Work in call-center: Comparison between inbound and outbound services

Abstract

The impact of call-center work on various physical and psychological dimensions of the individual has been subject of several studies; however, research comparing the types of services in this work context is scarce. Thus, in this study, besides analysing the characteristics of the work, the main sources of stress and the organizational commitment in this type of context, also compared the inbound and outbound services according to such dimensions. In total, 274 call-center operators participated, 191 of the inbound service and 83 of the outbound service. In the data collection the protocol used consisted in several scales, in paper format and online. It was found that participants in the inbound group perceive a greater variety of skills in their work and higher levels of stress related to family problems than the participants of the outbound group. No significant differences were found relatively to the commitment to the organization.