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In terms of service work, teams tend to be more prevalent in call centres than in other service industries. While the literature highlights key debates surrounding the use of teams in call centres, most of it is drawn from studies on large call centres that range in size from several hundred to several thousand seats. This article sets out to consider how the functions and experience of teams varies on the basis of call centre size by conducting case studies in three large and three small call centres. Findings indicate that large call centres are more likely to monitor performance on a team basis and use teams as a means of maintaining structural control, while small call centres did not have the capacity to engage in rivalry and competition as a means of establishing team identity. Instead, teams provided social support and were associated with team 'longevity' - a feature that was not apparent in the large call centres. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to bridge a gap in the call centre literature by considering how individual employees perceive their level of voice over workplace decisions. The inclusion of direct voice mechanisms is noteworthy as these are forms that have received much less attentionvis-à-visindirect voice.Design/methodology/approach– A mixed-method approach was utilized comprising focus groups and questionnaires from over 350 respondents in nine call centres in Australia.Findings– The most pervasive type of employee voice found across all call centres was through direct channels. The team leader was viewed as especially important in terms of employees asserting that they have some influence over workplace issues. There was evidence that the greater the number of voice mechanisms available the higher the perception of autonomy and influence over work tasks, pace of work and quality standards.Research limitations/implications– Greater consideration is needed in the voice literature at how employees perceive different mechanisms and how institutionalized and legitimate these are within organizations. There appeared to be minimal positive feedback on how union's influenced the workplace, even in unionized environments. We call for further research on how union representation and direct voice channels work together and the impact on key individual and organizational outcomes.Practical implications– Employees may view the provision of multiple voice channels more favourable than any particular mechanism. The role of the team leader appears especially crucial in positive perceptions of employee voice.Originality/value– Call centre environments may be changing for the better and effective team leader/employee relationships appear to be at the heart of these changes. The paper demonstrates that direct voice mechanisms dominate the case study sites and that employee perceptions of “being heard” are as important as the actual voice mechanisms.

Research to date suggests that career advancement in call centres (CCs) is relatively uncommon with employees often viewing such employment as a stopgap measure before moving on to something better. This study set out to determine whether such scenarios have changed over time since CCs have become more established in their work organisation, information and communication technology (ICT) and management processes. This study particularly focused on training and development initiatives, how employees access training and development, and whether CCs support career development. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, these issues are examined within 10 Australian CCs of varying size from various sectors. Two-thirds of respondents stated that they intended to develop a career in the industry and 7 in 10 reported that they believed there were promotional opportunities emerging in their current organisation. Despite these findings, the evidence also suggests that more needs to be done both to create coherent career paths and to establish structured, accredited training programmes for CC employees. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

This paper focuses on an under-researched employee category in the call centre literature—the team leader. The paper, drawing on data from nine Australian call centres, finds that the team leader role is integral to the effectiveness of call centres, yet it is a role that consists of considerable complexity and contradictions. The research demonstrates the critical role performed by team leaders: coach, mentor, trainer, performance evaluator, communicator and supervisor. It also shows team leaders as being far more positive about many of the features of the call centre work environment compared with those on the front line. However, there does appear to be a need for greater acknowledgement of their challenging role, the contradictions that are inherent in the job and the need, in many cases, for increased support being made available to assist. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

In the organisational context, high-trust relations can be seen as both conducive to and an indicator of a positive and productive workplace climate.Since their emergence, call centres have been criticised in the literature for poor people management.The evidence raised in the extensive body of literature suggests these organisations contain low-trust conditions.This study aimed to gauge trust from the perspective of those on the front-line,and adopted an exploratory approach to examine (a) the extent to which Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) trust their supervisors and managersand(b) the conditions under which "trust‟ is established and maintained.Surveys and focus groups were conducted with CSRs in ten call centres. Findings suggest "trust‟ exists despite the existence of low-discretion practices, whilehigher trust relations canbe associated with conditions more likely to existin a small call centres.

There has been a paucity of call centre research that focuses on any employee group other than customer service operators (CSOs). This study intends to bridge that by focusing on team leaders (TLs). In particular, the study compares TLs and CSOs with regard to factors related to work mediated through technology and levels of autonomy/empowerment in ten Australian call centres. The study highlighted the pivotal role of TLs in call centres by posing the question are team leaders faced with similar or different working conditions to those of CSOs? The study highlighted some interesting differences and similarities between the two groups while uncovering the potential need for more ‘soft skill’ training for both CSOs andTLs.

Call centres now represent an emerging business activity across the developed and developing world. This paper explores the forms of employee voice being utilised in Australian call centres and the issues on which employees have a voice over. The paper also examines employee attitudes towards these mechanisms and the level of involvement or consultation they possess. Utilising questionnaires and focus groups from ten call centres, we find that direct employee voice channels are the most common form but that these do not tend to be formalised structures. Employees tend to be content with the status quo in this regard with hostility rather than engagement being expressed towards being represented by trade unions

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In July 2006, members of Monash University’s Australian Centre for Research in Employment and Work (ACREW) joined with colleagues from King’s College London to hold a conference focused on ‘Socially responsive, socially responsible approaches to employment and work’ (DeCieri et al., 2006). One of the five conference streams was devoted to work and employment in call centres and was organized by the lead author of this introduction (Rainnie). This special edition of the JIR includes a number of articles from that stream.

not available.