Call Centers & Work Stress
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Call centers are places where operators interact with customers via telephones that are typically supported by computer systems. This position is characterized by routine tasks and low control levels leading to work stress (Zapf, Isic, Bechtoldt, and Blau (2003). Thus, work stress in the call center is the topic studied and discussed. The main findings from the three studies provided insight regarding call center stress: Holman, Chissick, and Totterdell (2002) found that performance monitoring in call centers predicted well-being and emotional labor and performance criteria and positive feedback mediated this effect; Jimmieson (2000) found that role conflict and work control affected well-being, somatic health, and job satisfaction, and self-efficacy moderated effects; and Zapf, Isic, Bechtoldt, and Blau (2003) found that call centers differ regarding most job characteristics, complexity and control were lower for call centers than comparison groups, and working conditions needed to be improved in almost all call centers. For all three studies discussed, survey research was used to assess factors related to work stress in call centers. The first study investigated effects of performance monitoring on work stress, the second study determined the effects of job strain (role conflict, quantitative workload, job control) and the role of self-efficacy as a moderator, and the third study sought to understand the characteristics (j
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ob satisfaction, well-being, and somatic health.
"What is typical for call center jobs? Job characteristics, and service interactions in different call centers" by Zapf, Isic, Bechtoldt, and Blau (2003). These authors also studied call center job stress and its effects. Survey research was used to assess job characteristics, job stressors, and emotional labor or emotion work in a sample of 375 call center employees. This study differed from the other two studies in that findings were compared with a sample of 405 non-call center workers whose names were obtained from a citizen database. Participants were randomly chosen and contacted by phone. Mean age of the call center sample was 31.9 years and mean age for the comparison sample was 40.9 years. Questionnaires assessed job complexity, task control, timing control, participation, organizational problems, uncertainty, time pressure, concentration demands, cooperation demands, emotion work or labor, positive and negative emotions, sensitivity requirements, and emotional dissonance.
Zapf et al. (2003) found that call center workers had worse job characteristics but less job stressors compared to comparison groups (no-service, service workers, and workers in human services
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Conclusions Considering, Bechtoldt Blau, Center Agents, Chissick Totterdell, Methods Findings, Future Research, call centers, Abstract Call, call center, Motivation Emotion, job satisfaction, performance monitoring, emotional labor, job characteristics, role conflict, somatic health, performance criteria, positive feedback, performance monitoring call, well-being emotional labor, monitoring call centers, Zapf Isic, Organizational Psychology, role conflict control, somatic health job,
Approximate Word count = 1958
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)
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