The recent worldwide shift in focus from goods production to service provision in Western
countries has resulted in the expansion of the service sector. The front-line worker has
become a central figure in the new workplace, forming an important link between the
company and the customer. The nature of the interaction between customer service staff and
clients influences the perceived quality of service rendered by the company. Call centre work
requires a high degree of personal contact with the public and the performance of emotional
labour. Previous research found emotional labour to be a significant predictor of burnout.
Given the above scenario, the lack of empirical research that systematically investigates
burnout in a customer services environment in South Africa is a source of concern.
The objectives of this study were to determine the construct validity and internal consistency
of the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS) (Schaufeli, Leiter, Maslach &
Jackson, 1996) in a customer services environment, and to compare the relationship of
burnout with various demographic characteristics.
A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population consisted of an accidental
sample of customer services personnel (N = 228). The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General
Survey (MBI-GS) was used to determine the level of burnout in the participants. A
biographical questionnaire was used to gather additional information. Structural equation
modelling (SEM) methods as implemented by AMOS were used to test the factorial model
for the MBI-GS. Cronbach alpha coefficients and inter-item correlation coefficients were
used to assess the internal consistency and construct validity of the MBI-GS. Descriptive
statistics were used to analyse the data. T-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)
were used to determine differences between the sub-groups in the sample. Tukey tests were
done to indicate which groups differed significantly when ANOVAS were done.
The results confirmed a three-factor model of burnout, consisting of Exhaustion, Cynicism
and Professional Efficacy. All three factors showed acceptable internal consistencies. The
results also showed that customer service staff who measured high on exhaustion and
cynicism (compared with those who measured low) experienced less job satisfaction. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/368 |
| Date | January 2003 |
| Creators | Campbell, Charlene |
| Publisher | North-West University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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