Effects of window proximity on perceptions of employees in the call center offices

Facilities ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 577-594
Author(s):  
Kemal Yildirim ◽  
Aysen Ozkan ◽  
Elif Gunes ◽  
Ahmet Mestan
Keyword(s):  
Call Center ◽  
First Century ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Communication Environments ◽  
Perceptual Performance ◽  
Open Plan ◽  
Call Center Employees ◽  
Physical Environmental Factors ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Solution Focused

Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of window proximity on perceptions of employees in the call center offices. Design/methodology/approach A semantic differential scale composed of nine bipolar adjectives, four of which dealt with “planning,” three of “privacy,” while the rest measured “lighting” was applied for evaluation. In total, 92 employees at the TEPE Call Center in the Bilkent District, Ankara, Turkey participated in the research. Findings The results showed that window proximity directly affected the call center employees’ perceptions. In addition, a positive approach was even less affected when the location of the workstation was more at the inner part of the workspace. On the contrary, workstations in front of the window were evaluated more positively, presumably because the employees were happy at feeling roomy and by giving them a higher level of privacy, while also minimizing distractions and interruptions. It was also found that call center employees with secondary education responded more positively than higher educated employees. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to examining the effects of window proximity in a call center on employees’ perceptions of an open-plan office. The study supports the results of planning, privacy and lighting, as well as the study on physical environmental factors, such as design, ambient and social, which are thought to be realized in the future. Originality/value This study presents suggestions that would be useful for increasing the working and solution-focused perceptual performance values in call center environments from the new generation of work areas. They should be appropriate for the psychological and physical needs of employees in twenty-first-century communication environments, especially in spatial environments and for the suitability of the technological equipment used.

The many faces of office noise – case contact center

Facilities ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 454-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Rasila ◽  
Tuuli Jylhä
Keyword(s):  
Call Center ◽  
Office Workers ◽  
Contact Center ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Orientation ◽  
Worker Perceptions ◽  
Open Plan ◽  
Sound Masking ◽  
The Many ◽  
Office System

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to take a look at the phenomena of office noise and to try and outline the worker perceptions of noise in a multi-dimensional and holistic manner. This is done in a case study setting in contact center environment. Design/methodology/approach – The research was carried out in three phases. First, a review of existing research was carried out. Second, 28 interviews were carried out to outline the dimensions of office noise. Third, a set of 20 further interviews were carried out to study the dimensions of noise that appeared from the first phase of the research. Findings – The literature review introduces seven streams of office noise research. None of these looks at the office noise as a holistic and multi-dimensional experience of office workers. The results from the interviews suggest that office workers see the office noise to have negative, neutral and positive aspects. In call center context, the most important aspect of noise includes: psychological and physiological symptoms, dynamism, social setting, knowledge transfer, socialization and sound masking. Research limitations/implications – The data are limited to one specific kind of work setting, namely, contact center environment. Thus, the findings may not be generalized to cover other types of work. Even though the sample size of 48 interviewees is quite big for a qualitative research setting, the basic problem of the research orientation is still present. The results are intended to give an in-depth insight on dimensionality of office noise in the complex interrelated open-plan office system. Originality/value – Existing research on office noises and acoustics tends to see the office noises just as a negative phenomenon. This leads to research settings that neglect the positive aspects of the noise. Further, this leads to somewhat distorted discussion and practical recommendations.

Call centers: is there an upside to the dissatisfied customer experience?

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Hudson ◽  
Helena V. González-Gómez ◽  
Aude Rychalski
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Call Center Employees ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to present the triggers of negative customer emotions during a call center encounter and the impact of emotions on satisfaction and loyalty. It suggests ways of mitigating the negative effects of such emotions. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses exploratory research consisting of 33 focus groups with 121 narratives of a call center encounter. Findings Callers predominantly report frustration as the emotion arising from negative experiences in a call center encounter. Goal urgency, reduced customer control and uncertainty underlie this emotional experience. Triggers include assessments of “dehumanized”, “incompetent” or “hostile” call center employees as well as the more well-known multiple transfers and waiting time. Customer may remain loyal after a frustrating encounter if they believe that alternative services will be no better. Research limitations/implications Disembodied service encounters generate conditions of reduced control and certainty which foster negative emotions. The outcomes of negative emotions are not always negative if the call center context is managed appropriately. Focus groups took place in a European business school, so generalizability of the results to other regions may be limited. Practical implications Negative emotions can have a strong effect on loyalty, a key issue in service organizations. This paper provides insights into how to manage customer emotions effectively. Originality/value Customer satisfaction and loyalty in terms of emotions are generally overlooked in the call center industry because of the focus on performance metrics. This study shows that emotions must be taken into account to ensure customer retention and the competitive edge.

