fabric of society by placing value on competition, consumer culture and individualisation whilst shifting Britain from a manufacturing economy to a service economy. In specific locales such as Middlesbrough this radically altered the social landscape. Call centres emerged as a lifeline for those seeking employment in a town with historically high levels of unemployment. This study, based on covert ethnographic work as a call centre worker and in-depth interviews with call centre employees, will show what call centre work is like; how management strategies work towards efficiency, productivity and targets, how employees feel working in often stressful and difficult circumstances, and how technology dictates the work process thus preventing employees from controlling the pace of work. Furthermore, this study will investigate how social change central to the emergence of the call centre also created a culture which traps young people into a cycle of earning and consumption limits their options for future betterment and alters the very nature of their identity and perceptions of social class.
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Clarke, Julian Alexander. "Telephone call centres and the labour process : with particular reference to the Nottingham local labour market." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.405142.
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Morison, Rebecca, and n/a. "The impact of electronic performance monitoring on staff turnover in a call centre environment." University of Canberra. Health Sciences, 2002. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20050530.111117.
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Call Centres represent one of the fastest growing industries today. In a competitive
business environment the service delivered by Call Centre operators needs to be quantified
and this is achieved through Electronic Performance Monitoring (EPM). This study
considered the effects of EPM, and related factors such as job control, task complexity,
performance, goal-setting and feedback, on the job satisfaction, organisational commitment
and work stress, of Call Centre operators. The impact of these factors on staff turnover,
which media reports suggest is very high for many Call Centres, was also considered. A
total of 388 participants (265 females, 123 males) completed a voluntary self-report
questionnaire. All participants were Call Centre operators who were working in one of 27
call centres across Australia in a variety of industries, including Banking & Finance, IT,
Employment, Insurance and Telecommunications. All operators were working in an
electronically monitored environment. Regression and path analyses revealed age, that is
younger employees, and job dissatisfaction to be the only variables that predicted staff
turnover. A positive perception of EPM was predicted by a positive perception of both
goal-setting and feedback. It was concluded that while staff turnover was high in the
current sample, it was not associated with perceptions of EPM, and other factors appeared
to be more important.
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Hultgren, Anna Kristina. "Linguistic regulation and interactional reality : a sociolinguistic study of call centre service transactions." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2008. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:9ca16ff8-8975-4e25-9193-06016aa2b503.
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This thesis aims to contribute to the study of workplace talk, language and gender, and the sociolinguistics of globalization by exploring the phenomenon of ‘linguistic regulation’ in call centres. ‘Linguistic regulation’ refers to the practice, now widespread in the globalized service economy, of codifying and enforcing rules for employees’ use of language in service interactions with customers. Drawing on authentic service interactions from call centres in the UK and Denmark, and interviews and communication material from both those countries as well as Hong Kong and the Philippines, this study shows that linguistic regulation exerts a significant influence on the language used by call centre agents, and suggests that this has implications for all three areas of inquiry. In relation to the study of workplace talk, the findings raise questions about the degree of local management and individual speaker agency that has often been asserted in previous work. In the area of language and gender studies, the finding that female speakers in both countries show a higher degree of compliance with linguistic regulation than male ones is related to ongoing debates about the local variability of gender. It is argued that the field may benefit from supplementing the currently favoured locally-based methods with one which seeks to link linguistic behaviour with supra-local systems of inequality. Finally, in relation to the sociolinguistics of globalization, this thesis documents the existence of a distinct, globally prescribed, call centre style which is culturally marked as North-American. In practice, this style is locally inflected, with British agents exhibiting greater conformity to the prescriptions than their Danish counterparts. It is argued that this may be because the prescribed style conflicts with the Danish cultural preference for ‘getting to the point’. These findings highlight the importance of considering language in the context of a global system. The thesis concludes by considering what the research it is based on may contribute, not only to academic debates in sociolinguistics and the sociology of work, but also to professional discussions within the call centre industry.
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Green, Glynnis Ann. "A comparative study of the psychological well-being of single and married mothers who work shifts in a call centre environment." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4098.
