IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ormnsc/v54y2008i2p384-399.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact of Simulation Training on Call Center Agent Performance: A Field-Based Investigation

Author

Listed:
  • Nagesh N. Murthy

    (Decision Sciences Department, Lundquist College of Business, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403)

  • Goutam N. Challagalla

    (College of Management, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332)

  • Leslie H. Vincent

    (Gatton College of Business and Economics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506)

  • Tasadduq A. Shervani

    (Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275)

Abstract

The most prevalent form of training call center agents is via classroom instruction coupled with role-plays. Role-play training has a theoretical base in behavior modeling that entails observation, practice, and feedback. Emerging simulation-based technologies offer enhancements to behavior modeling that are absent in role-play training. This study evaluates the effectiveness of simulation-based training (henceforth, simulation training) as a behavior modeling technique vis-à-vis role-play training in a real-world call center environment across tasks of different levels of complexity. We collaborate with call centers at two Fortune 50 firms and examine on-job performance metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of simulation training. The performance measures of interest are call accuracy and call duration because these are two important factors that influence customer satisfaction and productivity in call center operations. After controlling for factors such as trainee's learning and technology orientation, age, education, and call center experience, results show that simulation training outperforms role-playing-based training in terms of both accuracy and speed of processing customer calls. Further, the relative superiority of simulation training improves at higher levels of task complexity.

Suggested Citation

  • Nagesh N. Murthy & Goutam N. Challagalla & Leslie H. Vincent & Tasadduq A. Shervani, 2008. "The Impact of Simulation Training on Call Center Agent Performance: A Field-Based Investigation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(2), pages 384-399, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:54:y:2008:i:2:p:384-399
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.1070.0818
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1070.0818
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/mnsc.1070.0818?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. Deborah R. Compeau & Christopher A. Higgins, 1995. "Application of Social Cognitive Theory to Training for Computer Skills," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 6(2), pages 118-143, June.
    2. Ashford, Susan J. & Northcraft, Gregory B., 1992. "Conveying more (or less) than we realize: The role of impression-management in feedback-seeking," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 53(3), pages 310-334, December.
    3. Richard D. Johnson & George M. Marakas, 2000. "Research Report: The Role of Behavioral Modeling in Computer Skills Acquisition: Toward Refinement of the Model," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 11(4), pages 402-417, December.
    4. Mun Y. Yi & Fred D. Davis, 2003. "Developing and Validating an Observational Learning Model of Computer Software Training and Skill Acquisition," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 14(2), pages 146-169, June.
    5. Levy, Paul E. & Albright, Michelle D. & Cawley, Brian D. & Williams, Jane R., 1995. "Situational and Individual Determinants of Feedback Seeking: A Closer Look at the Process," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 23-37, April.
    6. Steven J. Simon & Varun Grover & James T. C. Teng & Kathleen Whitcomb, 1996. "The Relationship of Information System Training Methods and Cognitive Ability to End-User Satisfaction, Comprehension, and Skill Transfer: A Longitudinal Field Study," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 7(4), pages 466-490, December.
    7. Tuten, Tracy L. & Neidermeyer, Presha E., 2004. "Performance, satisfaction and turnover in call centers: The effects of stress and optimism," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 57(1), pages 26-34, January.
    8. Wood, Robert E., 1986. "Task complexity: Definition of the construct," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 60-82, February.
    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. Sauermann, Jan & Stenberg, Anders, 2020. "Assessing Selection Bias in Non-Experimental Estimates of the Returns to Workplace Training," IZA Discussion Papers 13789, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Sauermann, Jan, 2015. "Worker Reciprocity and the Returns to Training: Evidence from a Field Experiment," IZA Discussion Papers 9179, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Simona KLEINHEMPEL & Stefan Ioan NITCHI & Lucia RUSU, 2010. "Business Process Management in Service-Oriented Companies," Informatica Economica, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 14(3), pages 189-198.