scholarly journals The effects of supervisor support and self-efficacy on call center employees’ work engagement and quitting intentions

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 688-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siti Nur Hidayah Ibrahim ◽  
Choo Ling Suan ◽  
Osman M. Karatepe
Keyword(s):  
Work Engagement ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Supervisor Support ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Call Center Employees ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate work engagement as a mediator of the impacts of supervisor support and self-efficacy on quitting intentions, and examine self-efficacy as a mediator between supervisor support and work engagement. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 177 call center employees in Malaysia. The aforesaid linkages were tested through structural equation modeling. Findings As hypothesized, self-efficacy mediates the relationship between supervisor support and work engagement, while work engagement mediates the impacts of supervisor support and self-efficacy on quitting intentions. Originality/value Though work engagement is on the decline and employee turnover is on the rise, no attention has been given to investigating the impacts of supervisor support and self-efficacy simultaneously on call center employees’ work engagement and quitting intentions so far. Therefore, the study aims to fill in this void.

The Twenty-first Century

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Gillespie
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
First Century ◽  
Bad News ◽  
Good News ◽  
Species Loss ◽  
The Past ◽  
Scientific Terms ◽  
Twenty First Century ◽  
Open Question ◽  
New Generation

The cumulative environmental challenge of sustainable development in the twenty-first century is larger than anything humanity has ever had to deal with in the past. The good news is that solid progress is being reached in the understanding of issues in scientific terms and understanding what needs to be done. The bad news is twofold. First, although many of the environmental problems of earlier centuries are now being confronted, a new generation of difficulties is eclipsing what were the older difficulties. Secondly, much of the progress is being achieved by the wealthier parts of the planet, rather than the developing world. From population growth to climate change to unprecedented habitat and species loss, whether environmental sustainability can be achieved in the twenty-first century is an open question.

scholarly journals The evolution of Darwinian sexualities

BJHS Themes ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Erika Lorraine Milam
Keyword(s):  
Gay Rights ◽  
First Century ◽  
Sexual Practices ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Sexual Preferences ◽  
The Past ◽  
Sexual Behaviours ◽  
Late Twentieth ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Descent Of Man

Abstract Charles Darwin's Descent of Man was suffused with questions of courtship, mating and sex. Following in his footsteps, biologists throughout the twentieth century interrogated the sexual behaviour of humans and animals. This paper charts the fate of evolutionary theories of sexuality to argue that – despite legal and social gains of the past century – when biologists used sexual selection as a tool for theorizing the evolution of homosexual behaviour (which happened only rarely), the effect of their theories was to continuously reinscribe normative heterosexuality. If, at the end of the nineteenth century, certain sex theorists viewed homosexuality as a marker of intermediate sex, by the late twentieth a new generation of evolutionary theorists idealized gay men as hyper-masculine biological males whose sexual behaviours were uncompromised by the necessity of accommodating women's sexual preferences. In both cases, normative assumptions about gender were interwoven with those about sexuality. By the twenty-first century, animal exemplars were again mobilized alongside data gathered about human sexual practices in defence of gay rights, but this time by creating the opportunity for naturalization without recourse to biological determinism.

scholarly journals Registration of Blood Exposure Accidents in the Netherlands by a Nationally Operating Call Center

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (10) ◽  
pp. 1017-1023
Author(s):  
Peter M. Schneeberger ◽  
Annemarie E. Meiberg ◽  
Janet Warmelts ◽  
Sander C. A. P. Leenders ◽  
Paul T. L. van Wijk
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Hepatitis B Vaccination ◽  
Occupational Health Services ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Call Center Employees

Objective.Healthcare providers and other employees, especially those who do not work in a hospital, may not easily find help after the occurrence of a blood exposure accident. In 2006, a national call center was established in the Netherlands to fill this gap.Methods.All occupational blood exposure accidents reported to the 24-hours-per-day, 7-days-per-week call center from 2007, 2008, and 2009 were analyzed retrospectively for incidence rates, risk assessment, handling, and preventive measures taken.Results.A total of 2,927 accidents were reported. The highest incidence rates were reported for private clinics and hospitals (68.5 and 54.3 accidents per 1,000 person-years, respectively). Dental practices started reporting incidents frequently after the arrangement of a collective financial agreement with the call center. Employees of ambulance services, midwife practices, and private clinics reported mostly high-risk accidents, whereas penitentiaries frequently reported low-risk accidents. Employees in mental healthcare facilities, private clinics, and midwife practices reported accidents relatively late. The extent of hepatitis B vaccination in mental healthcare facilities, penitentiaries, occupational health services, and cleaning services was low (<70%).Conclusions.The national call center successfully organized the national registration and handling of blood exposure accidents. The risk of blood exposure accidents could be estimated on the basis of this information for several occupational branches. Targeted preventive measures for healthcare providers and other employees at risk can next be developed.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2012;33(10):1017-1023

