Notre thèse se propose d’analyser les transformations des rapports salariaux à partir d’une lecture croisée de la dynamique des modèles productifs et de l’expansion de la relation de service. Nous formulons l’hypothèse que la relation entretenue avec le client devient, sous différentes facettes, une source de profit obtenue à partir du travail salarié, ce qui conduit à une transformation des modes de production caractérisée par une division du travail et des emploi plus prononcée. L’exploration de cette hypothèse est effectuée pour le cas particulier des centres d’appels téléphoniques, sur la base d’une analyse empirique réalisée à partir d’entretiens sectoriels et de huit études de cas. Au regard de l’abondante littérature portant sur cet objet d’étude, notre recherche propose d’adopter un angle d’analyse original, qui consiste à prendre en compte les centres d’appels du point de vue de leur ancrage au sein des organisations productives. Nous partons de l’idée que l’activité des centres d’appels n’est pas totalement nouvelle et qu’elle résulte d’une transformation de situations antérieures. Il s’agit alors d’étudier cette activité au regard de son insertion au sein d’un processus de division du travail. L’application de la grille d’analyse d’un modèle productif permet dans ce cadre de mettre en exergue une recomposition et un découpage des différentes dimensions de la relation de service à travers l’ensemble de l’entreprise, qui entraîne une segmentation flexible des emplois et une rationalisation commune du travail empruntant à la fois à une logique industrielle et professionnelle, mais qui mobilise fortement l’implication subjective des salariés. / Our thesis offers to analyze the transformation of wage earner relations through a cross reading of the productive models dynamics and the growth of the service relation. We venture the hypothesis that the relationship with the customer becomes a source of profit achieved by paid work at different level, which leads to a transformation of productive models characterized by a stronger division in work and employment. The analysis of this hypothesis is made for the specific case of call centers on the basis of a purely practical analysis carried through sectorial interviews and eight case studies. With regard to abundant sources about this study, our research offers to adopt an original angle of analysis consisting in taking into account call centers regarding their base within productive organization. We start by assuming that call centers activity isn’t entirely new and that it ensues from a transformation of former situation. Thus we have to study the activity with regard to its integration within a work division process. The implementation of the frame of reference of a productive model allows us to underline in this context a reconstruction and a division of the various dimensions of service relation through the whole industry. It leads to a flexible segmentation of jobs and a common rationalization of works borrowing an industrial and professional reasoning but which highly uses employees subjective commitment.

Customer call centers with hundreds of agents working in parallel are ubiquitous in many industries. These systems have a large amount of daily traffic that is stochastic in nature. It becomes more and more difficult to manage a call center because of its increasingly large scale and the stochastic variability in arrival and service processes. In call center operations, customer abandonment is a key factor and may significantly impact the system performance. It must be modeled explicitly in order for an operational model to be relevant for decision making. In this thesis, a large-scale call center is modeled as a queue with many parallel servers. To model the customer abandonment, each customer is assigned a patience time. When his waiting time for service exceeds his patience time, a customer abandons the system without service. We develop analytical and numerical tools for analyzing such a queue. We first study a sequence of G/G/n+GI queues, where the customer patience times are independent and identically distributed (iid) following a general distribution. The focus is the abandonment and the queue length processes. We prove that under certain conditions, a deterministic relationship holds asymptotically in diffusion scaling between these two stochastic processes, as the number of servers goes to infinity. Next, we restrict the service time distribution to be a phase-type distribution with d phases. Using the aforementioned asymptotic relationship, we prove limit theorems for G/Ph/n+GI queues in the quality- and efficiency-driven (QED) regime. In particular, the limit process for the customer number in each phase is a d-dimensional piecewise Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) process. Motivated by the diffusion limit process, we propose two approximate models for a GI/Ph/n+GI queue. In each model, a d-dimensional diffusion process is used to approximate the dynamics of the queue. These two models differ in how the patience time distribution is built into them. The first diffusion model uses the patience time density at zero and the second one uses the entire patience time distribution. We also develop a numerical algorithm to analyze these diffusion models. The algorithm solves the stationary distribution of each model. The computed stationary distribution is used to estimate the queue's performance. A crucial part of this algorithm is to choose an appropriate reference density that controls the convergence of the algorithm. We develop a systematic approach to constructing a reference density. With the proposed reference density, the algorithm is shown to converge quickly in numerical experiments. These experiments also show that the diffusion models are good approximations of queues with a moderate to large number of servers.