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Magister Artium - MASouth Africa is recognised as having world-class status in the call centre arena and this industry has grown exponentially in the last two decades, as has the number of women entering the workforce, including married and single mothers. Call centres provide a 24/7 service to the public, and therefore employees are expected to work shifts in this environment. It is also evident that even though mothers are making a significant contribution to the workforce, the role of the working mother is still that of primary caregiver and nurturer in the home. The main purpose of this study was to examine and compare the psychological well-being of single and married mothers, who do and do not work shifts in a call centre environment. The study findings were based on quantitative research in a call centre in the Western Cape, South Africa, with a sample of 192 single and married working mothers, of whom 135 mothers worked shifts and 57 mothers did not. Psychological well-being was indicated by the use of two instruments: Rosenberg‟s(1965) Self-esteem Scale and Diener‟s (1982) Satisfaction with Life Scale. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package in the Social Sciences (SPSS version 20). The analysis of the data included the use of descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings of the study show that marital status has a significant effect on the psychological well-being of working mothers in this call centre environment. However, it was found that shift work did not make a significant difference to the psychological well-being of the working mothers in this call centre. The Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to analyse the interaction of the four groups (single, married, shift working and non-shift working mothers) and the results of this analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the interaction between the groups.Recommendations are provided in the study.
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Pandey, Pushkal Kumar. "An exploratory investigation into determinants of service quality in technology-mediated service interactions characteristic of call centres." Thesis, Ulster University, 2014. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.604656.
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The paucity of research in performance management of call centres is evident from the confusion regarding what is desired by the customer from this mode of service. A variety of recommendations have been put forward in various studies, but a holistic perspective on what constitutes quality is still lacking. This research is an attempt to investigate key factors which determine performance measurement in technology mediated call centre environment with the help of a conceptual model. A combination of qualitative and quantitative approach has been used to develop and test survey items on direct customer response. The case call centres are selected on the basis of service classification model proposed in the study. A conceptual model is formulated based on preliminary literature review. Qualitative stage has involved semi-structured interviews with senior executives, followed by focus groups conducted with call centre agents. The analysis of survey developed hence has been performed using methods of quantitative data analysis. To the best of our knowledge this study is the first to apply communication theory to an exploration of relational (socio-emotional) aspect in call centres service performance. Identifying the association formed between the customer and service provider in its discreet sociological context, it is argued here that being susceptible to limitations attributed to technology-mediated communication channels, call centres are a unique context of study and therefore performance evaluation should take account of this inherent unique.
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Visagie, Madelein. "Job characteristics, emotional labour and work-related flow in an insurance industry call centre / Madelein Visagie." Thesis, North-West University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/2124.
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Visser, Willem Alfonzo. "Daily hassles, resilience, and burnout of call centre staff / Willem Alfonzo Visser." Thesis, North-West University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/1701.
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Malhotra, Neeru. "Analysing relationships among frontline employee perceptions of rewards, attitudes and service quality in banking call centres : an internal marketing perspective." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/3465.
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The basic purpose of the research is to understand the significance of internal marketing in influencing frontline employees'job-related attitudes and service quality. Since rewards are considered to be an important compqnent of internal marketing, this research investigates relationships among frontline employee perceptions of rewards (extrinsic and intrinsic), attitudes (three components of organisational commitment viz. affective, normative and continuance, and job satisfaction), and service quality, in banking call centres. In this context, a conceptual model is presented comprising rewards as the antecedentsa, ttitudes as the mediating variables, and service quality of the frontline employees as the outcome variable. The model is empirically tested through a large sample study that is conducted among 4 call centres of a major retail bank in the UK. Following certain qualitative in-depth interviews at the exploratory stage, structural equation modelling (using AMOS) is carried out on 342 useable questionnaires (response rate of more than 50%), to empirically test the proposed framework for the study. The measurement and structural models, after validation and purification, provided satisfactory fit estimates across absolute, incremental and parsimonious measures. The results highlight the importance of rewards, as part of internal marketing, in maintaining employee attitudes, and improving service quality. Intrinsic rewards (like role clarity, training and skill variety) emerged as the most significant of all, as they were found to impact on service quality directly. Extrinsic social rewards (like supervision and team support) were not found to be significant, while the finding regarding extrinsic organisational rewards-service quality relationship was surprising. Although assumed important for perfon-nance, some had no direct effect (pay, and benefits satisfaction, extrinsic exchange), while others (working conditions and promotional opportunities) exerted a negative direct effect on service quality, although the indirect effect of most of these rewards was found to be positive. However, these rewards were considered important for influencing employee attitudes, which in turn influence service quality. In this context, the importance of employee attitudes like affective commitment and job satisfaction is emphasisedfor service quality. The empirical results of the study also reveal that it is the nature of commitment that matters in commitment-service quality relationship. Affective commitment emerged as the only attitude variable to bear a significant positive relationship with service quality. Job satisfaction was not found to impact on service quality directly, although the indirect effect was found to be positive. Normative commitment impacted on service quality indirectly, while continuance commitment was not found to be effective at all. Besides theoretical and methodological contributions, the thesis also provides strong managerial implications and directions for future research in applying internal marketing for improving service quality of frontline employees in call centres. Keywords: internal marketing, rewards, service quality, commitment, job satisfaction, UK banks, call centres, frontline employees.
