Critical Perspective on Management and Leadership (Indians call centers) - Essay Example

? Critical perspectives on management and leadership al affiliation Critical perspectives on management and leadership 0. Introduction The issue of critical management and leadership has been debated on, by various analysts and researchers in the field of business. In their work, Cooper, Einarsen, Zapf and Hoel (2003) argue that, for any form of organization to thrive and attain the best out of its employees, there is a need to ensure that the managers embrace the concept of effective management in the workplace. Effective management has been associated with the ability to resolve a myriad of problems that may be facing the employees in particular workplaces. One of the major predicaments facing organizations today is the issue of stress. In many organizations, the issue of stress has recorded an escalating trend over the years. In this context, therefore, there is a dire need for managers and leaders to come up with effective mechanisms that can alleviate the causative agents of stress in the workplace. Stress has been linked with the ability to reduce job satisfaction, employee involvement and engagement in the workplace and most importantly derails the ability of the organizations to maintain an upward trend of job performance (Elliot, Herbane and Swartz, 2009). Putting this in perspective, it is warranted to argue that critical management and leadership cannot be alienated from the fact that, organizations need to perform their utmost best. In this context, therefore, this essay shall endeavor to highlight the Indian call centers and the repercussions of critical management in the workplace. The essay shall also scrutinize the contributions that critical leadership and management has imposed on the Indian call centers. The implications of critical management on leaders will also be a point that will be put under careful consideration. These two factors will be discussed under the theme of workplace bullying in the Indian call centers. 2.0. Body Despite the undying ability of the Indian call centers to create numerous job opportunities in the workplace, the Indian call centers can be described to be as a den of predicaments. In their work on ‘Experiencing depersonalized bullying’, Cruz and Noronha (2009) the Indian call centers have been among the organizations that run with the bullying regime. To a great extent, the form of bullying that takes shape in this workplace has been accredited to the fact that, the employees have made great attempts to fit in the demanding conditions of the workplace. Workplace bullying according to Oade (2010) has been described as the negative implications that revolve around aggression and hostility in the workplace. If the bullying becomes extreme and persistence, there is a great likelihood that the entire process will be recurrent; thus, cause massive effects on the employees. One of the major reasons behind the predicaments in the workplace is that employees are continually subjected to circumstances in their environments that result into consistent exploitation in the workplace. Indian’s call centers are responsible for employment of a myriad number of people in Indian call centers. The Indian call centers serve a large clientele base, inclusive of the United States of America. Cruz and Noronha (2009) indicate that it is this fact that has led to outsourcing beings a major setback in the operations of the Indian all centers. The employees of Indian call center are not only faced with the challenge of handling Indian’s large clientele base, but also clients from other nations. In the perspective of the development of the country, this can be attributed to the solution towards development, but in the context of employee satisfaction, it can be argued that the workplace is a burden to almost all its employees. In terms of working hours, Cruz and Noronha (2009) argue that the employees in the call centers hardly have time for themselves. A case in point is when the management of the call centre made attempts to come up with stringent measures of motivating its employees like increasing their salaries. However, this move only had short term effects on the employee morale as the workplace has the full potential of exploiting almost all forms of energy in its employees. Working in the Indian call centre is extremely stressful and strenuous; thus, leading to the employees, not in a position to attain the long term objectives of the organization. It is in this perspective that, the concept of employee motivation and management by the organizational leaders comes into context. From the above argument, it is worth noting that employees are negatively impacted by negative occurrences in the workplace. The stressors have been linked with the reasons behind Indian’s call center’s employees. Job dissatisfaction and low performance have also been included in the list of deteriorated performance in the workplace (Willmott and Alvesson, 2002). Depersonalized bullying has recorded an upward trend in the Indian call centers, a factor that shapes the reasons behind distress in the employees, job dissatisfaction and discouragement of a possible ability of staff turnover in the call centers. This is a major call on the entire management of the call center to ensure, that bullying in the workplace is minimized so as, the employees can offer proper services to its clients as well as gain satisfaction from their jobs. 1.1. Application of critical management leadership in the workplace With the employees being indicated to work continuously in eight to nine hour shifts and breaks of fifteen minutes, it is evident that there is a hitch in the management of the team. The breaks were designed in such a way that, they would not conflict with the time zones of countries like U.S.A., UK, and Canada amongst others. It is also evident that, most of the people in Indian required jobs to meet the tough economic times; thus had no option, but to keep working in the call centers. With the rise in the need for employment, the forms of bullying in the call centers also increased with the same effects. Critically assessing the situation of Indian’s call centers, the causative agents of demotivation