1
IMPACT OF CALL CENTER IMPACT OF CALL CENTER EMOTIONAL LABOR ON EMOTIONAL LABOR ON
WORKPLACE WELL-BEING AND WORKPLACE WELL-BEING AND TENURETENURE
Paul V. Hilario, Ph.DSan Beda College Alabang
2
24 56120
320
800
1,400
4 13 31 60 72 1000
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Estimated revenues inUS$M No. of Call Centers
Introduction
3
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
No. of SeatsEst. No. of Employees
Introduction
4
Introduction
What is Emotional Labor?the degree of manipulation of one’s inner feelings or outward behavior to display the appropriate emotion in response to display rules or occupational norms (Hochschild, 1983)
5Big Nothing (2006)
Emotional Labor in Call Centers
Methodology
• Six hundred forty-three (643) respondents from areas near and around the Metro Manila and major cities in the Philippines
• engaged in purely call center agent work
• exclude call center agents who telecommute
Research Instrument
• 18 item Emotional Labor (Chu, 2002)
• 15 item Workplace Well being (Page, 2005)
Presentation of Results(DEMOGRAPHICS)
37
269
6
50
257
16
2060
50
100
150
200
250
300
Not Stated Single MarriedNot Stated
Male
Female
Presentation of Results(DEMOGRAPHICS)
Place Frequency Percent
Makati 240 37.33%
Ortigas 119 18.51%
Muntinlupa 102 15.86%
Quezon City 64 9.95%
Cebu 36 5.60%
Mandaluyong 24 3.73%
Libis 21 3.27%
Manila 16 2.49%
Davao 7 1.09%
Pasig 6 0.93%
Baguio 6 0.93%
Rizal 1 0.16%
La Union 1 0.16%
Total 643 100%
Presentation of Results(DEMOGRAPHICS)
3
223
3003
3
220
3033
2430
110
50
100
150
200
250
Not Stated HS Graduate Undergraduate College Post GraduateNot Stated
Male
Female
Presentation of Results(DEMOGRAPHICS)
113371
623
53
226203
10
2613
4519
0
100210
1003150
50
100
150
200
250
Not stated less than15K
16 to 20K 21 to 25K 26 to 30 K above 30K
Not Stated
HS grad
Undergrad
College
Postgrad
Presentation of Results(DEMOGRAPHICS)
100329
0
221
4337
0
114
4654
23121
49
168
99
4
013191210
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
Not stated less than15K
16 to 20K 21 to 25K 26 to 30 K above 30K
Not Stated
Inbound
Outbound
Both
Others
Presentation of Results
Variable NNo of items
MeanStandard Deviation
Range Alpha
Emotional Labor 643 18 74.7931.50
18-125 .977
Workplace Well-being 641 14 89.1438.15
14 -140 .986
15
Summary of Tenure
Tenure Frequency Percent
Less than 6 mos. 206 32.04%6 mos - less than
1 yr59 9.18%
1 yr - less than 2 yrs
121 18.82%
2 yrs – less than 3 yrs
183 28.46%
More than 3 yrs 74 11.51%
Total 643 100.00%
Presentation of Results
Variable 1 2
1. Emotional labor
2. Workplace Well-being -.778**
3. Tenure -.411** .389**
17
R=-.778**
Emotional Labor and Workplace wellbeing
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Workplace well being
Em
oti
on
al Labor
18
R=-.411**
Emotional Labor and Tenure
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Tenure
Em
oti
on
al
Lab
or
19
R=.389**
Workplace Well Being and Tenure
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Workplace well being
Ten
ure
Discussion
•Higher levels of emotional labor are experienced by call center agents, the lower their reported levels of workplace well-being.
•Similarly, lower levels of emotional labor predict longer tenure in the company.
Recommendation
• In the selection of agents, considerations can be considerations can be given to how well the potential agent can given to how well the potential agent can handlehandle the intricate stress of dealing with emotional demandsemotional demands of the job apart from the skills and competencies required in the performance of call center work.
• In enhancing the person-environment fit between call center agent and work environment, intervention programs that build up positive intervention programs that build up positive psychological characteristicspsychological characteristics among call center agent be incorporated in the usual trainings programs in the organizations.
• Hence, it should consider providing appropriate appropriate training programstraining programs that develop not just necessary skills but positive psychological characteristics to effectively perform effectively perform emotional laboremotional labor. .