Purpose: The purpose of the research for this thesis is to respond to the following research questions and to test the hypotheses which stem from the second research question. The research questions are: 1. What are the nature, relevance and extent of the application of the concepts and constructs of control, alienation, commitment and satisfaction within the call centre workplace? 2. What is the nature of the association between the concepts and constructs of control, alienation, commitment and satisfaction within the call centre workplace? Methodology and Research Design: A mixed method research design was devised, based upon piloted exploratory research. The main survey instrument was the questionnaire. The questionnaire responses were analysed and subject to confirmatory factor analysis. Findings: Ten hypotheses were tested and largely supported. The results demonstrate strong associations between the main constructs of control, alienation, commitment and satisfaction and also with their subsidiary constructs. Limitations and Implications: The main theoretical limitation of this research concerns both alienation and control. The exclusive focus upon control within the formalised workplace context of the call centre taken by the research is without reference to wider societal control relationships and structures, and as such could pose limitations in terms of generalising the research results. With regard to alienation, this research attempts to measure some alienation components in the tradition of Blauner (1964) and Seeman (1959), and hence poses the problem of whether reducing the alienation concept to measurable components is valid within the context of the wider discussion of alienation as an inherent societal condition, thereby leaving this research open to the charge of methodological reductivism. Originality and Value: The primary contribution to knowledge of this research lies in the consideration, empirical application, consolidation and relevance of the four central concepts of control, alienation, commitment and satisfaction as applied to call centre work and the call centre workplace, and to the attitudes and behaviour of CSRs.

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