In the past decade, a night shift labor force has gained momentum in the global economy. The hyper-growth of the transnational call center industry in India provides a quintessential example. The night shift requirement of the transnational call industry also intersects with the spatial and temporal construction of gender. Research conducted in 2006 in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Ahmedabad indicates that the nightscape is primarily a male domain (with the exception of prostitutes, bar dancers, and call girls) and women’s entry into this domain generates a range of diverse responses from call centers, their employees, the employees’ families, the media, and the Indian public. This research illustrates that there is no linear outcome to how working the night shift at a call center affects women’s lives. Even though the global nature of the work combined with the relatively high salary is viewed as a liberating force in the lives of workers, in actuality women simultaneously experience opening and constriction for working in the industry. Through the collection of interviews, focus group data, and participant observation gathered during 10 months of fieldwork in India, I examine female night shift workers’ physical, temporal, social, and economic mobility to illustrate how global night shift labor is intersecting with the lives of women in ironic and unsettling ways. Call center employment certainly changes the temporal mobility of some women because it provides them with a legitimate reason to leave the house at night, whereas before this was considered unacceptable. Concerns about promiscuity and “bad character” related to working at night are deflected by linking employment to skill acquisition, high wages, and a contribution to the household. Women’s safety--a code word for their reputation--is preserved by segregating them, via private transport, from the other women of the night. Women consequently become more physically and economically mobile, but through the use of what I term mobility-morality narratives, households continue to maintain regimes of surveillance and control over when and how women come and go. Similarly their social mobility is limited by obligations to support family members and conform to gendered notions of a woman’s place. / text

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Selection represents a critical human resource intervention by virtue of its ability to regulate the movement of employees into, through and out of the organisation. Selection thus represents a relatively visible mechanism through which access to employment opportunities can be regulated. From the perspectives of both affirmative action and fairness, as well as utility, selection has therefore been under intense scrutiny. This implies that there are two substantial criteria in terms of which selection procedures need to be evaluated, namely equity and efficiency. Should the human resource function be challenged to defend its selection procedure, it should be able to assemble credible evidence to show the efficiency and equity of the disputed intervention by means of a reasoned justification. The problem is, however, that most selection procedures being operated in South Africa would probably not be able to successfully meet this burden of persuasion. The search for equitable and efficient selection procedures thus necessitates the need for psychometric audits to provide the feedback required to adjust selection procedures towards greater efficiency and equity, and to provide the evidence required for the vindication of organisations should they be challenged in terms of the South African anti-discriminatory labour legislation. The Guidelines for the Validation and Use of Selection Procedures developed by the Society for Industrial Psychology (1998) represents an attempt to illustrate the ideal process according to which selection procedures should be developed and validated. Conditional on the acceptance that the Guidelines (1998) set out the most justifiable methodology for the development and justification of selection procedures, it becomes a necessity for organisations to periodically evaluate (i.e. periodically psychometrically audit) their current selection procedures and its developmental history to determine whether the human resource function can convincingly demonstrate: .:. The business necessity of the selection procedure; .:. The validity of the performance theory