BACKGROUND: The call centre industry has developed a reputation for
generating a highly stressful work environment with high absenteeism and
turnover rates. Research has identified role ambiguity, role conflict, role
overload, and work-family conflict as common stressors in other settings.
Call centre research has additionally identified performance monitoring, job
design and job opportunities as call centre specific stressors.
OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: This study investigated the impact of the
identified stressors on burnout, somatic symptomology, and turnover intent
among 126 call centre representatives (CCRs) from 11 call centres in
metropolitan Melbourne, Australia.
RESULTS: Hierarchical multiple regression analyses found that the
common organizational stressors significantly explained between 10% and
53% of the variance in somatic symptomology, burnout (all 3 dimensions)
and turnover intent. An additional amount of variance, between 6% and
22% in each of these dependent measures was significantly accounted for
by the grouped call centre specific stressors.
CONCLUSIONS: Overall, common organizational stressors and call
centre specific stressors both significantly and independently contributed
to burnout, somatic symptomology and turnover intent. These findings are
discussed in relation to previous research, and suggestions for improved
practice within call centres to safeguard the well-being of workers and for
future research are provided.
