ABSTRACT
The call centre environment has become an interesting new venue for research
into organisational issues, having grown extensively both internationally and in
South Africa, thus playing a crucial role in most industries. In call centres where
high value is placed on the meeting of targets and metrics, performance
management is crucial. There are numerous differing definitions when it comes
to what exactly performance management is, what these definitions have in
common however is that they include one or more of the following eight
constructs: control; alignment with organisational strategies; the achievement of
overall goals and objectives; rewards; training; development; appraisal and
motivation (Fisher, Katz, Miller and Thatcher, 2003; Amaratunga, and Baldry,
2002; Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart and Wright, 2003). Perceptions and definitions of
performance management may vary between agents, supervisors and
managers. In order to determine what perceptions employees at different levels
held of performance management in call centres, the exploration of metaphors
was employed as they are thought to provide a basis for uncovering perceptions,
attitudes and feelings which were previously subconscious or not articulated. The
aim of this research was thus to determine: what images employees use to
define performance management; what similarities and differences exist in the
images and definitions used by employees from different levels within the
organisation; and how the images and definitions relate to constructs used to
define performance management in the literature. Interviews were conducted
with 18 call centre agents, 6 supervisors and 3 managers. The results revealed
that employees used both negative and positive images to describe performance
management, some of the images did relate to some of the eight constructs, and
perceptions of performance management differed according to organisational
position with supervisors and managers using more positive images to describer
performance management.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/4563 |
| Date | 06 March 2008 |
| Creators | Ngidi, Zandile Sanelisiwe |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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