on which the selection procedure is based; and .:. That the selection strategy combines applicant information fairly. A checklist was developed from relevant psychometric literature for the purpose of the psychometric audit representing a structured list of activities required to justify the use of a selection procedure. A psychometric audit was conducted on a selection procedure for call centre staff of a large SA insurance company. The audit uncovered a number of deficiencies in the call center selection procedure and its developmental history. The performance hypothesis, in which the choice of operational predictor measures is grounded, was neither developed, nor argued, nor documented with sufficient clarity to indicate unambiguously the presumed nature of the nomological network of performance determinants and performance constructs. Problems were found with the external validity of the validation design. No reliability, validity, fairness or utility analyses had been performed at the time of the audit. Subsequent correlation analysis indicates low statistically insignificant correlations between the majority of the chosen predictors and the developed criteria. Nonetheless, linear combinations of predictors were found for each of the three call center positions that significantly explain moderate proportions of criterion variance. The fairness of the use of the CSR multiple regression equation across black and white applicants was examined and found to be acceptable. Due to practical constraints, the utility of the selection procedure has not been evaluated. It is recommended that the current selection procedure be re-examined in detail by the company to bring about positive changes in the performance hypothesis and the operational criterion measures. Thereafter, concrete evidence of reliably generated methodological research needs to be obtained again in order to verify the appropriateness, reliability and the meaningfulness of the inferences made from predictor assessments, thereby limiting, ifnot eliminating, possible cases oflitigation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Seleksie verteenwoordig 'n kritieke menslikehulpbronintervensie omdat dit die vermoë het om die beweging van werknemers in, deur en uit 'n organisasie te reguleer. Seleksie verteenwoordig dus 'n relatief sigbare meganisme waarmee toegang tot werksgeleenthede gereguleer word. Uit die oogpunt van sowel regstellende aksie as regverdigheid, en ook bruikbaarheid, is seleksie tans geweldig onder die vergrootglas. Hiermee word geïmpliseer dat die twee substansiële kriteria waarvolgens seleksieprosedures geëvalueer moet word, billikheid en doeltreffendheid is. Sou die menslikehulpbronfunksie uitgedaag word om sy seleksieprosedure te verdedig, sal dit met geloofwaardige bewyse voor 'n dag moet kan kom om die regverdigheid en doeltreffendheid van die intervensie onder bespreking deur middel van logiese argumente te regverdig. Die probleem is egter dat die meeste seleksieprosedures wat in Suid Afrika gebruik word, waarskynlik nie aan hierdie vereiste sal kan voldoen nie. Die soeke na regverdige en doeltreffende seleksieprosedures noodsaak dus dat die behoefte aan psigometriese oudits. aangespreek word vir die terugvoer wat nodig -is om die seleksieprosedures meer doeltreffend en regverdig te maak. Dit salook terselfdertyd die bewyse verskaf waardeur organisasies hul keuringsprosedures kan regverdig indien teen organisasies opgetree sou word in terme van Suid Afrika se antidiskriminerende arbeidswetgewing. Die "Guidelines for the Validation and Use of Selection Procedures" wat deur die Vereniging vir Bedryfsielkunde (1998) ontwikkel is, is 'n poging om die ideale proses waarvolgens seleksieprosedures ontwikkel en gevalideer behoort te word, te illustreer. Op voorwaarde dat hierdie Riglyne (1998) aanvaar word as die mees regverdigbare metodologie wat betref die ontwikkeling en regverdiging van seleksieprosedures, word dit noodsaaklik dat organisasies hulle seleksieprosedures en die ontwikkelingsgeskiedenis daarvan van tyd tot tyd evalueer (d.i. 'n periodieke psigometriese oudit) ten einde vas te stelof die menslikehulpbronfunksie die volgende oortuigend kan demonstreer: .:. die noodsaaklikheid van die seleksieprosedure uit 'n besigheidsoogpunt; .:. die geldigheid van die prestasieteorie waarop die seleksieprosedure gebaseer is; en .:. dat die seleksiestrategie die inligting van die aansoeker regverdig kombineer. 