Indian Business Process Outsourcing Research Articles

How does Job satisfaction affect Job security in Indian BPO sector

Much consideration has been given to the blast in business process outsourcing (BPO) assignments in India. In any case, little concern has been paid to the introduction of Indian assistance laborers in these brisk moving and every so often wild conditions. Using an illustration of 160 help laborers from a covertly held BPO firm in India, we dissect the association between Indian assistance laborers' assumption and their introduction results. Backslide and hidden condition model assessments showed a basic positive association between Indian help laborers' levels of assumption and their presentation. These promising results include the centrality of assessing and regulating representative craving to extend worker proficiency and execution. By effectively making and regulating worker trust levels, Indian BPO firms can sufficiently fight representative issues, for instance, wearing out, stress, and burnout that has tortured the BPO business. Assumption may in like manner help ease the effect of parts of Indian culture on human assets the executives rehearses in Indian BPOs.

Demographic Characteristics and Turnover Intention : A Study of Indian BPOs

The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between the demographic characteristics and turnover intention of employees in the Indian business process outsourcing (BPO) sector. The study considered employees' demographic characteristics such as gender, marital status, age, monthly income, and shifts to determine their relationship with turnover intention. The data collected comprised of 453 BPO employees belonging to the lower and middle levels in organizations. The analysis exhibited mixed results. Demographic characteristics like gender and marital status showed no statistically significant relationship with turnover intention. However, factors like age, monthly income, and shifts confirmed a statistically significant relationship with turnover intention among the BPO professionals. Young BPO employees at the entry-level positions had a higher intention to quit than the older ones. Similarly, lower-income group employees were less likely to stay with their current organizations. The study revealed that employees engaged in the afternoon and night shifts had more propensity to leave their current employers than those working in the morning shifts.

Insecurity and turnover as robots take charge: impact of neuroticism and change-related uncertainty

PurposeData were collected using a survey questionnaire of 379 participants from business process outsourcing (BPO) organizations affected by robotic process automation (RPA). Structural equation modelling and hierarchical regression analysis were used to test the hypothesized relationships between the study variables.Design/methodology/approachThe purpose of this paper is to develop and test a moderated-mediation model examining the relationships between uncertainty around changes due to RPA, neuroticism and job insecurity, and turnover intentions among BPO employees in India.FindingsUncertainty around RPA and neuroticism cause job insecurity among employees resulting in their intent to quit the organization. Further, the impact of job insecurity is influenced by employees' commitment to automation. Outlining the ways in which RPA-driven change impacts employees and organizations, our findings underscore the need for upskilling the affected employees besides developing coping mechanisms as a buffer to the negative impacts of large-scale automation-driven transformation in the industry under study.Originality/valueAmidst the debate around the impact of RPA in developing countries, our research is the first attempt to systematically examine how RPA has led to concerns around job security leading to turnover intention among employees in the Indian BPO sector. It uniquely highlights the role of personality besides the issue of growing uncertainty due to RPA, requiring the immediate attention of organizations.

Human Capital is Not Enough: How Offshore BPO Professionals Use Social Support to Deal with Strenuous Work Conditions

The past decade has witnessed explosive growth in the segment of information technology (IT) professionals who work in the offshore business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. BPO positions are highly regimented and standardized with coercive and normative controls to deter employees from deviating from prescribed work procedures and exercising independent judgment. Coping with these challenges requires a different set of skills than human capital and technical competencies that are discussed in most prior information systems (IS) research. This paper develops theory on the role of social support in employee compensation, and tests the theory using a unique data set of 8,000+ Indian BPO professionals during the 2006–2011 time period. Co-worker social support has a larger impact at higher levels of time stress and supervisor stress, while supervisor social support plays a larger role for senior-level positions than for junior-level positions. We discuss implications of our theory and findings for research and practice.