and bullying among the employees include, alienating the fact that employees need to be emotionally motivated in order, to work towards achieving both short term and long term goals of the organization. Constant communication with the employees is the major ingredient towards a successful business encounter as the employees develop a sense of belonging and responsibility in their workplace. However, in Indian’s call center, this is contrary to the argument that, employees are part and parcel of the organization and need be constantly motivated. On the side of the management, they delineate the employees from the workplace, and a great percentage of persons in the management rank view the employees as objects who are just bust servants. In fact, some of the managers hold the opinion that the employees gain a lot from their jobs, arguing, that with the tough economic times, they would have no option, but to offer cheap labor in the call center. In response, the basics of the Critical Management Theory (CMT) indicate that, for a successful business to run, employees must be regarded as assets, and that the businesses cannot thrive if the employees are removed from the picture (Myer, 2010). The Indian call center is contrary to the incorporation of communication skills and performance of the employees. Devoid of communication channels, a majority of the employees end up being misled, and some are completely demotivated. The Call center can be described as an entrepreneur who starts a business, but does not consider market fluctuations are always present and cannot be ignored. A good number of employees in the call center have recorded numerous loss of track on the organizational goals, while some can hardly handle the pressure that comes along with the clients’ constant demand for attention. In the long run, employees ended up being dissatisfied completely; a negative implication on customer satisfaction. Research conducted by Cruz and Noronha (2009) indicate that some of the employees attest to the fact that they went through training on how to deal with customers. It is worse when they get punished for not being too polite on clients alongside performance of other crucial roles in the organization. In the workplace, the employees complained of bullying, that came along with faking their identities in order to please the clients. The management, on the other hand, was too keen on ensuring that the needs of the clients are continually met, on a timely and quality basis. This is an indication of the extent of bullying in the Indian call center. Critical Management Theory (CMT) has been credited for its ability to resolve problems in organizations. This theory advocates for creation of team work of trusted and prospective stakeholders in the organizations (Elliot, Swartz and Herbane, 2009). In the case of Indian call centre, application of this theory would create a situation whereby employers are motivated in the workplace. Employers of the Indian call centers have for a long time been identified with the need to acquire profits from the business, instead of giving the employees a chance to feel secure and motivated in the workplace. Rayner, Hoel and Cooper (2002) argue that application of the Critical Management Theory (CMT) would create a situation whereby, employees feel safe, and work as team. However, the case of the Indian call center is exceptional in that the management is much more concerned with ensuring the employees are always working despite their perception on the factors that would improve their working conditions. In the Indian call center, it is almost certain that the employers view the employees as objects who are alienated from their personalities. From the fact that, the employers do not consider the employees are the major contributors to the success of the organization. Personalities, according to the employers of the Indian call center do not make any sense to the organizations’ well being. They believe that most of the energy must be dedicated to making the employees always on their desks working. In the argument of analysts, like Karl Marx, most employers take advantage of the employees’ desperation for need for a job to manipulate them to work towards constantly and consistently providing the center with labor. The Indian call center can be attributed to be a negative workplace that does not value employee motivation. Critical Management Theory (CMT) according to Harvey and Keashly (2006) works on the grounds that the views of the minority groups in the organization have to be listened, and their rights protected. This point of view may be employed in the Indian call center that does not heed to the opinions of its employees but mostly focuses on the ability of employers to make the right decisions for the employees. In no instance has the Indian call center held crisis simulations and established contingency plans in the call center. Instead, the management of the calling center undertook measures of constant supervision of employees. Cruz and Noronha (2009) indicate that, it came to a point that the employees could not give their views regarding any undertaking in the organization. Surveillance mechanisms were put in the offices to monitor the operations of employees. This is an indication of the perception of the employers on their employees. On another angle, barring the employees from carrying any form of material in the call floor is an indication that the employer is mostly concerned with customer needs unlike the providers of services in the organization. From this point of view, the basics of the Critical Management Theory (CMT) do not apply to the Indian call center. Measurement of employees’ contribution in the workplace makes the situation worse. From the Critical Management Theory (CMT), performance cannot be attained unless, the service providers are motivated and directed towards attaining the goals and objectives of the organization. An instance whereby the employers take part in instilling job satisfaction in the employees would create a positive working environment among the employees. In turn, employees portray attributes of job satisfaction in the workplace. It is recommended that the call center embrace the attributes of good leadership that