IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/indres/v60y2021i3p307-337.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Collective Voice and Worker Well‐being: Union Influence on Performance Monitoring and Emotional Exhaustion in Call Centers

Author

Listed:
  • Sean O’Brady
  • Virginia Doellgast

Abstract

This study analyses the impact of union actions on worker well‐being. It examines union efforts to reduce emotional exhaustion associated with performance monitoring in call center jobs, drawing on quantitative (N = 1894) and qualitative (interviews and focus groups) data in the United States. Findings suggest that the effective exercise of collective voice, through collective bargaining and activism by union officials, can reduce emotional exhaustion by promoting fair and developmental monitoring practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Sean O’Brady & Virginia Doellgast, 2021. "Collective Voice and Worker Well‐being: Union Influence on Performance Monitoring and Emotional Exhaustion in Call Centers," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(3), pages 307-337, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:indres:v:60:y:2021:i:3:p:307-337
    DOI: 10.1111/irel.12286
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/irel.12286
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/irel.12286?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rosemary Batt & David Holman & Ursula Holtgrewe, 2009. "The Globalization of Service Work: Comparative Institutional Perspectives on Call Centers," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 62(4), pages 453-488, July.
    2. Virginia Doellgast & Ursula Holtgrewe & Stephen Deery, 2009. "The Effects of National Institutions and Collective Bargaining Arrangements on Job Quality in Front-Line Service Workplaces," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 62(4), pages 489-509, July.
    3. Laetitia Hauret & Donald R. Williams, 2017. "Cross-National Analysis of Gender Differences in Job Satisfaction," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(2), pages 203-235, April.
    4. Patrice Laroche, 2016. "A Meta-Analysis of the Union–Job Satisfaction Relationship," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 54(4), pages 709-741, December.
    5. Nancy Brown Johnson & Paul Jarley, 2004. "Justice and Union Participation: An Extension and Test of Mobilization Theory," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 42(3), pages 543-562, September.
    6. Taegoo Kim & Soyon Paek & Chang Choi & Gyehee Lee, 2012. "Frontline service employees’ customer-related social stressors, emotional exhaustion, and service recovery performance: customer orientation as a moderator," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 6(4), pages 503-526, December.
    7. Ann C. Frost, 2000. "Explaining Variation in Workplace Restructuring: The Role of Local Union Capabilities," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 53(4), pages 559-578, July.
    8. David G. Blanchflower & Alex Bryson, 2020. "Now Unions Increase Job Satisfaction and Well-being," NBER Working Papers 27720, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Paul Osterman, 1994. "How Common is Workplace Transformation and Who Adopts it?," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 47(2), pages 173-188, January.
    10. Stephen J. Deery & Roderick D. Iverson & Janet T. Walsh, 2010. "Coping Strategies in Call Centres: Work Intensity and the Role of Co‐workers and Supervisors," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 48(1), pages 181-200, March.
    11. Alex Bryson & Erling Barth & Harald Dale-Olsen, 2013. "The Effects of Organizational Change on Worker Well-Being and the Moderating Role of Trade Unions," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 66(4), pages 989-1011, July.
    12. Zev J. Eigen & Adam Seth Litwin, 2014. "Justice or Just between Us? Empirical Evidence of the Trade-off between Procedural and Interactional Justice in Workplace Dispute Resolution," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 67(1), pages 171-201, January.
    13. den Hartog, D.N. & Boselie, J.P.P.E.F. & Paauwe, J., 2004. "Performance Management: A model and research agenda," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2004-068-ORG, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sean O'Brady & Virginia Doellgast & David Blatter, 2024. "The high costs of outsourcing: Vendor errors, customer mistreatment, and well‐being in call centers," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(1), pages 80-103, January.
    2. Maxime Bellego & Virginia Doellgast & Elisa Pannini, 2023. "From Taylorism to teams: organisational and institutional experimentation at France Télécom," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 29(3), pages 355-370, August.
    3. Fabio Berton & Anna Carreri & Francesco Devicienti & Andrea Ricci, 2023. "The collective voice of unions and workplace training in Italy: New insights from mixed methods," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 61(3), pages 595-622, September.
