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

trol) were the only predictors of involvement, which, in turn, was related to turnover intentions.
Additionally, job resources had a weak negative relationship with health problems, and health
problems positively influenced turnover intentions. The application of the JDv-vR model as a
human resource management tool in call centres as well as in other organizations is discussed.
58. Cartwright, Susan. New forms of work organization: Issues and challenges, Leadership and Organization
Development Journal, 24 (3), 2003, 121–122.
Abstract. The changing nature of work and the emergence of new forms of work organization
present particular challenges to leadership and management. This special issue examines
some of the challenges and issues in the relationship between technology, stress and satisfaction
within call centre environments, the problems of remote leadership and the rise in contingent
workforce.
Keywords: Work organization, Work teams, Call centres, Workforce, Leadership, Temporary
workers
(Appears also in Section VIII.)
59. Holdsworth, Lynn and Susan Cartwright. Empowerment, stress and satisfaction: An exploratory
study of a call centre, Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 24 (3), 2003, 131–140.
Abstract. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between stress, satisfaction
and the four dimensions of psychological empowerment (meaning, impact, self-determination
and competence) within a call centre. The occupational stress indicator and Spreitzer’s empowerment
measure were used to collect data from a northwest (UK) call centre (n = 49). The
study found the call centre agents were more stressed, less satisfied and reported poorer mental
and physical health than the general working population. In addition, the sample perceived
themselves as less empowered than other workers in a traditional office environment. The empowerment
dimensions of meaning, impact and particularly self-determination, seem to directly
influence job satisfaction, but not health.
Keywords: Stress, Empowerment, Call centres, Job satisfaction
60. Holman, David. Phoning in sick: An overview of employee stress in call centres, Leadership and
Organization Development Journal, 24 (3), 2003, 123–130.
Abstract. This paper reviews three studies that examine the main causes of employee stress
and well-being in call centres. All three studies were conducted by the author and his colleagues
and reveal that employee well-being in call centres is associated with: effective job design; performance
monitoring that is not perceived to be intense and which aims to develop employees;
supportive management; and, supportive human resource practices. Furthermore, levels of wellbeing
in call centres are shown to compare favourably to other forms of work. The studies
challenge the image of call centres as “electronic sweatshops” and question the idea that call
centre work is inevitably stressful. It is argued that managers have a choice in how to organise
call centre work and can take steps to actively design employee stress out of call centre work.
Practical recommendations on how to reduce employee stress in call centres are discussed.
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