Job characteristics and their implications on the satisfaction levels of call center employees: a study on a large telecommunications company/ As caracteristicas da funcao e seu impacto nos niveis de satisfacao do funcionario de contato: um estudo em uma grande empresa de telecomunicacoes

• Published in: Revista brasileira de gestão de negócios 2014-10, p.658
• Main Authors: de Sa, Ana Cristina dos Anjos Grilo Pinto, Sa, Patricia Helena Ferreira Lopes de Moura e
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• ISSN: 1806-4892
• DOI: 10.7819/rbgn.v16i52.1553

Standardization of answers and cost reduction efforts have provided a specific relevance to call centers in the commercial strategy of many service companies. The aim of this research is to analyze to what extent job characteristics, as identified by Hackman and Oldham (1980), are essential determinants for the level of satisfaction of the contact employee in a call center. Indeed, literature clearly suggests that job characteristics have a huge influence on employees' work performance, their level of satisfaction, and, as a consequence, on the quality of services provided to the customers. In order to answer these questions, we have performed a case study, based on a questionnaire survey. Findings reveal that employees feel that their jobs are highly structured and that they are being closely monitored, what might worsen their performance regarding the contact with the customer, mainly in what concerns customization, flexibility and adequate answer in a single contact. In order to increase frontline employees' performance, a proposal that enhances job autonomy and values intrinsic satisfaction is made. The research suggests the need to change the way companies view contact employee's job, in a call center context, not always perceived and designed as strategic or determinant for customers' satisfaction, which calls for additional institutional investment in the redesign of such job. Keywords: Job design. Frontline employees. Call center. A padronizacao das respostas e a reducao dos custos deram grande relevancia aos call centers no que se refere a estrategia comercial de muitas empresas de servicos. O objetivo desta pesquisa e analisar ate que ponto as caracteristicas da funcao, tal como foram identiicadas por Hackman e Oldham (1980), sao determinantes essenciais dos niveis de satisfacao do funcionario de contato no call center. Efetivamente, a literatura sugere claramente que as caracteristicas da funcao tem grande influencia no modo como os funcionarios desempenham seu trabalho, no seu nivel de satisfacao e, consequentemente, na qualidade de servico prestada ao cliente. Procedemos a realizacao de um estudo de caso, apoiado em um conjunto de dados coletados por meio de questionario. Os resultados revelam que os funcionarios sentem seu trabalho como sendo altamente estruturado e intensamente monitorado, podendo prejudicar o desempenho no que se refere ao contato com o cliente, sobretudo em relacao a desejada personalizacao, flexibilidade e resposta em um