Secured Service Delivery Model for Outsourced Services in a Business Process Outsourcing Relationship

In business process outsourcing (BPO), the model of delivery of processed service and communication media between the client and service provider are critical factors in a successful client-provider relationship. The client’s business objectives would not be achieved if processed services are delivered through unsecured channels and truncated communication. This study explores these issues through a case study of seven medium and large scale Indian BPO service providers, followed up with a larger scale questionnaire-based on Indian providers. Analysis revealed that a significant number of providers have onshore and offshore clients whose processed services are delivered through secured channels. The choice of a delivery model is influenced by both the client and service provider when the provider is either a medium or large scale organization, whilst small scale providers do not contribute to decision making for choice of delivery model. Further, the study revealed that in successful outsourcing relationships, providers deliver services through remote access to a client’s server, email through a dedicated server, dashboard on a cloud, and teleconferencing. To improve security, these channels could be enclosed in any of the following: virtual private network (VPN), transport layer security (TLS)/secure socket layer (SSL), internet protocol security (IPsec) and third party platform, such as citrix. Thus, outsourcing relationships that are built around these security platforms, and decision making process surrounding the choice of a delivery model could reduce outsourcing failures witnessed in BPO relationships.

Social Forecasting: Evolving a Model for Indian Business Process Outsourcing Industry

Social Forecasting: Evolving a Model for Indian Business Process Outsourcing Industry

Employing U.S. Military Families to Provide Business Process Outsourcing Services: A case study of Impact Sourcing and Reshoring

This paper describes how a startup business process outsourcing (BPO) provider named Liberty Source helped a large U.S.-based client reshore business services from an established Indian BPO provider. Founded in 2014, Liberty Source is a for-profit firm that provides a competitive alternative to offshoring while fulfilling its social mission to launch and sustain the careers of U.S. military spouses and veterans who face various employment disadvantages. Thus, the case describes reshoring in the context of impact sourcing. It addresses key impact sourcing issues pertaining to workforce development, scalability, and impact on employees. The impact was positive: the workers found the employment and stable salary were beneficial, “the military” culture fit well with the workers, and workers received considerable flexibility and greater career options. Liberty Source was able to reduce a client’s costs after reshoring the client’s processes because Liberty Source’s U.S. site had about 20 percent fewer full time equivalents (FTEs) FTEs than the original India location and because Liberty Source received subsidies. We found evidence that the offshore BPO provider and Liberty source experienced difficulties with finding enough skilled staff for the wages offered and both firms experienced attrition problems, although attrition was greater in India.

‘From boom to where?’: the impact of crisis on work and employment in Indian BPO

This article locates Indian business process outsourcing (BPO) within the global supply chains of business services delivery and an international division of service labour. It acknowledges the BPO market's essential dependence on demand from lead firms in the United States and United Kingdom. Drawing on a conceptual synthesis of the Global Commodity Chain, Global Value Chain and Global Production Network frameworks, the article examines the impact of 2008's financial crisis on employment, work organisation and the experience of work in Indian BPO. Employer/industry sources and employee interviews reveal reconfigured local labour market dynamics, tightened work discipline, an extensification of working time, work intensification and unprecedented growth in job insecurity. Such changed characteristics suggest a watershed that raises questions concerning the sustainability of models of BPO work constructed in pre‐crisis years.

To Prevent Attrition in Business Process Outsourcing, Focus on People

AbstractAddressing the high rate of attrition that has long plagued business process outsourcing (BPO) enterprises has become essential in light of the sector's expansion across numerous industries around the world. A study of one Indian BPO enterprise revealed that many of the factors that contribute to attrition can be offset by an organizational focus on people. On the basis of their findings, the researchers offer numerous strategies for improving employee retention without compromising business processes. Managers in any sector can apply these suggestions to help ensure the continued growth and success of their organizations. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Exploring the dimensions of attrition in Indian BPOs

Business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in India is progressing with an unparalleled velocity. Despite the momentous growth and brilliant future, the BPO industry has experienced high attrition rates since inception. There are many factors that lead to attrition in BPOs and much research has taken place time and again. In this study, we have made a comprehensive attempt to explore the dimensions of attrition by identifying the factors that lead to it, assessing the contribution of the factors toward attrition, and comparing the dimensions across the various demographic variables. Data have been collected from 500 BPO employees and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Science 17.0. Factor analysis, correlation, regression, t-test, and Duncan's mean test have been done to empirically interpret the result. The paper not only identifies the significant dimensions of attrition but also provides scope for further studies in the field of employee retention in the BPO industry.

