Call centres: where to next?

Call centres, as a rapidly growing industry, have attracted research attention due to associated development, organisation and work practices. However, there is still much to be investigated, particularly given rapid developments in the industry which can already be seen through the evolution of call centres into contact centres providing both telephony and internet services to customers. As call centres continue to evolve there are various alternatives available to them in regards to strategy and structure. This paper considers the emergence of teleworking as an attractive option for specialist call centre staff, and briefly examines the implications for HRM, unions and employees.