ENOCK SILAS RASHAD 14023937

TRANSFORMATION OF WORK
In this paper, I would be critically evaluating Kate Mulhollands article on Workplace
resistance in an Irish call center. This article criticizes managerial and post-structural
accounts of resistance by implementing (Lucio and Stewart, 1997) notion of the collective
worker. This article also shows that unfavorable working conditions leads employees to
organize and challenge management practices.
A major observation made by (Mulholland, 2004) is the increasing level of
standardization in call centers, she argues that increased standardization greatly undermines
team organization. However, the management of PhoneCo have a different perspective. They
believe that a combination of technology and work standardization determines the pace of
work. This enables them to be able to set targets and goals for their employees. This then
leads to greater effectiveness and efficiency. This system is similar to Fordism and Taylorism
in which work is very standardized and in-flexible (Noon and Blyton, 2002). This system
might have its advantages but it also leads employees to search for shortcuts to meet their
targets. An example being fake sales.
This article examines the level of team working among employees of the call center. It
shows that increased control in combination with abysmal working practices leads to the
development of an informal relationship amongst employees. It also shows the various work
place conflict in PhoneCo, and strategies employed by managers to resolve such issues.
This paper also came to the conclusion that although customer- employee interaction in
call centers is only though the phone, the degree to which they manage customer
conversation shows the various ways in which emotional labor is profitable to call centers.
This article examines the impact of emotional labor and worker resistance in a call center
environment. Her research revealed that although managers at PhoneCo believe that hiring
employees who are starts, naturals and have great personalities would add value to their
sales encounter, they still use them in a standardized way and prevent them from being
innovative or creative. The paper revealed that fines where issued to employees that deviated
from the sales script and use their own selling style This system was not only ineffective; it
also stifles the creativity of workers. This is similar to Karl Marxs theory of conflict between
capitalist and workers. He states that workers are stripped of any autonomy which leads to
alienation. (Marx, Engels and Gasper, 2005). It could be argued that Mulholland clams that
managers find it difficult in controlling emotional labor is incorrect since they have the ability
to use monitoring and surveillance technology like recording and timing calls. Therefore,
although managers might not be physically present, employees still stick to the script and
continue to work as if they were present.
Another discovery of this paper is the worker resistant strategies described by
Mulholland as Slammin, Scammin, Smokin and leavin . She states in this paper that
high level of control leads to employee misbehavior such as faking sales, work avoidance and
attrition among others. The employees of PhoneCo participated in this behavior due to factors
like supervisor surveillance, phone recording among others. This is reminiscent of (Burawoy,
1979) which suggest that rather than challenge the management control, the work force may
develop an informal culture that offers alternative definitions of the work situation . (Noon
and Blyton, 2002).
A flaw in this assumption is that, it is impossible to conclude that one factor can lead to
worker misbehavior and also some of these employees might enjoy their job.
This article also shows that workers turn to defend and stand with each other when they
feel they are mistreated in the work place. This paper proves this, by showing how workers

cover up for other workers that were slammin. They are able to sympathize because they
also are in a similar predicament. This is similar to (Lucio and Stewart, 1997) notion of the
collective worker.

Mulhollands paper gives rise to some practical implications like the ethics of managers
in PhoneCo. Some of these ethical issues include not providing all employees with paid sick
leave with no restrictions and lack of cooperation with the trade union on important issues
that are sources of major grievances among workers like productivity and pay, work
intensification and willful work practices. This is due to the fact that there is high turn-over in
this call center so the stability and continuity required to have a strong trade union is greatly
diminished.
One flaw in Mulhollands research is that, she based all her research on one call center.
This makes it impossible to come to the conclusion that the culture and environment of this
call center is reminiscent to all call centers. Lets take into account another call center know
as IQor. They provide their employees with universal health insurance, and
pay workers salaries and bonuses that are nearly 50% above industry
norms. (Bloomberg.com, 2009). This proves that there are differences in the culture of
various call centers and thus Mulhollands account is not representative of all call centers.
Some call centers may also not necessarily adopt a standardized approach to work whiles
others might.
Another flaw in Mulhollands article is the research method is used in acquiring her
data. Her research was based on interviews that consisted of various open questions asked to
employees of PhoneCo. Although using interviews to gather information has its advantages
like the ability to investigate issues into depth, discover how individuals think and
feel about a topic and why they hold certain opinions, add a human
dimension to impersonal data (Evalued.bcu.ac.uk, 2016) among others, it also has its
weaknesses. It is not possible to quantify information gathered from the interviews. So the
interviewer has to rely on the honesty of the employee. (Cassell and Symon, 2004). Also, it is
difficult to come to a conclusive conclusion if the views of the interviewees are different.
Although the paper clearly shows the managerial problems associated with this call
center, Mulholland does little to show how managers can better prevent or resolve such issues
in-case they arise. Also, this research could be considered as outdated since it was conducted
in 2004 and the culture in call centers have changed since then. An example being, the
introduction of a call center charter in 2008 which protect employee rights (laffan, 2016).
Therefore, employees are protected from the abysmal working practices Mulholland
observed 12 years ago.

WORD COUNT 1056

Reference
Bloomberg.com. (2009). Call-Center Jobs That Pay $100K a Year. [online] Available at:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2009-08-25/call-center-jobs-that-pay-100k-a-year
[Accessed 10 Mar. 2016].
Burawoy, M. (1979). The Anthropology of Industrial Work. Annu. Rev. Anthropol., 8(1),
pp.231-266.
Cassell, C. and Symon, G. (2004). Essential guide to qualitative methods in organizational
research. London: SAGE Publications.
Evalued.bcu.ac.uk. (2016). Evalued. [online] Available at:
http://www.evalued.bcu.ac.uk/tutorial/4c.htm [Accessed 10 Mar. 2016].
laffan, m. (2016). Call centre charter - a framework for workers' rights - PCS. [online]
Pcs.org.uk. Available at: http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/resources/call-centre-charter/call-centrecharter.cfm [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016].
Lucio, M. and Stewart, P. (1997). The Paradox of Contemporary Labour Process Theory: The
Rediscovery of Labour and the Disappearance of Collectivism. Capital & Class, 21(2),
pp.49-77.
Marx, K., Engels, F. and Gasper, P. (2005). The Communist manifesto. Chicago, Ill.:
Haymarket Books.
Mulholland, K. (2004). Workplace resistance in an Irish call centre: slammin', scammin'
smokin' an' leavin'. Work, Employment & Society, 18(4), pp.709-724.
Noon, M. and Blyton, P. (2002). The realities of work. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire:
Palgrave.

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