I have defined the agents in the call center as a group within which folklore is formed. I have explored the attitudes of the group towards supervisors and clients. From the position of power, the supervisors are above the agents and the clients are below the agents. The supervisors, top-down, exert pressure using strategies that force the agents into the desired behavior. The agents, bottom-up, react to the pressure with specific tactics. The agents use strategies in relation to clients, the clients use tactics in relation to agents. The agents face psychological pressures (time constraints, measurements and control, the negative attitudes of the clients making complaints ...) by telling narratives. The narratives here are understood as the folklore of the group of agents. These are often humorous. The function of humor in the agents' narratives is to release tension at the work place.
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