Study’s Objectives
The study analyzes which management practices predict better performance outcomes (such as quit rates, customer satisfaction, sales growth, call handling time) in Canadian contact centres. This project is part of a larger global study of management practices in contact centres that includes 18 countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Korea, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Sweden and Norway, South Africa, UK, and US.
We seek to clarify misconceptions about the image of work in contact centres through a national survey of contact centre managers and case studies of contact centres that are implementing innovative management practices.
The Canadian team participating in this project consists of Ann C. Frost from the Richard Ivey School of Business (University of Western Ontario), and Danielle van Jaarsveld, from the Sauder School of Business (University of British Columbia).
Benefits for Participants
Participants will immediately be sent a copy of the 2004 US Call Centre Industry Benchmarking Report. Click on the following link to preview an excerpt from the US Report [download here]. Participants will also receive other country reports as they become available, and a global summary report.
In this study we examine such questions as:
- How do call centre management practices differ across industries and sectors?
- What employment practices contribute to lower turnover and absenteeism?
- What types of new technologies and innovative work practices are being adopted?
- What are the pay levels and compensation strategies for employees and managers?
- To what extent do economic development agencies, employer networks, and training institutions provide support for call centres?
Topics of interest will include best practice approaches in:
- Recruitment and Selection
- Skills and training,
- The use of technology and work design,
- Staffing practices (such as the use of full time, contingent, and part-time employees),
- Wage levels and compensation strategies (such as performance-based pay), and
- The role of the union in call centres, where unionization exists.
Study Design:
- Case Studies of Contact Centre Management Practices
- National Survey of Contact Centre Managers
The purpose of the survey and the interviews is to gather data on best practice management strategies from a variety of contact centres across industries. (1) recruitment & selection, (2) training, (3) the use of technology and work design, (4) staffing practices (such as the use of full time, contingent, and part-time employees), (5) wage levels and compensation strategies (such as performance-based pay), and (6) the role of the union in call centres, where unionization exists.
Funding:
The Canadian study is being funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/, a federal funding agency.
Confidentiality:
The information you provide will be treated as strictly confidential [download the confidentiality protocol]. We guarantee that no one outside of our research team will ever have access to your responses. We will analyse the findings in a way that no one individual or organisation may be identified.
Contact:
If you have any questions about this project feel free to send an email to Danielle van Jaarsveld, or by telephone, 604-822-8441. If you are interested in scheduling an interview for this project, please call 1-888-367-8404.
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Interview with Ann C. Frost