    4. Diane E. Bailey, 2022. "Emerging Technologies at Work: Policy Ideas to Address Negative Consequences for Work, Workers, and Society," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 75(3), pages 527-551, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xiangmin Liu & Danielle D. van Jaarsveld & Yoshio Yanadori, 2022. "Customer aggression, employee voice and quit rates: Evidence from the frontline service workforce," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 60(2), pages 348-370, June.
    2. Daniela Lup, 2022. "What makes an active citizen? A test of multiple links between workplace experiences and civic participation," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 60(3), pages 563-584, September.
    3. Maczulskij, Terhi & Haapanen, Mika & Kauhanen, Antti & Riukula, Krista, 2021. "Dark Half: Decentralized Bargaining and Well-Being at Work," IZA Discussion Papers 14654, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Nathalie Greenan & Ekaterina Kalugina & Mouhamadou Moustapha Niang, 2017. "Work Organisation and Workforce Vunerability to Non-Employment: Evidence from OECD’s Survey on Adult Skills (PIAAC) [Organisation du travail et vulnérabilité au non-emploi : une étude empirique à p," Working Papers hal-02162457, HAL.
    5. Virginia Doellgast, 2010. "Collective Voice under Decentralized Bargaining: A Comparative Study of Work Reorganization in US and German Call Centres," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 48(2), pages 375-399, June.
    6. Peter Gahan & Andreas Pekarek, 2013. "Social Movement Theory, Collective Action Frames and Union Theory: A Critique and Extension," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 51(4), pages 754-776, December.
    7. Maëlezig Bigi & Nathalie Greenan & Sylvie Hamon-Cholet & Joseph Lanfranchi, 2018. "The Human Sustainability of ICT and Management Changes: Evidence for the French Public and Private Sectors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-23, October.
    8. Paul Blyton & Jean Jenkins, 2013. "Mobilizing Protest: Insights from Two Factory Closures," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 51(4), pages 733-753, December.
    9. Artz, Benjamin & Heywood, John S., 2020. "Unions, Worker Participation and Worker Well-Being," GLO Discussion Paper Series 705, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    10. Marjan Shamsi & Tatiana Iakovleva & Espen Olsen & Richard P. Bagozzi, 2021. "Employees’ Work-Related Well-Being during COVID-19 Pandemic: An Integrated Perspective of Technology Acceptance Model and JD-R Theory," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-22, November.
    11. Alba Manresa & Andrea Bikfalvi & Alexandra Simon, 2018. "The Use And Determinants Of Training And Development For Creativity And Innovation," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 22(07), pages 1-28, October.
    12. Rupietta, Christian & Backes-Gellner, Uschi, 2019. "Combining knowledge stock and knowledge flow to generate superior incremental innovation performance — Evidence from Swiss manufacturing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 209-222.
    13. Alex Bryson, 2016. "Health and safety risks in Britain's workplaces: where are they and who controls them?," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(5-6), pages 547-566, November.
    14. Bloom, Nicholas & Van Reenen, John, 2011. "Human Resource Management and Productivity," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 19, pages 1697-1767, Elsevier.
    15. Hans-Jürgen Engelbrecht, 2015. "A General Model of the Innovation - Subjective Well-Being Nexus," Economic Complexity and Evolution, in: Andreas Pyka & John Foster (ed.), The Evolution of Economic and Innovation Systems, edition 127, pages 69-90, Springer.
    16. Hipp, Lena, 2020. "Feeling secure vs. being secure? Qualitative evidence on the relationship between labour market institutions and employees’ perceived job security from Germany and the U.S," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 15(4), pages 416-429.
    17. Alex Bryson & Lucy Stokes & David Wilkinson, 2023. "Is pupil attainment higher in well-managed schools?," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(1), pages 129-144, January.
    18. Bauer, Thomas K. & Bender, Stefan, 2004. "Technological change, organizational change, and job turnover," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 265-291, June.
    19. Philippe Askenazy & Eve Caroli, 2006. "Innovative work practices, information technologies and working conditions: evidence for France," EconomiX Working Papers 2006-2, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    20. Georgellis, Yannis & Clark, Andrew E. & Apergis, Emmanuel & Robinson, Catherine, 2022. "Occupational status and life satisfaction in the UK: The miserable middle?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 509-527.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:indres:v:60:y:2021:i:3:p:307-337. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0019-8676 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.