A qualitative study undertaken in Bangalore and Mumbai, India, on subjective work experiences of call centre agents, uncovered four major themes addressing agents’ perceptions of and responses to emotional labour demands. These include reorienting self, balancing expectations, neutralizing stress and humouring irate customers. The findings further our understanding by highlighting the presence of normative control, the relevance of dispositional factors, the implications of coping mechanisms and the complexities introduced by global outsourcing.
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