Employee Well-Being in the African Call Centre Digital Workspace

Abstract

This chapter examines the fourth industrial revolution and the new world of work, which encompasses new technology, automation and algorithms. Developed countries are changing their geographical base of operations by establishing call centres in developing countries, for example, in Africa, to conduct business. One growth expectation is the leveraging of distinctively ‘human’ skills, such as those required by customer service workers in Africa. The chapter first introduces the human–machine frontier that has been introduced in call centres today to increase customer experience (CX), comprising omnichannels which include virtual assistants, instant messaging, chatbot and mobile apps designed to facilitate interaction. Well-being in these digital workspaces and the accompanying changes taking place are then discussed, illustrating an increase in demand for new roles and difficult transitions. Owing to these unprecedented demands and challenges, some individuals may struggle to adapt, while others thrive and flourish. The focus of this study then turns to the construction of a psychological coping profile. This is done by investigating the relationship between individuals’ wellness attributes (sense of coherence, emotional intelligence and burnout) and their resiliency capacities (career adaptabilities and hardiness). This is an under-researched area, especially in the digital workspace of call centres in Africa. Finally, the findings are reported and interpreted in terms of an empirically derived psychological coping profile, which may assist in the design of wellness interventions.