Call Centres and the Quality of Work Life: Towards a Research Agenda

Abstract

Concerns about job quality have become more widespread, crossing all industries and occupations. The call centre sector in particular has risen to the forefront of discussions about job quality because of the rapid growth and development of these new forms of work organization over the past two decades. However, despite there being an extensive quality of work life literature, and emerging research on call centre job quality, there is yet to be a study that systematically links the quality of work with employment in the call centre context. This article outlines current debates, highlighting the importance of bringing together and marrying these two branches of research. A qualitative research agenda constituting case study analysis of two call centres is introduced. A framework grounded in a job characteristics approach, comprising 10 key job-quality elements is also proposed as a means of examining the quality of work life in this context.

What Affects the Quality of Work Life Most?: Turkey Example

“…The idea of the Quality of Work Life took root inside the special context of working conditions of industrialised societies towards the end of 1950s, and emphasised humanisation of the aspects of work and improvement of working conditions of the employees by focusing on the quality of the relationship between worker and working environment at the beginning of 1960s. The notion of the improvement of working conditions was triggered by such problems as "objectivisation of labour", "deskilling of workers", "inhuman cases -dehumanisation" and "alienation" caused by a type of production under the impact of Taylorist and Fordist arguments (Hannif et al 2008;Davis and Cherns 1975;Martel and Dupuis 2006;Rose et al 2006). Rationalism and economic human approach accompanying Taylorism ensured industrial development particularly in Europe and North America, yet brought some unrest with it.…”

Quality of Work Life: A Significant Dimension of Non-Financial Compensation or Managers’ Tool to Generate Reciprocity

“…Latter till 2001 it remained under discussion of most of the researchers while after that the momentum for the exploration of this factor slowed down (Jean Martel & Gilles, 2006). Personal characteristics and feelings about organizational arrangements can cause the different level or quality of work life (Hannif, Burgess &Connell, 2008 andAlter, A., 2013).…”

Correlation of QWL Factors with Employee Satisfaction in Manufacturing Sector

“…Najundeshwarswamy and Swamy [5] emphasise that QWL is a "movement that is used to bring changes in the socio-technical nature of the jobs and consists of a large variety of constructs like good social circles, more employee friendly schemes, role in decision making, more powers to the employee and team performance. "Rapid progress in technology has augmented the degradation of manpower, skill, estrangement and objectification of labor under the Taylorist influences [6]. Therefore, QWL factors that are involved in achieving a congenial work environment including resources, functionality, and the mutual benefits must be realized between the management and employees.…”