Breaking the code: barriers affecting inclusive thinking-HETL Scotland 2017

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-129
Author(s):  
Linda Carol Algozzini ◽  
Valencia Lavon Gabay ◽  
Shannon D. Voyles ◽  
Kimberly Bessolo ◽  
Grady Batchelor
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
First Century ◽  
Individual Student ◽  
Change Model ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Regulated Learning ◽  
Group Coaching ◽  
Regulated Learning

Purpose This case study reviews a group coaching and mentoring (GCM) change model and its significance in dissolving barriers and promoting equity in virtual learning environments. The purpose of this paper is to examine the model’s approach to shifting instructor mindsets to align with institutional core values and initiatives that best serve a twenty-first century adult learner. Design/methodology/approach The change model, grounded in GCM, metacognition, self-regulated learning, and community of practice theory, incorporates participatory action research design focusing on cycles of action, reflection, and evaluation. Findings This study illustrates the change model’s success in moving educators toward deeper understanding of self and individual student differences. It further showcases how professionals adapt and improve practices using self-regulated learning and metacognition to better serve the population they teach. Practical implications The GCM framework improved engagement. The design, while implemented in a higher education arena, is applicable to other entities seeking to bridge gaps using metacognition and self-regulated learning to become adaptable and inclusive. Originality/value The change model, recipient of one of this year’s Effective Practice Awards from the Online Learning Consortium (2017), is recognized for innovation and replicability in and beyond higher education.

Macau’s Pataca and identity

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-433
Author(s):  
Paul B. Spooner
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Monetary Authority ◽  
First Century ◽  
Core Component ◽  
Investment Funds ◽  
Unique Role ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bank Of China ◽  
Banking Institutions ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – For over a 100 years, Macau’s Pataca has been tied to Macau’s identity, its independent financial existence and its links to the Lusophone world. Its role as a supporter of the Macau identity relies upon the strength and capabilities of its financial institutions, the Macau Monetary Authority and banking institutions that issue its currency (Banco Nacional Ultramarino and Bank of China). The paper aims to discuss the above issue. Design/methodology/approach – The author uses statistics and data from the Macau Monetary Authority. Findings – There are three possible scenarios that could emerge: first, retired in favor of the RMB, the HK dollar; second, maintained with its use expanding as Macau’s revenues and investment funds grow, or third, become a force for stronger economic cohesion and identity among the Lusophone nations. Practical implications – Which of these scenarios will offer Macau the highest possibility of maintaining its international network of relationships and representation, diversifying its economy into new growth markets and playing a unique role in China’s twenty-first century destiny? Originality/value – This paper studies a rarely discussed topic and focuses on a core component of Macau’s existence.

scholarly journals Serological Diagnosis of Chronic Chagas Disease: Is It Time for a Change?

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1566-1572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba Abras ◽  
Montserrat Gállego ◽  
Teresa Llovet ◽  
Silvia Tebar ◽  
Mercedes Herrero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chagas Disease ◽  
False Positive ◽  
Disease Diagnosis ◽  
Cross Reactivity ◽  
Human Migration ◽  
Serological Diagnosis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Single Technique ◽  
Chronic Chagas Disease

Chagas disease has spread to areas that are nonendemic for the disease with human migration. Since no single reference standard test is available, serological diagnosis of chronic Chagas disease requires at least two tests. New-generation techniques have significantly improved the accuracy of Chagas disease diagnosis by the use of a large mixture of recombinant antigens with different detection systems, such as chemiluminescence. The aim of the present study was to assess the overall accuracy of a new-generation kit, the Architect Chagas (cutoff, ≥1 sample relative light units/cutoff value [S/CO]), as a single technique for the diagnosis of chronic Chagas disease. The Architect Chagas showed a sensitivity of 100% (95% confidence interval [CI], 99.5 to 100%) and a specificity of 97.6% (95% CI, 95.2 to 99.9%). Five out of six false-positive serum samples were a consequence of cross-reactivity withLeishmaniaspp., and all of them achieved results of <5 S/CO. We propose the Architect Chagas as a single technique for screening in blood banks and for routine diagnosis in clinical laboratories. Only gray-zone and positive sera with a result of ≤6 S/CO would need to be confirmed by a second serological assay, thus avoiding false-positive sera and the problem of cross-reactivity withLeishmaniaspecies. The application of this proposal would result in important savings in the cost of Chagas disease diagnosis and therefore in the management and control of the disease.

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