Chapter 7 Emotion work: a study with call center operators

Abstract

This study inquires into emotion work performed by call center operators. Twelve call center operators were interviewed. Qualitative methodological strategies were utilized, where the focus of the thematic content analysis was on comprehension of the call center operator's work characteristics, the organization's display rules, and the emotional self-management strategies utilized. Two types of emotional self-management strategies were found: cognitive and behavioral. The organization acknowledged that people are not always able to handle the affective cost in relation to emotion work, offering emotional support and models concerning affective self-management strategies to be used. This organizational assistance strongly influenced the choice of strategies, for the call center operators most frequently used strategies taught by the organization. Emotion work was influenced by variables concerning the work context, factors that either favored or made the work, perceptions, evaluations, and the workers and the customers' affective states problematic. Emotion work was crucial in the call center operators' working routine, whenever the customers became aggressive, and social support made the task of displaying predominantly positive feelings less arduous.

Citation

Cardoso do Bonfim, M. and Guedes Gondim, S.M. (2009), "Chapter 7 Emotion work: a study with call center operators", Härtel, C.E.J., Ashkanasy, N.M. and Zerbe, W.J. (Ed.) Emotions in Groups, Organizations and Cultures (Research on Emotion in Organizations, Vol. 5), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 151-180. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1746-9791(2009)0000005009