DOI: 10.5176/2251-2449_HRM&PD12.16
Authors: Suh, Chang Juck and Kim, Hyo Jeong
Abstract: The primary purpose of this study is to identify the success factors for the design and development of home-based call centers using Delphi and survey methods. This study included 13 participants experienced in working at home-based call centers. The Delphi method is designed as a group communication process that converges experts' opinions on a specific real-world issue and extracts important factors in a structured manner. Content Validity Rate (CVR) invented by Lawshe (1975) was used to judge the most effective factors.
Using the Delphi method, major criteria were grouped into human resources, physical resources, organizational and task characteristics; and 46 factors, including (1) agent's sense of responsibility, (2)online training system, (3) specialized career program for home-based agents, and (4) simplicity of job/task, were identified.
Delphi results were then verified using multiple regression analysis. It was found that when agents find meaning in work, work centrality and use of systems, such as remote IT, HR, and WFM, yield positive and significant outcomes. Additionally, organizational social support, specialized incentive schemes, and task/process clarity have positive and significant outcomes for home-based work. However, a variety in working schedules shows a trade-off effect between service quality and productivity; it affects productivity positively, but service quality negatively. The results of this study would provide practical guidelines to home-based call center workers and a wider perspective to the researchers on the subject.
Keywords: Service Innovation, Productivity, Home-based work, Flexible work arrangement, Call center, South Korea, Delphi method, Multiple Linear Regression
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