Business organisation and environment

Table of Contents

1. Topic pack - introduction
2. 1.1 Nature of business activity - notes
3. 1.1 Nature of business activity - questions
4. 1.2 Types of organisation - notes
5. 1.2 Types of organisation - questions
6. 1.3 Organisational objectives - notes
7. 1.3 Organisational objectives - questions
8. 1.4 Stakeholders - notes
9. 1.4 Stakeholders - questions
10. 1.5 External environment - notes
11. 1.5 External environment - questions
    1. The social environment - self-test
    2. The economic environment - self-test
    3. Technological change - short answer questions
    4. Technological change - case study
    5. Economic growth - short answer questions
    6. Inflation - short answer questions
    7. Exchange rates - short answer questions
    8. Exchange rates - Case Study
    9. Unemployment - short answer questions
    10. Interest rates - short answer questions
    11. Apple's iPad goes global
    12. Anti-monopoly probe by EU
    13. Oiling the wheels of industry?
    14. Japan cuts Interest rates
    15. China relaxes controls on Yuan
    16. External influences and market structure
12. 1.5 External environment - simulations and activities
13. 1.6 Organisational planning tools - notes
14. 1.6 Growth and evolution - notes
15. 1.7 Growth and evolution - questions
16. 1.7 Growth and evolution - simulations and activities
17. 1.6 Change (HL only) - notes
18. 1.9 Globalisation - notes
19. 1.9 Globalisation - questions
20. Print View

Technological change - case study

Is it all good news?

The recent spate of stories in the newspapers of the workload of some who work in call centres has increased concern about the real impact of technology on the working lives of employees.

Pressure is put on employees to answer a certain number of calls per work period, particularly where sales are proportional to calls made. Customers complain of delays, an inability to actually speak to the correct department, which has led to increasing abuse of staff.

Some are questioning the ability of machines within an IT department to appreciate and manage employees in telesales sections. Can a machine actually understand what a human experiences when talking with another?

For an increasing number of potential customers, their first contact with a company is by telephone. The challenges presented by touch-tone systems, automated replies, lists of questions etc are not always appreciated by a possible purchaser. Neither do staff enjoy targets and unknown call monitoring. Perhaps some benefits of technology are less obvious than was first thought?

Question 1

Define a call centre

Question 2

Explain why the personnel employed in such centres are the primary concern of managers.

Question 3

Discuss how customer relations may be improved by the careful use of technology.