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

Keywords: Labor unions, Studies, Human resource management, Nonunion, Call centers, Collective
bargaining
(Appears also in Section VIII.)
33. McElhinney, David and Tony Proctor. Concept of entrapment and decision-making, Management
Decision, 43 (2), 2005, 189–202.
Abstract. This paper informs executives of the dangers of entrapment which can occur when
there is an increasing commitment to an ineffective course of action to justify previous allocation
of resources when managing new projects. It reviews research studies on establishing
call/contact-centres in local government across the UK. Data was also collected via interviews
with executives in authorities experienced in setting up call/contact centres. Centres involve
spending millions of pounds but there was only limited knowledge of capital or ongoing revenue
costs. Evidence of internal resistance, lack of any shared vision, or knowledge of the level
of risk existed, as well as only a limited understanding of the centres’ organisational impact,
potential benefits or added value. There was an absence of stated project objectives or formal
project appraisal and a creeping commitment to the projects continuation. The potential
for entrapment existed. A single case study but one which adds to the existing literature on
entrapment and focuses attention on the risks that can exist in the public sector. Underlines
the importance of setting out specific procedures for evaluating the potential costs/benefits and
subsequent progress of new, particular large-scale, business projects.
Keywords: Studies, Call centers, Decision making, Local government, Project management
(Appears also in Section VIII.)
34. Williams, Margaret, Cathryn Bradshaw, Beverly Fournier, Admasu Tachble, et al. The callcentre:
A child welfare liaison program with immigrant serving agencies, Child Welfare, Washington,
84 (5), Sep/Oct 2005, 725–746.
Abstract. Alberta, Canada, welcomed nearly 16,000 landed immigrants in 2003, of whom more
than half came to the Calgary area. Approximately 200,000 immigrants of various ethnic and
cultural groups now live in the region. Many of these new arrivals have no natural support
networks while struggling with language, cultural, and economic barriers. Recognizing these
difficulties, the Calgary and Area Child and Family Services Authority (CFSA) joined with several
Immigrant Serving Agencies to develop guidelines and procedures to direct staff working
with diverse cultures, including the Call-Centre pilot project, which provided CFSA staff with a
one-stop telephone contact for information about an immigrant or refugee family, their culture,
and available culturally-appropriate resources. The Call-Centre, which is currently being evaluated
by researchers at the University of Calgary, will gradually expand to all CFSA sites in the
region. This article describes the Call-Centre and the first phase of the evaluation.
Keywords: Call centers, Child welfare, Refugees, Culture, Aliens
(Appears also in Section VIII.)
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