incorporates all employees in the organization of the objectives of the organization. Despite the fact that employees in the organization is in a dire need for employment, due to the high salaries offered by the management, does not explain that the management should manipulate the employees to their advantage. Cruz and Noronha (2009) indicate that, this is the major reason why the Indian call center is always complaining of the fact that it does meet its demands yet the number of employees is way beyond the expected. An analysis of bullying in the Indian call center interprets the fact that bullying in the workplace emanates from the fact that, employers are constantly on the move to make employees feel dissatisfied. The employers do not consider the fact that, investing a percentage of funds in improving the conditions of the employees would be of great benefit to the employees. Ana instance where the management employs the contribution so psychologist to assess the employees needs would be if great benefit, to the call centre. The call center does not motivate the employees but is much more concerned with making the working conditions worse by the day. In this case, depersonalized bullying comes up in the organizations, since the employees are geared towards heeding to pressures in the organizations. Through incorporation of psychologists would create a situation whereby the employers learn the aspects of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; thus, apply a practical aspect of the theory in the organization. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs advocate for satisfaction of employees in the workplace in that; if the physiological needs are met, the employees feel comfortable and willing to work in the organizations. Such needs are inclusive of the employees feeling secure in the organization. Security and good environment in the workplace allows employees feel comfortable and are able to work comfortably under pressure and no pressure. In as much, studies indicate that the physiological needs are easiest to attain, according to Miller, Vandome and John (2010), the Indian call center neither considers the importance, nor makes an initiative of making the employees work time beneficial. In the Indian call center, another major factor that causes dissatisfaction is the fact that employers are biased on the kind of employees to hire. In this case, the employers in the Indian call center prefer female employees over the male. The fact that the job description to the call center has been described as a woman’s role results in the male employees feeling completely dissatisfied and insecure on their job security. Gender in Indian has been regarded controversial issue (Skodberg and Alvesson, 2000). Though women are regarded inferior, they claim a majority of the employees in the call center. Gender issues in the workplace have been credited for creation of job dissatisfaction in the workplace as the males are anxious whether they will keep their jobs or may be eliminated any time. 3.0. Conclusion Conclusively, the above case study indicates the manner in which depersonalized bullying is taking root in the Indian call center. Employees in the call center feel that they are oppressed by their employees. At most times, the employees are forced to learn cultures of their clients in order to have an understanding of their needs. The issue of gender in the call centre has created a situation whereby the male employees feel insecure and demotivated to work towards attaining the goals of the organization. All in all, the most demoralizing part is that the managers are geared towards exploiting the employees to provide labor unlike making them satisfied and motivated. The employers take advantage of the fact that, that employees face tough economic situations and have no option, but to always keep working for money. The employers have not portrayed any signs of creating a positive working place by incorporating the role of psychologists towards minimizing depersonalized bullying in the workplace. Incorporation of Critical Management Theory (CMT) basics may minimize the chances that the Indian call center suffers from depersonalized bullying. It is evident that, performance in the call center can be boosted, if only the unbearable conditions are minimized. Job satisfaction and motivation are key factors in managing change in the call center (Daft, 2011). 4.0. References Cooper, C, Einarsen, S, Zapf, D, and Hoel, D, 2003, ‘The concept of bullying at work: The European tradition’, In Cooper, C, Einarsen, S, Zapf, D, and Hoel, D (eds) Bullying and emotional abuse in the workplace, London and New York: New York: Taylor & Francis: 3-30. Cruz, P, and Noronha, E, 2009, Experiencing depersonalized bullying: a study of Indian call-centre agents, Work organization, labor &globalization, Volume 3, Number 1.Summer, 2009. Elliot, D, Herbane, B, and Swartz, E, 2009, Business continuity management: a critical management approach, New York: Taylor & Francis.pp.229 Elliot, D, Swartz, E, and Herbane, B, 2009, Business continuity management: a critical management approach, New York: Taylor & Francis. Harvey, S, and Keashly, L, 2006, ‘Workplace emotional abuse’ in Kelloway, K., Baring, J, and Hurrell, J, (eds) Handbook of workplace violence, California: Sage: 95-120. Miller, F, Vandome, A, and John, M. 2010, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, New York: VDM Verlag Myer, R. 2010, This is not a fire drill: crisis intervention and prevention on college campuses, New York: John Wiley and Sons. Oade, A, 2010, Managing workplace bullying: how to identify, respond to and manage bullying behavior in the workplace, Palgrave: Macmillan. Preuss, O, Magala, S, and Gastelaars, E, 2008, Critical theory and the science of management, California: Universitaire Pers. Rayner, C, Hoel, H, and Cooper, C, 2002, Workplace bullying: what we know, who is to blame, and what can we do? New York: Taylor & Francis. Skodberg, K, and Alvesson, M, 2000, Reflexive Methodology: New Vistas for Qualitative Research. London: Sage. Willmott, H, and Alvesson, M, 2002, ‘Identity regulation as organizational control: Producing the appropriate individual’, Journal of management studies, Vol39: 619-644. Read More