    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. Mun Y. Yi & Fred D. Davis, 2003. "Developing and Validating an Observational Learning Model of Computer Software Training and Skill Acquisition," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 14(2), pages 146-169, June.
    2. Ganesh, Gopala & Paswan, Audhesh K., 2010. "Teaching basic marketing accountability using spreadsheets: An exploratory perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 182-190, February.
    3. Radhika Santhanam & Sharath Sasidharan & Jane Webster, 2008. "Using Self-Regulatory Learning to Enhance E-Learning-Based Information Technology Training," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 19(1), pages 26-47, March.
    4. Weiling Ke & Lele Kang & Chuan-Hoo Tan & Chih-Hung Peng, 2021. "User Competence with Enterprise Systems: The Effects of Work Environment Factors," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 32(3), pages 860-875, September.
    5. Radhika Santhanam & De Liu & Wei-Cheng Milton Shen, 2016. "Research Note—Gamification of Technology-Mediated Training: Not All Competitions Are the Same," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 27(2), pages 453-465, June.
    6. Prasad, Acklesh & Heales, Jon, 2010. "On IT and business value in developing countries: A complementarities-based approach," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 314-335.
    7. Liu, Chuang-Chun, 2016. "Understanding player behavior in online games: The role of gender," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 265-274.
    8. Jean-Charles Pillet & Federico Pigni & Claudio Vitari, 2017. "Learning About Ambiguous Technologies: Conceptualization And Research Agenda," Post-Print halshs-01923653, HAL.
    9. Qi Ma & Alan H. S. Chan & Pei-Lee Teh, 2020. "Bridging the Digital Divide for Older Adults via Observational Training: Effects of Model Identity from a Generational Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-24, June.
    10. Hwang, Yujong & Kettinger, William J. & Yi, Mun Y., 2013. "A study on the motivational aspects of information management practice," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 177-184.
    11. Rahman, Shaikh Moksadur, 2020. "Relationship between Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention: Evidence from Bangladesh," Asian Business Review, Asian Business Consortium, vol. 10(2), pages 99-108.
    12. Xuan Yang & Xiao Li & Daning Hu & Harry Jiannan Wang, 2021. "Differential impacts of social influence on initial and sustained participation in open source software projects," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 72(9), pages 1133-1147, September.
    13. Gonzalez, George C. & Sharma, Pratyush N. & Galletta, Dennis F., 2012. "The antecedents of the use of continuous auditing in the internal auditing context," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 248-262.
    14. Fatima Zahra Barrane & Gahima Egide Karuranga & Diane Poulin, 2018. "Technology Adoption and Diffusion: A New Application of the UTAUT Model," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 15(06), pages 1-19, December.
    15. Matthijs J. Verhulst & Anne-Françoise Rutkowski, 2018. "Decision-Making in the Police Work Force: Affordances Explained in Practice," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 27(5), pages 827-852, October.
    16. Shahla Ghobadi & John Campbell & Stewart Clegg, 2017. "Pair programming teams and high-quality knowledge sharing: A comparative study of coopetitive reward structures," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 397-409, April.
    17. Venkatesh, Viswanath & Maruping, Likoebe M. & Brown, Susan A., 2006. "Role of time in self-prediction of behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 100(2), pages 160-176, July.
    18. Odette M. Pinto, 2015. "Effects of Advice on Effectiveness and Efficiency of Tax Planning Tasks," Accounting Perspectives, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(4), pages 307-329, December.
    19. Garima Malik & A. Sajeevan Rao, 2019. "Extended expectation-confirmation model to predict continued usage of ODR/ride hailing apps: role of perceived value and self-efficacy," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 461-482, December.
    20. Meents, S. & Verhagen, T. & Vlaar, P.W.L., 2011. "How sellers can stimulate purchasing in electronic marketplaces: Using information as a risk reduction signal," Serie Research Memoranda 0014, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.

    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:inm:ormnsc:v:54:y:2008:i:2:p:384-399. 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: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    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.