Employment Issues in Australian Public Sector Call Centres: Differences and Similarities with the Private Sector

Call centre development has been extensive and ongoing across the industrial world. These developments have resulted from an ongoing process of consolidation and restructuring ofservice work that has been facilitated by the continuing application of information and communication technology (lCT) to production in the service sector. Thus far, the academic discussion of call centres has been dominated by labour processes, particularly in the private sector. Meanwhile, there has been an extensive and growing use of call centres to deliver public services. Hence, this article draws on secondary data, policy documents and registered workplace agreements to examine employment related issues in Australian public sector call centres while comparing these issues with those found in private sector call centres

Unsafe/Unhealthy work? OH&S outcomes in Australian Call Centres

Call centres have attracted the attention of researchers globally due to their implementation of new forms of work organisation and the implications these represent for the workforce. While there has been a great deal written on the poor working conditions within the call centre industry, and some discussion on the impact of these conditions on the health and safety of workers, there is still little known about the occupational health and well being policies and practices used in these workplaces. There has also been scant research on the health and safety experiences of call centre workers. This paper aims to address these gaps by examining whether the tasks performed and the occupational health and well being policies and practices in call centres lead to unhealthy outcomes for workers. A case study methodology is applied to explore these questions in two Australian call centres which highlight the diversity that exists in the industry. Key findings based on interviews with case study participants and key stakeholders indicate a misalignment between policy and practice, which represent various immediate and ongoing risks for employees. A number of policy concerns are raised through the data, particularly where negative occupational health outcomes can be associated with the lack of organisational compliance with employment legislation

When Non-Standard Work Becomes Pecarious - Insights from the New Zealand Call Centre Industry

The issue of precarious employment has gained increasing currency over recent years, as OECD countries have shifted away from traditional standard employment models. Nevertheless, there has been little empirical research on the experiences of nonstandard workers and the links that can be established with precarious work. This article attempts to address this gap by introducing precarious employment as a sub-set of non-standard work and highlighting its distinguishing features. The Tucker model is introduced as a useful bridge between non-standard work and precariousness, and is used as a framework for examining employment experiences within two New Zealand call centres. Initial observations indicate evidence of precariousness in both workplaces, although more severe in the case of the small, outsourced call centre. In-depth analysis suggests precariousness varies depending on the nature of the employment arrangement and questions are put forth about the applicability of the 'Tucker' model to the call centre context

Call centre job functions and the quality of work life: revisiting the job characteristics model

The aim of this paper is to determine the relationship between job functions, which cover three interrelated concepts: job content, job variety, and job autonomy, and the quality of work life (QWL). The two case studies GovCo and ServCo differ significantly on a number of measures, including ownership, organization size, structure, and culture. Two different approaches to job functions are determined, alongside two very different outcomes where the QWL is concerned. This study challenges the mainstream call centre literature which tends to mainly focus on the negative aspects associated with the `human element of call centre work. The findings from this study suggest that positive human interaction can in fact enhance job satisfaction. Within ServCo, job variety is used as a deliberate managerial strategy to improve job satisfaction. Customer services operators (CSOs) in ServCo have comparatively higher levels of method autonomy and discretion than those in GovCo. On the other hand, GovCo only attempts to secure job variety through bidding for new work campaigns and exerts significant control over the duration and content of each call. ServCo provides an example of a call centre where managers make deliberate efforts to shape and foster an environment where CSOs feel empowered, respected and confident. In GovCo however, the bureaucratic nature of the organization and the top-down approach to management see managers largely shedding responsibility where the quality of work life of their workers is concerned. There are a strong contradiction between the bureaucratic, codified processes in GovCo, and the type of environment needed to foster well-being in the call centre. While the public sector has largely embraced the efficiencies associated with handing client contacts through call centre operations, these benefits must be realised alongside the potential implications on the workforce

The Transfer Of Training And Development Practices In Japanese Subsidiaries In Vietnam

This paper examines the interaction between 'home-country' and 'host-country' effects in determining human resource management (HRM) policies and practices in multinational companies (MNCs) in the context of a developing country. The paper is based on a

The reception of Anglo leadership styles in a transforming society: the case of American companies in Vietnam

This article examines the transfer of Anglo leadership styles in a transforming society. It aims to investigate the transferability of two American leadership styles, namely performance-oriented and participative styles, to Vietnamese subsidiaries. Utilising an exploratory case study approach, this article presents evidence of a strong acceptance of these leadership styles, and tries to ascertain whether the adoption of a humane style of leadership in line with Vietnamese traditions is a means of leaders reconciling the cultural gap. Several complexities arise from the transforming nature of the Vietnamese socio-political and economic context. Specifically, the importance of subcultures - particularly those relating to generation - is highlighted. Situational contingencies, such as the skills set of the recipient group, also emerge as important considerations. Finally, the authors call for leadership dynamism as a means of facilitating congruence and adaptability between the leadership styles used and the various contextual complexities encountered in the transfer and reception process

Employee Growth and Development in Call Centres: A Comparative Australian Study

While call centres have grown exponentially in Australia over the past two decades, there is a paucity of Australian research on the training and career development experiences of call centre employees. Even more underexplored, is the impact of these experiences on employees' perceptions of the quality of their work lives. This paper adopts a comparative case study methodology to explore the intersection between these phenomena in two large call centres: Govtcall and Marketplus. The case studies epitomize the diversity that exists between call centres, particularly in terms of people management strategies. Specifically, while Govtcall adopted a 'sink or swim' approach to training, and left employees feeling stagnant due to limited career opportunities, Marketplus utilized training and development as a 'nurturing' mechanism, and promoted a sense of career freedom amongst employees. Employees' accounts suggest growth and development initiatives play a key role in shaping the quality of their work lives. Even in a context where opportunities are traditionally limited, enhancing opportunities for learning and career growth can help alleviate some of the more undesirable aspects of call centre work

Unhealthy work? The policy-practice divide in Australian Call Centres

Call centres have attracted the attention of researchers globally due to their implementation of new forms of work organisation and the implications these represent for the workforce. While there has been a great deal written on the poor working conditions within the call centre industry, and some discussion on the impact of these conditions on the health and safety of workers, there is still little known about the occupation health and well being policies and practices used in these workplaces. There has also been scant research on the health and safety experiences of call centre workers. This paper aims to address these gaps by examining whether the tasks performed and the occupational health and well being policies and practices in call centres lead to unhealthy outcomes for workers. A case study methodology is applied to explore these questions in two Australian call centres which highlight the diversity that exists in the industry. Key findings based on interviews with case study participants and key stakeholders indicate a misalignment between policy and practice, which represent various immediate and ongoing risks for employees. A number of policy concerns are raised through the data, particularly where negative occupational health outcomes can be associated with the lack of organisational compliance with employment legislation

The working experiences of student migrants in Australia and New Zealand

Changes in employment environments within Australia and New Zealand due to globalisation have resulted in certain groups of workers congregating at the periphery of the labour market. Precarious work is typically located in tedious or hazardous positions with little regulation, supervision, and poor remuneration. While research on contingent labour has increased, an ignored area of research concerns international students for tertiary education but find it necessary to work while studying, usually for financial reasons. Nonetheless, research to date primarily concentrates either on the working experiences of migrants, or the educational experiences of international students; rather than examining the working experiences of international students. Therefore, concerns and uncertainties arise regarding the experiences of working student migrants- do their working lives help or hinder their opportunities for progression? Further, what are the implications of student migrants for Australia and New Zealand