Bilgisayar, Telefon ve Kulaklık Üçgeninde Çağrı Merk ezinde Duygusal Emek Süreçleri: Bir Saha Çalışmasının Sonuçlarıyla Yüzleşmek

Abstract

From a class point of view, this study focuses on the emotional labor experienced by call center employees, where control and surveillance are intensified through computers, and the relationship of these experiences with working conditions. In call centers, the fact that the work is carried out in the triangle of computer -phone -headset differentiates the control mechanisms on call center employees from other sectors due to the specific structures of these tools. From this point of view, it is aimed to explain how strict control mechanisms shape the working conditions and emotional labor processes in call centers, in the context of working conditions of call center employees. Based on the emotional labor perspective, within the scope of this research, their perceptions of their profession, working conditions, the effects and results of the emotional labor process they expend on psychological and social relations are discussed. In addition, the extent and how the work from home practices, which have become widespread with the Covid-19 pandemic, are reflected on the call center employees are also discussed in the study. In the article, in which the qualitative research model was used, semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group interviews were conducted with call center workers and union workers operating in this sector. Within the scope of the research, 24 call center employees and 2 union officials were interviewed. The interviewed call center employees work in the telecommunications, e-commerce and banking sectors. As a result of the research, considering the working conditions of the call center employees, it was seen that they made a very intense emotional and affective labor. It has been determined that the long working and working hours of the employees, the intense and standardized forms of communication, and the imposition of the understanding that "customers are always right" through a constantly mechanized training affects their psychological and social relationships heavily. Employees do not want to communicate with their families and social environment because they constantly talk to customers during the day, cannot tolerate negative issues in their daily lives, and may have difficulty in tolerating their social relations.

‘Put me on to a male agent’: Emotional labor and performing gender in call centers

“…1. This study's findings as well as other studies (Keser, 2006;Köse and Güllüpınar, 2022) on call centers in Turkey reveal that clients, especially men, are aggressive toward the agents. This may be due to the power imbalance between the client and agent as well as the anonymity of communicating on the phone.…”

“…Call center work requires flexibility of the workers, yet the institutional context is also important (Holtgrewe and Kerst, 2002). This is especially visible in the pessimistic findings related to Turkish call center workers’ perceptions of their working conditions (Çelik and Öz, 2011; Keser, 2006; Köse and Güllüpınar, 2022). Intense workload, long hours, low pay, and no prospect of promotion decrease job satisfaction and increase turnout (Çelik and Öz, 2011).…”

“…Intense workload, long hours, low pay, and no prospect of promotion decrease job satisfaction and increase turnout (Çelik and Öz, 2011). In addition, women face a bigger risk of facing mobbing in call centers (Köse and Güllüpınar, 2022).…”

Sikintiya Dayanma Düzeyi̇ Ve Tolerans İli̇şki̇si̇: Çağri Merkezi̇ Çalişanlari Üzeri̇ne Kesi̇tsel Bi̇r Araştirma

“…According to the results of the research, no difference was found between the level of endurance of call center employees and their demographic characteristics. It is thought that this situation may have arisen from the "roboticization" of employees (Köse and Güllüpınar, 2022) due to company policies implemented in the call center sector. As another result of the study, it has been revealed that the tolerance levels of the 35-44 age group employees are higher than the 25-34 age group employees.…”