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Ngo, Nyobe Sara. "Modèles de management et stratégies identitaires des salariés des centres d'appels prestataires en Tunisie." Thesis, Aix-Marseille, 2014. http://www.theses.fr/2014AIXM2009.
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En raison de son cadre social et fiscal avantageux et de la qualité de sa main d’oeuvre, la Tunisie est aujourd’hui une destination privilégiée pour les entreprises occidentales. Depuis plusieurs années effectivement, ces dernières lui confient la réalisation de tout ou partie de leurs activités de services. Cela a entrainé le développement sur le territoire tunisien, d’un nombre important de centres d’appels externes offshore. Ces entreprises se proposent de réaliser depuis la Tunisie, des opérations d’acquisition et de fidélisation de clients, de recouvrement, d’assistance technique, d’enquêtes et de sondage, etc. pour le compte de donneurs d’ordres occidentaux. Elles leur promettent une qualité de service équivalente -voire meilleure- à celle pratiquée dans leurs pays d’origine. Inévitablement, cela les oblige à s’adapter aux particularités culturelles de ces derniers. De ce fait, leurs salariés doivent constamment composer avec les codes culturels de leurs clients étrangers. Ils doivent en réalité gérer simultanément leurs identités tunisiennes et celles de leurs clients, et apprendre à limiter les contradictions entre les unes et les autres. Pour y parvenir, ils développent généralement des stratégies identitaires, soient des mécanismes de défense permettant de minimiser les désaccords entre les deux identités. Cette thèse est le fruit d’une enquête qualitative conduite entre 2010 et 2012 auprès de 85 salariés de quatre centres d’appels sous-traitant en Tunisie pour des entreprises occidentales. Elle s’interroge sur l’existence d’une relation entre les stratégies identitaires de ces travailleurs et le management pratiqué par leurs entreprises. Nos résultats confirment l’existence de cette relation. Effectivement, ils révèlent que le modèle managérial choisi par un centre d’appels externe offshore est susceptible d’influencer les stratégies identitaires de ses salariés. Ils montrent de plus, que des modèles managériaux différents produisent des stratégies identitaires différentes. Ainsi, un management global est plus susceptible d’engendrer des stratégies de rejet de l’identité étrangère, tandis qu’un management paternaliste et un management mosaïque sont au contraire prédisposés à produire des stratégies favorables à cette dernière. Un management bureaucratique quant à lui, est susceptible de générer des stratégies mixtes, soient des stratégies favorables aussi bien à l’identité étrangère qu’à l’identité originelleThanks to its social and fiscal advantages and the quality of its workforce, Tunisia has become a preferred destination for western companies. Indeed, in the last few years, the latter subcontracted Tunisia to perform part or all of its service activities. This has led to the development, on the Tunisian territory, of a large number of offshore call centres. From Tunisia, these companies perform activities to gain new customers, retain existing ones, provide technical support, perform debt collection, surveys and cold calling, etc... on behalf of Western companies. Those Tunisian companies agree to provide an equivalent – or better - service quality than to the one offered in their home country. Consequently, they inevitably need to adapt to the cultural characteristics of their western clients. Therefore, their employees must constantly adjust to the cultural codes of their foreign customers. In fact, they have to simultaneously handle their Tunisian identity and those of their customers, and limit the potential contradictions between the two. To manage these contradictions, they usually develop identity strategies, which are defence mechanisms to minimize divergence between the two cultures. This thesis is the result of a qualitative survey conducted between 2010 and 2012 with 85 employees from four call centres for Western companies off shored to Tunisia. It studied the potential existence of a relationship between identity strategies developed by these workers and the management style practiced by their companies. The existence of this relationship is confirmed by our results. Indeed, they reveal that an offshore call centre management model is likely to influence the identity strategies developed by its employees. They also show that different managerial models trigger different identity strategies. Hence, a global management style is more likely to generate strategies rejecting the foreign culture. However, paternalistic management and mosaic management styles are more likely to lead to identity strategy in favour of the foreign culture. Finally, a bureaucratic management style is likely to generate mixed strategies, in favour of either the foreign culture or of the local culture
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Swart, Joline. "The relationship between job characteristics, work wellness and work-related flow of call centre agents in an insurance company / Joline Swart." Thesis, North-West University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/1315.
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