Online technical call centres are organisations that are involved in managed maintenance and fleet management. The particular technical call centre, elevant to the present study, combines the aspects of the mechanical workshop services with those of a call centre and creates a unique environment for providing fleet services and managed maintenance for vehicles that belong to organisations and the government.
Due to advanced technology and the demanding needs of the customers, organisations have turned to the use of call centres to assist them to provide a good service at a reduced cost. The type of service that they provide is quick and efficient and tries to aim at customer satisfaction in “real-time” (Cooper, 1999). Much research has been conducted on call centres and the nature of the call centre environment (Adorno, 1999). The studies have investigated physical and emotional exhaustion, performance management systems and the impact of it on the individual, turnover of staff and stress in the call centre.
The current study intends to assess the unique environment of a technical call centre, where employees are required to answer calls relating to vehicle repairs and maintenance. The call centre is distinctive in that it combines a call centre and the skills that are required in a mechanical workshop.
There is little evidence of similar research and therefore there is a need for further research in the South African context. This study will attempt to provide further insight into this unique environment within the framework of such an organisation. The study will focus on the reasons why the mechanics have left the workshop environment to pursue a career in a more corporate setting. To become a technical advisor, one must have been a mechanic, as the same technical knowledge is required to perform the job. There is already a phenomenon of young people changing jobs and the study will focus on the transition which takes place at a particular time in their lives and the reasons for the career change will be looked at in terms of Super’s (1980) developmental theory. Focus will also be placed on the stress that they experience while making the transition and how this impacts not only on their work life, but also on their personal lives.
The first part, literature relating to quality of work and career change will be discussed, with particular focus on Super’s (1980) developmental theory. The second chapter will look at the context of the mechanical workshop and the call centre. Stress within the two environments will also be highlighted as the technical advisors have developed in a certain way in the workshop and then experience different forms of stress in the call centre. The second part will present the methodology used in this study with specific reference to the measuring instruments, research design and the sample. The results obtained during the interviews will be discussed on Chapter four, and a discussion and interpretation of the results will follow in Chapter five.
CONTENTS
PART ONE: CONCEPTUAL AND THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Chapter 1: Literature Review
- • Introduction
• Quality of Work life
• Career Change
- o Super’s Self-Concept developmental Theory
o Super’s Life Stages
o Life Career Rainbow
Chapter 2: Context and Environment
- • Mechanical Trade Background
• The Call Centre
• Stress
- o Technostress
o Stress in the Call Centre Environment
• Rationale
• Aims and Research Questions
PART TWO: PRESENT RESEARCH
Chapter 3: Methodology
- • Measuring Instruments
• Research Design
• Procedure and Ethical Considerations
• Sample
• Data Analysis
Chapter 4: Results
Chapter 5: Discussion
- • Implication of Research
• Limitations
• Conclusion
References
Appendices
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