India and Its Maturing BPO IT Sector

Business process outsourcing (BPO) has become a key component of any global business model. One of the main BPO hubs in the world is India with its large pool of relatively-skilled human capital and lower wages. However, the BPO industry in India is maturing and facing constraints and challenges to further expansion. Some of these constraints include lack of employable talent, social norms, increasing operational cost and breaches of security in handling clients’ confidential data. This paper aims to examine Indian BPO companies’ aim to mitigate and resolve these constraints to growth. Some of the possible solutions to tightening labour market and increasing operational costs included recruitment and relocating BPO companies to tier two and three cities.

An exploratory study on job and demographic attributes affecting employee satisfaction in the Indian BPO industry

PurposeThe business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in India has always been characterized by ungodly hours, monotonous job, low perceived value, dispirited efficiency resulting to high attrition level. Notwithstanding the ever rising attrition rate, it has become critical for the companies to satisfy their employees in order to retain them. The purpose of this paper is to determine what and how job‐related and demographic variables are associated with employee satisfaction of the BPO employees.Design/methodology/approachData collected from 500 middle level BPO employees was analyzed using SPSS 16.0. T‐tests and Duncan's post hoc tests were done to compare the various dimensions of employee satisfaction across selected demographic variables such as gender, marital status, education, age and tenure. Correlation was done to find out the relationship between employee satisfaction and various job characteristics as well as demographic variables and finally, regression was done to find out the actual determinants of employee satisfaction.FindingsThere is difference of perception towards the job‐related variables on the basis of gender, marital status, education, age, and tenure. Correlations revealed that interpersonal relationships, career progression, salary, company policies, working conditions, and authority have significant positive relationship with employee satisfaction and only accountability had a significant negative relationship with employee satisfaction. Regression revealed the significant determinants of employee satisfaction which were interpersonal relationships, career progression, salary, gender, accountability, and authority.Research limitations/implicationsThe study exclusively used surveys to poll work‐related satisfaction from the employees working only in BPO in India and considers only ten job‐related variables and five demographic variables for the study.Practical implicationsThe comprehensive study of employee satisfaction is helpful for both practitioners and academicians as it helps in disentangling the perceptions about employee satisfaction and also explains the variances among various groups of demographic characteristics. This will enable organizations to correctly gauge employee satisfaction based on the job‐related and demographic characteristics.Social implicationsNow that the study has revealed the dimensions of employee satisfaction and the crucial determinants of satisfaction, each of these factors can be individually tackled to ensure employee retention.Originality/valueThe present study illuminates the existing theoretical foundations regarding employee satisfaction by exploring the detailed and ample responses provided by BPO employees in Indian industry; this can help practitioners to make robust managerial decisions.

Call Center Employees: Is Work Life Stress a Challenge

The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the global scenario. The sector is showing a remarkable growth in the Indian context also. It is performing a number of activities relating to customer interaction and service. Some of them are involved in pure back office work and some others are directly dealing with the customers. Call center is a voice based part of BPO organization. The BPO sector is developing the young generation not only by providing employment opportunities but also by building confidence in them. Indian BPO companies are paying great attention in inducting and training the employees. But most of the employees are youngsters and they are facing a lot of problems. They are working on continuous night shifts, which affect their biological balance. Apart from this, excessive work loads, unreachable targets and pressurizing customers are creating stress among the employees. This ultimately results in physical, psychological and behavioural deviations among them, which not only affects the employees and the organization, but, the country on the whole. This paper aims to identify the problems in the sector and the nature of the stress created by such problems. First hand information regarding the problems, the sources of stress and the experience on stress situations is collected from a project leader who has five years of experience. A questionnaire is circulated to measure the stress level of employees. It also identifies the various stressors prevailing among the employees. The impact of job satisfaction, feed back, working conditions, work family balance and workload in creating stress among the employees are analyzed. Some strategies for coping up with stress are also suggested. Keywords: Stress; Call center; Stressors; Coping strategies DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/suslj.v9i1.3731 Sabaramuwa University Journal, Volume 9 Number 1; December 2010, pp 1-9

Employee service abandonment in offshore operations: A case study of a US multinational in India

Indian Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) exports industry has witnessed an exponential growth over the last few years. This has been accompanied by a shortage of talented skilled workers to serve the BPO sector. Attracting and retaining talented employees has become the chief challenge of HR departments in the BPO industry. This study examines the demographic antecedents of job abandonment among call centre employees in India using a large firm level data. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Mohan Thite and Bob Russell,The Next Available Operator: Managing Human Resources in Indian Business Process Outsourcing Industry. New Delhi: Response Books, 2009, 340 pp.

