CALL CENTERS (CENTRES) - Faculty of Industrial Engineering and ...

whether or to what extent information systems have been constructed as learning sites or behavioural
control sites. When behavioural control is a primary goal, this introduces a climate
of resistance, further inflated by the culture of measurement and enforcement that is likely to
ensue. In this environment, agent, manager and organization become defensive and the main
outcome is a destructive crisis of trust that creates important and difficult implications for the
capacity to learn.
Keywords: Learning, Control, Measurement, Corporate culture
(Appears also in Section VIII.)
22. Hutchinson, Sue, John Purcell and Nick Kinnie. Evolving high commitment management and
the experience of the RAC call centre, Human Resource Management Journal, 10 (1), 2000,
63–78.
Abstract. This study of the RAC Customer Services Centre in Bristol is designed to show
how a bundle of high commitment management (HCM) practices evolved at a time of significant
competitive challenge to the business, and how the HRM choices were woven in, both in process
and content terms, with changes to other functional strategies inside and outside the organization.
Keywords: Management styles, Changes, Call centers, Studies, Human resource management
23. Mascia, F.L., R. Marx and G. Arbix. Old paradigms for new jobs in call centers. Ergonomics
for the New Millennium. Proceedings of the XIVth Triennial Congress of the International Ergonomics
Association and 44th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society,
San Diego, California, USA, Vol. 2, 2000, 543–546.
Abstract. Organizational structure, working process and task conception based on Tayloristic
paradigms have become common in call centres in Brazil. Considering work as a simple repetition
of procedures has consequences in terms of productivity, quality and workers’ health.
Actually the task is complex and cannot be strictly formalized.
24. Sczesny, Sabine and Dagmar Stahlberg. Sexual harassment over the telephone: Occupational
risk at call centres, Work and Stress, 14 (2), 2000, 121–136.
Abstract. Examined call center employees’ experiences of telephone sexual harassment (SH).
93 telephone company employees (aged 20–59 yrs) completed questionnaires concerning past
experiences of telephone SH, including prevalence, characteristics, stress, behavioral reactions,
coping strategies, consequences, and anticipated consequences. Results show that female Ss experienced
more workplace telephone SH than did males. 94% of SH involved males harassing
females, with 10+% involving sexual violence threats. Most calls were ended by recipients’ hanging
up. Coping strategies included self-instruction, verbal exchanges, and expressions of feelings.
Telephone SH was stressful, left Ss feeling disgusted or disrespected, and negatively affected job
satisfaction and performance. Findings suggest that female employees in call centers and other
work environments with intensive employee telephone use experience frequent occurrences of
telephone SH. SH experiences are a risk factor in telephone-related jobs.
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