Symbolic Analysts in the New Economy? Call Centres in Less Favoured Regions

Abstract

Previously, authors suggested that call centres will tend to evolve into 'knowledge' work (Frenkel et al., 1995). However, more recent studies recognise that call centres are diverse and need to be examined in context (Taylor et al. 2002). In relation to regional development, call centres have contributed to job creation in Europe (Richardson et al., 2002). However, despite a large increase in the general literature on call centres, and investigation of the regional implications of the growth of call centres in UK, the literature on place and location is very limited, especially in Australia (Barrett, 2001). In contrast, researchers have demonstrated a high level of interest in regard to questions of control, surveillance, work intensity and stress (Callaghan & Thompson, 2001; Kinnie et al., 2000; Taylor & Bain, 1999), but the literature has included few details about employees beyond age, gender and whether they work full- or part-time. Knowledge of employees' work histories, including their previous employment status, occupations and industry of work would provide a more comprehensive comparative basis from which more precise conclusions might be drawn. Our major aims in this study were therefore threefold: firstly, to establish the background of a new call centre in a less favoured region in Australia; secondly, to identify the personal characteristics and employment records of a sample of employees from the call centre; and thirdly, to explore the employee data in relation to their responses to the new work environment. Data were collected in three phases comprising semi-structured interviews with senior and middle managers (nine interviews), a survey of frontline employees (N=142, 365) and focus groups (ten groups with a total of 54 participants). Key findings are that the costs and benefits of the call centre are consistent with the framework of Richardson and Belt (2001), suggesting that the reality of the new call centre in a LFR is more mundane than that suggested by the rhetoric about knowledge workers and high technology investment. Secondly, the respondents to the survey produced a picture of workers who are female, young and with relatively low education levels. Many were previously unemployed and the majority came from low skilled jobs in retail, government, and service industries. They could not be classified as `knowledge workers'. Finally, the majority of respondents found both the terms and conditions worse, and stress levels higher in their new work environment, than in their previous one. Patterns appear to exist in relation to specific industries and are supported by employees' responses to open-ended questions