'n Kontrolelys is ontwikkel uit relevante psigometriese bronne sodat die psigometriese oudit 'n gestruktureerde lys van aktiwiteite bevat wat die gebruik van 'n seleksieprosedure sal kan regverdig. 'n Psigometriese oudit is gedoen op 'n seleksieprosedure vir die inbelpersoneel van 'n groot Suid Afrikaanse versekeringsfirma. Die oudit het 'n aantal gebreke in hierdie seleksieprosedure en sy ontwikkelingsgeskiedenis uitgewys. Die prestasiehipotese waarop die keuse van operasionele voorspellers gegrond is, was nie met voldoende helderheid ontwikkel, beredeneer of gedokumenteer om 'n onomwonde aanduiding te gee van die nomologiese netwerk van prestasiedeterminante en prestasiekonstrukte nie. Die eksterne geldigheid van die valideringsontwerp was ook problematies. Geen betroubaarheids-, geldigheids-, billikheids- of nutanalises is ten tyde van die oudit uitgevoer nie. 'n Daaropvolgende korrelasie-analise dui op lae, statisties onbeduidende korrelasies tussen die meerderheid van die gekose voorspellers en die ontwikkelde kriteria. Daar is desnieteenstaande lineêre kombinasies van voorspellers gevind vir elk van die drie inbelsentrumposte wat beduidend matige proporsies kriteriumvariansie verklaar. Die billikheid van die gebruik van die CSR meervoudige regressievergelyking vir wit en swart aansoekers is ondersoek en aanvaarbaar gevind. As gevolg van praktiese beperkinge is die nut van die seleksieprosedure nie geëvalueer nie. Daar word aanbeveel dat die huidige seleksieprosedure weer noukeurig deur die maatskappy ondersoek sal word om positiewe veranderinge aan die prestasiehipotese en die operasionele kriteriumtellings aan te bring. Daarna moet konkrete bewyse uit betroubaar gegenereerde, metodologiese navorsing weereens verkry word om die relevansie, betroubaarheid en betekenisvolheid van die afleidings wat gemaak is op grond van voorspellerevaluerings te verifieer, om op dié manier moontlike regsgedinge te beperk, indien nie uit te skakel nie.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))-- Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009 / A quantitative research study was conducted in order to obtain insight and knowledge of the perceptions of management with regard to changes taking place within the Financial Services Sector (FSS). The call centre at Sanlam Head Office in Bellville was used as a case study, and focus was primarily with first line managers at the call centre. The motivation for the study stemmed from the researcher’s experience within the FSS coupled with introduction of legislation for financial service providers. The ultimate objective of the study is to provide generic guidelines of how managers should respond to change on various and different levels and to equip managers with tools to apply during change phases and cycles within the organization. The literature review covers areas that releates to how managers responded to change in areas of leadership, culture, structure and legislation. Changes in these four areas were researched from different authors that specialize in organizational development, leadership development, organizational change and legislation. These ideas and perspectives from a range of South African and international writers gave the researcher an opportunity to conceptualize change, in general, and to provide a clearer understanding of generic competencies that are required to deal with it. Some models of how to deal with resistance to change and key success factors in dealing with it, are discussed. The researcher elected to work with managers at the Sanlam call centre, since they experience and are directly exposed to implementation of change at grassroots level. Results of the research confirm that dealing with change is a challenging experience for managers. A participatory management approach will result in less resistance from employees. The investigation also recommends that deciding on a vision with all key role players is not a once-off occurrence, but should be revisited, realigned and adjusted as the need arises within the organization. Furthermore, the results confirm that soft skill training and development such as conflict and diversity management should be implemented during the diversity and the changing face of the workplace. The main objective and recommendation is that managers should relook and revisit their management styles, involve all role players during decision making processes, and value and appreciate employee’s inputs and ideas.

