Performance monitoring, supervisory support, and job characteristics and their impact on employee well-being amongst four samples of call centre agents in South Africa

Abstract

This paper reports a descriptive comparison of selected aspects of work experience reflected by four groups of employees drawn from four contrasting call center environments based in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The call centers were selected as representing distinct business and management practices in terms of the envisioned market and the service model enacted within each call center. Participants were call center agents who completed a questionnaire survey of aspects of their work life experiences and context free life satisfaction. In addition, interviews were conducted with supervisors in each call center to assess supervisory practice, and some follow up interviews were conducted with call centre agents. Findings do not fit neatly into a Tayloristic-Empowerment continuum, but rather point to a more complex balance between the unfavorable work demands experienced and wider feelings of self worth. Implications for job design and enhanced well being are summarized. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.