Improvement in technology in the United Kingdom led to the growth of the economy, leading to the establishment and flourishing of many businesses.Among these sectors are the ‘call centre’ operations, which gained a lot of publicity. The call centres expanded at a higher rate, employing a large percentage of the UK total labor force. This paper analyzes the Taylorist system of organization in relation to call centres. The paper also looks at the strengths of thesystem and the consequences it had to the system to the centres.

The Taylorist system of organization focuses on the fragmentation of work to minimize the skills required and job training time. Operators make a large percentageof the staff, since they require less training. The staff is composed of the clerks, supervisors and managers(Taylor & Brian, 1999, p. 106). Automatic Call Distribution(ACD) system automatically receives calls from customers and directs them to the waiting agents, thus the characteristic of central management. Taylor method of organization was characterized by mass production based on the improved technology. The ACD in these centres helps them to talk with more customers daily. The callThe system is also characterized with time and motion study to improve performance, as is the case with call centres.

This system has the advantage of increased managerial control over all the call centres. The manager can see and interpret the employee performance data which is displayed electronically (Taylor & Brian, 1999, p. 108). The managers can, therefore, summon and discipline the operator who does not perform as expected. Extensive supervision in the Taylorist organizational system has helped the business to meet the customers’ satisfaction. The close supervision of the operators has enabled the speedup and intensificationof work as the time gapsbetweencalls are reduced (Taylor & Brian, 1999, p. 108). The routine of work like repetition of phrases in the call centers enables the operators to be more experienced and perform their duties accurately.

However, the Taylor system has undesirable consequences to the workers and the managers in the call centres. The workers experience the monotony of repeating the same vocal patterns, which has a negative influence to their emotions. The close supervision and pressures that the workers receive from both their supervisors and the customers make the work demands so high that the agents often experience mental fatigue and sore throat (Taylor & Brian, 1999, p. 109). The workers are unable to speed up with the supervisors always around them, and the knowledge that completion of one task would immediately be followed by another. The Taylor system views the workers as machines, motionless and only motivated by moneactive work unions.

Managers are faced with the problem of dealing with workers who are stressed and de-motivated. interact satisfactorily with the customers. This leads to failure to meet the business’ goals. They are also faced with the dilemma of high levels of labor turnover in many centres because of the pressures in the job (Taylor & Brian, 1999, p.111).

In conclusion, the adoption of the Taylor system in the call centres and other organizations improves performance and productivity. However, the system has many drawbacks, including demoralization of workers due to monotony, fatigue and pressure of the job. One should consider both the merits and the demerits of the system before adopting it.

REFERENCE

Taylor, P. and Brian, P. 1999. An assembly line in the head: work and employees relation in the call centre. Industrial Relations Journal 30(2) 101-117.

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