Taking Calls to Newcastle: The Regional Implications of the Growth in Call Centres

Abstract

RICHARDSON R., BELT V. and MARSHALL N. (2000) Taking calls to Newcastle: the regional implications of the growth in call centres, Reg. Studies 34, 357-369. The growth of white-collar jobs in call centres has been a significant feature of the last decade. Local and regional economic development agencies have sought to attract call centres because they are a source of new jobs, and help to ameliorate the decline in employment, especially in the manufacturing sector. This paper examines the work provided in call centres, based on a case study of North East England. Call centres are characterized by a narrow range of occupations and skills, and the work regime in them is intense. The majority of the jobs are taken by women. An assessment of the long term sustainability of call centre work also highlights threats to employment from technical developments in the industry. Nevertheless, there is some evidence of limited improvements taking place in training and work practices in call centres. RICHARDSON R., BELT V. et MARSHALL N. (2000) Faisant appel ¤ a Newcastle: les retombées régionales de la croissance des centres d'appel, Reg. Studies 34, 357-369. La croissance du nombre des employés de bureau dans les centres d'appel constitue un trait majeur des dernières dix années. Les agences de développement économique locaux et régionaux ont cherché ¤ a séduire les centres d'appel parce qu'elles représentent un vivier de nouveaux emplois et aident ¤ a freiner le déclin de l'emploi, surtout dans l'industrie. A partir d'une étude de cas réalisée dans le nord-est d'Angleterre, cet article examine le travail disponible au sein des centres d'appel. Ces derniers se caractérisent par des catégories socio-professionnelles et des compétences peu diverses dont les cadences sont soutenues. La plupart des emplois sont occupés par des femmes. Un bilan de la pérennité du travail dans les centres d'appel met l'accent sur les menaces pour l'emploi qui résultent des avancées techniques dans cette industrie. Cependant, il y a des preuves qui démontrent que les centres d'appel font des progrès limités dans les domaines de la formation et des pratiques sur le lieu de travail. RICHARDSON R., BELT V. und MARSHALL N. (2000) Anruf für Newcastle: Die Rolle der Anrufzentralen in der regionalen wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung im Nordosten Englands, Reg. Studies 34 , 357-369. Die zunehmende Beschäftigung von Angestellten in Anrufzentralen hat sich als bezeichnender Zug des letzten Jahrzehnts erwiesen. Wirtschaftsentwicklungszentren haben sich am Ort und auf regionaler Ebene bemüht, Anrufszentralen anzulocken, weil sie eine Quelle neuer Arbeitsplätze darstellen, und dazu beitragen, den Rückgang an Erwerbtsstellen wettzumachen, besonders im herstellenden Sektor. Auf eine Studie des Falles Nordostengland gestützt, untersucht dieser Aufsatz die Erwerbsstellen, die Anrufzentralen anbieten. Charakteristisch für Anrufzentralen ist der beschränkte Arbeitsbereich und entsprechend geringe Fächerung der Fähigkeiten, während ihre Werksordnung intensive Konzentration ...

The Next Wave of Globalization: Relocating Service Provision to India

“…The spatial relocation of services based on geographical repositioning of components of the services value chain occurred first within the developed nations (Richardson et al 2000). For example in the 1960s, to minimize labor costs firms began relocating back office business processes from their headquarters in large cities to smaller Midwestern towns where accents were neutral, education was adequate, unionization rates were low, wages were lower, and, at that time, the labor was relatively more reliable.…”

Devastation but also Home: Place Attachment in Areas of Industrial Decline

“…However, some critics have argued that the low-paid and female-dominated 'call centre' jobs lack long-term prospects for economic growth (Richardson, Belt, and Marshall 2000), particularly since the call centre industry has shifted to India, amongst other places in Asia, in recent years. In addition, the 'night-time' party culture in Newcastle and the location of Metro Centre, 'one of Europe's largest indoor shopping and leisure centres' in neighbouring Gateshead, offer only limited regional economic growth, as they are based on consumption rather than production, and much of the money comes from within the North East rather than outside the region (Hollands and Chatterton 2002).…”

Determinants of Call Centre Location: Some Evidence for UK Urban Areas

“…As a result, call centres have been the most important single source of new employment over the past few years in some UK regions (Richardson and Gillespie, 1996;Richardson et al, 2000;Richardson and Belt, 2001). The potential impact of the growth of call centre employment has generated increasing academic interest.…”