Work organization, technology, and performance in customer service and sales.

The author analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of Total Quality Management and Self-Managed Teams, as compared to mass production approaches to service delivery, among customer service and sales workers in a large unionized regional Bell operating company. Participation in self-managed teams was a...

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Publicado en:Industrial & Labor Relations Review Vol. 52; no. 4; pp. 539 - 565
Autor principal: Batt, Rosemary
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Cornell University July 1999
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: Work organization, technology, and performance in customer service and sales.
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        au: Batt, Rosemary
      su:
        Telephone company employees
        Customer services
        Telephone companies
        Total quality management
        Teams in the workplace
        Performance
      sug:
        subj:
          Telephone company employees
          Customer services
          Telephone companies
          Total quality management
          Teams in the workplace
          Performance
      keyword: Performance level
      ab: The author analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of Total Quality Management and Self-Managed Teams, as compared to mass production approaches to service delivery, among customer service and sales workers in a large unionized regional Bell operating company. Participation in self-managed teams was associated with a statistically significant improvement in self-reported service quality and a 9.3% increase in sales per employee. When combined with new technology, teams boosted sales an additional 17.4%. These effects persisted over time. Total Quality Management, by contrast, did not affect performance. This study represents a “strong test” of the efficacy of teams because theory predicts weak outcomes for self-managed teams among service and sales employees in establishments where technology and organizational structure limit opportunities for self-regulation, the nature of work and technology do not require interdependence, and downsizing creates pervasive job insecurity—conditions found at the company studied here. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
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    language: English
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