Les télétravailleurs de plusieurs centres d'appels au Québec ont fourni des données des questionnaires sur leurs diverses demandes au travail (mesurées par les facteurs de stress organisationnels, la charge mentale et la charge émotionnelle), les ressources au travail (mesurées par l'indépendance au travail, la participation et les relations avec les superviseurs) ainsi que pour les mesures des résultats de la satisfaction au travail, de l'engagement organisationnel et de l’intention de quitter. Les hypothèses structurées par le modèle Job Demands-Resources ont été testées à l'aide de méthodes corrélationnelles. Comme prévu, les ressources au travail étaient liées de façon significative à la fois à la satisfaction au travail et à l'engagement organisationnel perçu par l'échantillon. Les demandes au travail prédisaient la satisfaction au travail, mais elles n'étaient pas liées à l'engagement organisationnel. Les implications théoriques et pratiques de ces résultats ont été discutées. / Teleworkers from multiple call centers in Québec provided questionnaire data about their various job demands (measured by organizational stressors, mental load, and emotional load), job resources (measured by independence in the work, participation, and relationship with supervisors) as well as for outcome measures of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions. Hypotheses structured by the JD-R model were tested using correlational methods. As predicted, job resources were significantly related to both job satisfaction and organizational commitment perceived by the sample. Job demands predicted job satisfaction, but they did not relate to organizational commitment. The theoretical and practical implications of these results were discussed.

The purpose of the research was to determine whether personality and measures of ability would significantly predict job performance of call centre operators in a South African communications company. The Customer Contact Styles Questionnaire (CCSQ7.2), the Basic Checking (CP7.1) ability test and the Audio Checking (CP8.1) ability test were completed by operators as the predictors. Supervisors completed the Customer Contact Competency Inventory (CCCI) for 140 operators as a measure of job performance. Performance statistics were obtained for the sample as additional criterion data. Correlations and multiple regression analysis revealed statistically significant small to moderate correlations between the criteria and the predictors. The research was conducted from a concurrent validity perspective. Further research from a predictive validity perspective is suggested in order to substantiate the findings and to improve the generalisability thereof. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

The objective of the research was to investigate an improvement in job performance when role-play is used as a training and assessment tool in a sales call centre environment. The research was conducted by means of a competence assessment used at different stages (Quality Assurance Performance Management Questionnaire). The final stage was two weeks after the learners who had qualified to be sales agents had entered a real working environment. At this final stage, calls were retrieved and rated against the Quality Assurance Performance Management Questionnaire (QAPMQ). A sample of 40 novice sales agents (learners) were selected and randomly divided into the control and experimental groups. The research findings indicated that if planned well, role-play can be an effective training and assessment tool. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M.Comm. (Industrial & Organisational Psychology)

Despite their continuing importance to the UK economy and their employment of significant numbers of workers from a range of professions, the utilities have received scant attention from critical scholars of work. This neglect represents a missed opportunity to examine the impact of nearly twenty years of privatisation and marketisation on workers, their jobs and their unions. This thesis aims to make a contribution to knowledge here by investigating, contextualising and explaining changes in the labour processes of a privatised utility in the United Kingdom. The research is informed by oral history methods and techniques, rarely adopted in industrial sociology, and here used alongside labour process theory to reconstruct past experiences of work. Drawing on qualitative data sets, from in-depth interviews with a cohort of employees who worked continuously over three decades at the research site, British Gas’s Granton House, and on extensive company and trade union documentary evidence the research demonstrates how British Gas responded to restrictive regulation and the need to deliver shareholder value by transforming pre-existing forms of work organisation through introducing call centres. The call centre provided the opportunity for management to regain control over the labour process, intensify work and reduce costs. In doing so, the study identifies the principal drivers of organisational change, documents the process of change evaluates the impact on workers’ experience. Thus, as a corrective to much recent labour process theory the research offers both an ‘objective’ and ‘subjective’ account of change over an extended time. The contrast between workers’ experience of working in the clerical departments and in the call centre could not be starker. Almost every element of work from which workers derived satisfaction and purpose was abruptly dismantled. In their place workers had to endure the restrictive and controlling nature of call centre work. The relative absence of resistance to such a transformation is shown to be a consequence of failures in collective organisation, rather than the totalisation of managerial control, as the postmodernists and Foucauldians would have it.

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.