‘Dial 0 for Complaints’: Taking a Closer Look at Call Centre Work in South Africa

2015 ◽  
pp. 215-232
Author(s):  
Margareet Visser
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Call Centre

scholarly journals Psychological capital, job demands and organisational commitment of employees in a call centre in Durban, South Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kreshona Pillay ◽  
Johanna H. Buitendach ◽  
Herbert Kanengoni
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Job Demands ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Call Centre ◽  
Organisational Commitment ◽  
Cross Sectional

Orientation: The South African call centre industry is growing as call centres are increasingly used as a means of service delivery to customers. Positive psychologists posit that psychological capital could lead to positive outcomes such as organisational commitment of call centre staff.Research purpose: This study investigated the relationship between psychological capital, job demands and organisational commitment and intended to determine whether psychological capital and job demands predict call centre employees’ organisational commitment.Motivation for the study: The study aimed to explore potential links between psychological capital, job demands and organisational commitment of call centre employees. It is premised on previous research that call centre job demands may be related to commitment to the organisation.Research approach, design and method: This cross-sectional study sampled 117 call centre employees from Durban, South Africa, and used a biographical questionnaire, psychological capital questionnaire, the job-demands-resources scale and the organisational commitment questionnaire to collect data.Main findings: Findings indicated a statistically significant relationship between psychological capital and work overload, as well as a practically and statistically significant relationship (medium effect) between psychological capital and continuance organisational commitment. The results showed that psychological capital has predictive value for continuance organisational commitment.Practical/managerial implications: Psychological capital has predictive value for continuance organisational commitment. Organisations can develop initiatives to enhance positive psychological states and address this relationship.Contribution: The findings could be beneficial to management and employees in considering ways to boost psychological capital in order to improve organisational commitment.

Marketing Strategies for E-Government and E-Agriculture Services in South Africa

2012 ◽  
pp. 76-89
Author(s):  
Blessing Maumbe ◽  
V. Owei
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Call Centre ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Government Information ◽  
Government Service ◽  
Market Communication ◽  
The Government

The government of South Africa (GSA) has embarked on a major program for e-service delivery. The Batho Pele Gateway Project is the access portal to government information and a key driver of the e-government transformation in South Africa. Although the GSA is determined to make e-government service delivery successful, the average citizen does not fully comprehend the key transformations driving government engagement with civil society and businesses. Therefore, the Cape Gateway Project (CGP) is confronted with the immense task to develop and implement a strategic marketing program for e-government by the Provincial Government of the Western Cape (PGWC) which is not only a portal, but also a call centre and walk-in centre. Various marketing tactics have been deployed, but their efficacy in elevating awareness levels and converting that to actual sustained use of e-government service delivery remains unknown. This chapter proposes an e-government marketing framework and uses CGP experience to examine communication and branding strategies for e-government in a South African context. Key challenges facing e-government market communication strategy are highlighted.

Managing language mismatches in emergency calls

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 1769-1779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Penn ◽  
Jennifer Watermeyer ◽  
Rhona Nattrass
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
Communication Barriers ◽  
Everyday Practice ◽  
Call Centre ◽  
Critical Feature ◽  
Rapid Resolution ◽  
Emergency Calls ◽  
Insight Into

The complex linguistic profile of South Africa has the potential to limit the efficiency of emergency calls. Emergency services depend on rapid resolution of a call, dispatch of an ambulance and response at scene. Resolving language mismatches is a critical feature of everyday practice in such a setting. This study examined accommodation to language shifts in a call centre using conversation analysis methods. Three main call trajectories were identified and the analysis suggested marked differences in responsivity, reflecting attitudinal and societal stratification. Conversation analysis provided insight into communication barriers and contextual features, which have implications for training.

scholarly journals 'n Ondersoek na die persoonlikheidseienskappe van inbelsentrumkonsultante

2004 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Moller ◽  
F. Crous ◽  
J. M. Schepers
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Work Satisfaction ◽  
Call Centre ◽  
Staff Turnover ◽  
Personality Profile ◽  
Satisfaction Questionnaire ◽  
Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire ◽  
Call Centres ◽  
Personality Research

