Thesis (MComm (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Researchers have labelled call centres as the modern equivalent of the ‘factory
sweatshops’ of the industrial era, and refer to them as the ‘satanic mills of the
21st century’. A review of the literature revealed the lack of employee
engagement amongst call centre representatives (CCRs) to be a central concern
in this fast-emerging global industry. Consequently, the current study was
undertaken to identify and investigate various antecedents of employee
engagement.
The objective of the study was, firstly, to gauge the level of employee
engagement amongst a sample of CCRs in South Africa and, secondly, to track
the paths through which salient antecedents affect this engagement. More
specifically, the relationships between sense of coherence (SOC), leadership
effectiveness (LE), team effectiveness (TE) and employee engagement (E) were
investigated. A quantitative research approach was followed whereby a positive
psychology paradigm underpinned the examination of specific personal and job
resources that could enhance engagement within the call centre environment.
A cross-sectional survey design was used and a non-probability convenient
sample of 215 CCRs was selected. The measuring instruments comprised the
Utrecht Work Engagement Scale of Schaufeli and Bakker (2003) to measure
engagement, the Team Diagnostic Survey of Wageman, Hackman and Lehman
(2005) to measure team effectiveness, the Leadership Practices Inventory of
Kouzes and Posner (2001) to gauge leadership effectiveness, and the
Orientation to Life Questionnaire of Antonovsky (1987) to measure sense of
coherence. A series of structural equation modelling analyses were performed.
Contrary to the ‘electronic sweatshop’ image and its attendant symptoms of
depression, emotional exhaustion, anxiety, demotivation and dissatisfaction
attached to call centre jobs (depicted in the literature), the results show a high level of employee engagement for the CCRs in the sample. Also, personal
resources, such as SOC, and job resources, such as TE, related significantly to
E. A non-significant relationship was found to exist between LE and E. The
implications of the results for the practice of human resource management in call
centres are elaborated upon. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Oproepsentrums is al deur navorsers bestempel as die moderne ekwivalent van
die ‘hongerfabrieke’ van die industriële tydvak, en as die ‘sataniese meule van
die 21ste eeu’. ‘n Oorsig van die literatuur toon dat die gebrek aan
werknemerverbintenis onder oproepsentrumverteenwoordigers (call centre
representatives (CCRs)) ‘n sentrale kommer is in hierdie vinnig ontluikende
globale bedryf. Gevolglik is hierdie studie onderneem om die verskillende
antesedente van werknemerverbintenis te ondersoek.
Die doelwit van hierdie studie was eerstens om die vlak van
werknemerverbintenis in ‘n steekproef van oproepsentrumverteenwoordigers in
Suid-Afrika te meet, en tweedens om die weë waardeur die pertinente
antesedente hierdie verbintenis beïnvloed, op te spoor. Meer spesifiek is die
verhoudings tussen samehangsin (sense of coherence (SOC)),
leierskapdoeltreffendheid (leadership effectiveness (LE)), spandoeltreffendheid
(team effectiveness (TE)) en die werknemer se verbintenis (engagement (E))
ondersoek. ‘n Kwantitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is gebruik in terme waarvan
‘n positiewe sielkundige paradigma die ondersoek van spesifieke persoonlike en
werkhulpbronne onderstut het wat verbintenis in die oproepsentrum-omgewing
kon verhoog.
‘n Deursnee- opname-ontwerp is gebruik en ‘n nie-waarskynlikheidsgerieflikheidsteekproef
van 215 oproepsentrumverteenwoordigers is geselekteer.
Die meetinstrumente het die volgende behels: die Utrecht Work Engagement
Scale van Schaufeli en Bakker (2003) om verbintenis te meet; die Team
Diagnostic Survey van Wageman, Hackman en Lehman (2005) om
spandoeltreffendheid te meet; die Leadership Practices Inventory van Kouzes en
Posner (2001) om leierskapdoeltreffendheid te meet; en die Orientation to Life
Questionnaire van Antonovsky (1987) om samehangsin te meet. ‘n Reeks
ontledings van struktuurvergelykingsmodellering is uitgevoer. In teenstelling met die beeld van ‘n ‘elektroniese hongerfabriek’ en die
gepaardgaande simptome van neerslagtigheid, emosionele uitputting,
angstigheid, demotivering en ontevredenheid wat met werk in oproepsentrums
gepaard gaan (soos in die literatuur uitgebeeld), toon die resultate ‘n hoë vlak
van werknemerverbintenis vir die oproepsentrumverteenwoordigers in hierdie
steekproef. Persoonlike hulpbronne soos samehangsin, en werkhulpbronne soos
spandoeltreffendheid, het ‘n noemenswaardige verband met verbintenis getoon.
‘n Nie-betekenisvolle verhouding is gevind tussen leierskapdoeltreffendheid en
verbintenis. Die implikasies van die uitslae vir die menslike hulpbronnepraktyk in
oproepsentrums word ook bespreek.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/5193 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Janse van Rensburg, Yolandi-Eloise |
| Contributors | Boonzaier, B., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 149 p. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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