Mohan Thite and Bob Russell,<i>The Next Available Operator: Managing Human Resources in Indian Business Process Outsourcing Industry</i>. New Delhi: Response Books, 2009, 340 pp.

CEO Personality, Strategic Flexibility, and Firm Performance: The Case of the Indian Business Process Outsourcing Industry

We examine the relationships between CEO personality, strategic flexibility (ability to adapt quickly to environmental changes), and firm performance, using a sample of 195 small and medium-sized firms from the Indian business process outsourcing industry. We hypothesize that strategic flexibility mediates the relationships between CEO personality and firm performance. Our results extend previous research by not only highlighting the importance of CEO personality in driving strategic flexibility, but also indicating how each facet of CEO personality either enhances or inhibits strategic flexibility.

The antecedents of process integration in business process outsourcing and its effect on firm performance

As service processes become candidates for outsourcing, interest in the global business process outsourcing (BPO) industry has grown considerably. In this study, drawing on information processing theory, we examine the role of integration in BPO and its effect on BPO firm performance. BPO Integration is concerned with the overall coordination of business processes and activities across different units within the outsourced environment. It involves both internal process integration – effective integration of task execution within the BPO and external process integration – effective integration between the BPO and their clients. Using survey data gathered from 205 Indian BPO service providers, we analyze the antecedents of process integration and its impact on BPO performance. The antecedents we examine are task complexity, task security, end customer orientation of the client and IT capability of the BPO. Among other results, we find that both internal and external process integration partially mediate the impact of the antecedents on performance. We draw managerial implications of our research to practicing BPO and client managers on how BPO outsourcing can be made successful.

Managing BPO service workers in India: Examining hope on performance outcomes

AbstractMuch attention has been given to the explosion in business process outsourcing (BPO) operations in India. Little concern, however, has been paid to the performance of Indian service workers in these fast‐paced and sometimes turbulent environments. Using a sample of 160 service workers from a privately held BPO firm in India, we examine the relationship between Indian service workers' hope and their performance outcomes. Regression and structural equation model analyses indicated a significant positive relationship between Indian service workers' levels of hope and their performance. These promising results highlight the importance of measuring and managing employee hope to maximize employee productivity and performance. By effectively developing and managing levels of employee hope, Indian BPO firms can effectively combat employee problems such as attrition, stress, and burnout that have plagued the BPO industry. Hope may also help mitigate the influence of aspects of Indian culture on human resource management practices in Indian BPOs. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Building winning relationships in business process outsourcing services

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss business processes as building blocks of organizational capabilities and outsourcing of business processes as a viable management approach in building winning relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe paper develops a conceptual model to successfully implement “global sourcing” of organizational capabilities for the service provider and validates this framework using questionnaire survey methodology.FindingsThe paper identifies business process management and relationship management value propositions as the key dimensions for business process outsourcing (BPO) success. However, these value propositions fall short of building winning relationships.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is based on questionnaire survey of Indian BPO service providers. A survey of BPO clients may further strengthen the proposed framework and make the findings more conclusive.Practical implicationsThe proposed framework helps both the BPO client and the service‐provider organizations in understanding the critical role of relationship management in realizing the intended BPO service outcomes.Originality/valueThe paper establishes the importance of capability service provision by the service provider as value proposition.

The effects of internal resources and partnership quality on firm performance: An examination of Indian BPO providers

Abstract Firms from developed nations are increasingly resorting to business process outsourcing (BPO) as part of their global sourcing strategy. Although BPO is a growing practice, there has been limited empirical attention in understanding the phenomenon, particularly from the perspective of provider firms that execute important business processes for their overseas clients. In this paper we focus on the resources and capabilities that are utilized by the providers in fulfilling their clients' sourcing needs. Using resource-based view and social exchange as theoretical foundations, we argue that providers' human capital, organizational capital, management capability, and partnership quality are crucial assets that are deemed valuable by the clients and are utilized by the providers in attaining higher performance. Using a sample of Indian BPO providers, we empirically test three models (direct, mediating and moderating) to understand how these assets impact firm-level performance. Results show that resources and capabilities relate to performance in varying measures and partnership quality has partial-mediating and moderating effects on these relationships. We conclude by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of the study and highlighting avenues of future inquiry.