An investigation into the personality traits of call centre consultants. Despite the fact that nearly all service organisations in South Africa use call centres to interact with clients, there is limited research detailing the factors that influence staff turnover. It was therefore decided to investigate the personality traits of call centre consultants who experience work satisfaction. This information could help organisations to maintain an effective approach in managing staff turnover. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) and Jackson Personality Research Form (PRF-E) were applied to a sample of 103 persons. The results showed that there was not a unique personality profile in respect of work satisfaction. However, a self-assertive personality type was identified that is dissatisfied with the extent of work variety in call centres. Opsomming Nieteenstaande die feit dat byna elke diensleweringsinstansie in Suid-Afrika van inbelsentrums gebruik maak om met kliënte sake te doen, bestaan daar min navorsing oor die aspekte wat ’n rol speel in personeelomset. Daar is derhalwe besluit om die persoonlikheidseienskappe van inbelsentrumkonsultante wat werksbevrediging ervaar te ondersoek. Dié inligting sal organisasies in staat stel om ’n effektiewe benadering ten opsigte van personeelomset te volg. Die Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) en die Jackson Personality Research Form (PRF-E) is op ’n steekproef van 103 persone toegepas. Die resultate toon dat daar nie ’n unieke persoonlikheidsprofiel geïdentifiseer kon word wat bepalend is van werksbevrediging nie. ’n Selfgeldende persoonlikheidstipe is wel geïdentifiseer wat ontevrede is met die mate van werksverskeidenheid in inbelsentrums.

scholarly journals Pilot implementation of Bukhali: A preconception health trial in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 205031212094054
Author(s):  
CE Draper ◽  
A Prioreschi ◽  
LJ Ware ◽  
S Lye ◽  
SA Norris
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Preconception Health ◽  
Call Centre ◽  
Pilot Phase ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Pilot Implementation ◽  
Socioeconomic Challenges

Objectives: This article describes the learnings from the pilot phase of the Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative, a preconception health trial for 18- to 25-year-old women in Soweto, South Africa. Methods: The study compares two arms focussed on either physical and mental health (intervention; delivered by community health workers – ‘Health Helpers’) or standard of care plus (control; standard access to healthcare plus additional telephonic input on ‘life skills’; delivered by call centre assistants). These are collectively referred to as Bukhali. Data on the pilot implementation of the Bukhali trial (n = 1655) were collected from (1) weekly team meetings, (2) two focus groups (one with the intervention team Health Helpers, n = 7; one with intervention participants, n = 8) and one paired interview with control call centre assistants (n = 2), (3) notes from eight debrief sessions with Health Helpers and (4) quantitative trial monitoring data. Qualitative data were thematically analysed. Results: The findings clustered within three themes: (1) challenges for young women in Soweto, (2) priorities for young women in Soweto and (3) implementation challenges and perceptions of the intervention. Challenges were mostly related to tough socioeconomic circumstances and less prioritisation of living a healthier life. The priorities of employment and educational opportunities reflected the socioeconomic challenges, where health was not recognised as priority. The main challenge to participation and compliance with the trial was that young women in Soweto generally wanted a tangible and preferably financial and immediate benefit. Community peer sessions, despite being recommended by young women as part of the intervention development, were not successful. Many women also moved between multiple households within Soweto, which flagged concerns for a cluster trial and risk of contamination. Conclusion: Preconception health trials should consider socioeconomic challenges present in urban poor contexts. Learnings from the pilot phase significantly affected the design and implementation of the main Bukhali trial.

Time and Latitude in South Africa

1972 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 27-38
Author(s):  
J. Hers
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Astronomical Observations ◽  
Royal Observatory ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Astronomical Determination ◽  
Limited Accuracy ◽  
Better Than

In South Africa the modern outlook towards time may be said to have started in 1948. Both the two major observatories, The Royal Observatory in Cape Town and the Union Observatory (now known as the Republic Observatory) in Johannesburg had, of course, been involved in the astronomical determination of time almost from their inception, and the Johannesburg Observatory has been responsible for the official time of South Africa since 1908. However the pendulum clocks then in use could not be relied on to provide an accuracy better than about 1/10 second, which was of the same order as that of the astronomical observations. It is doubtful if much use was made of even this limited accuracy outside the two observatories, and although there may – occasionally have been a demand for more accurate time, it was certainly not voiced.

Combining Professional Interests and Travel: People to People Citizen Ambassador Program

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-54
Author(s):  
Alex Johnson ◽  
Amanda Hitchins
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Communication Disorders ◽  
Social Conditions ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Exchange Program

Abstract This article summarizes a series of trips sponsored by People to People, a professional exchange program. The trips described in this report were led by the first author of this article and include trips to South Africa, Russia, Vietnam and Cambodia, and Israel. Each of these trips included delegations of 25 to 50 speech-language pathologists and audiologists who participated in professional visits to learn of the health, education, and social conditions in each country. Additionally, opportunities to meet with communication disorders professionals, students, and persons with speech, language, or hearing disabilities were included. People to People, partnered with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), provides a meaningful and interesting way to learn and travel with colleagues.

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