Taylorism, targets and the pursuit of quantity and quality by call centre management

P.M. Bain, A.C. Watson, G. Mulvey, P. Taylor, G. Gall

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

148 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The paper locates the rise of the call centre within the context of the development of Taylorist methods and technological change in office work in general. Managerial utilisation of targets to impose and measure employees' quantitative and qualitative performance is analysed in four case-study organisations. The paper concludes that call centre work reflects a pardigmic re-configuration of customer servicing operations, and that the continuing application of Taylorist methods appears likely.
LanguageEnglish
Pages170-185
Number of pages15
JournalNew Technology, Work and Employment
Volume17
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2002

Fingerprint

Taylorism
call center
office work
Personnel
development of methods
technological change
management
customer
utilization
employee
performance
Call centres

Keywords

  • taylorism
  • call centres
  • human resource management
  • quality management

Cite this

Bain, P.M. ; Watson, A.C. ; Mulvey, G. ; Taylor, P. ; Gall, G. / Taylorism, targets and the pursuit of quantity and quality by call centre management. In: New Technology, Work and Employment. 2002 ; Vol. 17, No. 3. pp. 170-185.
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Bain, PM, Watson, AC, Mulvey, G, Taylor, P & Gall, G 2002, 'Taylorism, targets and the pursuit of quantity and quality by call centre management' New Technology, Work and Employment, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 170-185. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-005X.00103

Taylorism, targets and the pursuit of quantity and quality by call centre management. / Bain, P.M.; Watson, A.C.; Mulvey, G.; Taylor, P.; Gall, G.

In: New Technology, Work and Employment, Vol. 17, No. 3, 2002, p. 170-185.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

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Bain PM, Watson AC, Mulvey G, Taylor P, Gall G. Taylorism, targets and the pursuit of quantity and quality by call centre management. New Technology, Work and Employment. 2002;17(3):170-185. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-005X.00103

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