A study of staff satisfaction in two call centres

The Telecommunications industry has undergone significant changes during the 1990's. In Australia, deregulation has strongly impacted upon organisations competing within the industry. Telstra, Australia's largest telecommunication company has been challenged to improve its organisational performance, increase its competitiveness and improve organisational effectiveness in order to manage change effectively. In response to global competition, political and economic changes Telstra has downsized to ensure that it survives and achieves value for all stakeholders. This study investigated: ? what interventions Telstra used at the time of and following downsizing ? whether these interventions were designed to ensure employee commitment and loyalty and staff satisfaction ? current levels of commitment and loyalty at two Telstra Call Centres This study takes the form of both qualitative and quantitative research in the form of a comparative study between two Call Centres and analyses its impact upon call centre staff. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to employees in city and regional call centres. The results were discussed and analysed in reference to the current literature and extend upon the work done by Brockner (1992) and Cameron (1994) for example. This study will provide a valuable guide to all organisations planning large scale change and in particular will help Telstra to better plan their downsizing and change management programmes.