Edwards revisited: Technical control and coil centres

Call centres represent a new strategy by capital to reduce unit labour cost s. While this strategy has been applied to many different types of work, it is particularly successful in cutting costs in routine interactive service encounters. Telebank, the case study research site, is one of four integra ted call centres throughout the UK. Data collection includes taped semi-str uctured interviews with customer service representatives and managers as we ll as non-participant observation of recruitment, training and the labour p rocess. This article argues that management has developed a new form of str uctural control. Theoretically this draws heavily on Edwards's concept of t echnical control, but not only is this shown to be extended and modified, i t is also combined with bureaucratic control, which influences the social s tructure of the workplace. Contrary to Edwards such systems are not distinc t; rather they are blended together in the process of institutionalizing co ntrol. Part of the rationale for this is to camouflage control, to contain conflict by making control a product of the system rather than involving di rect confrontation between management and workers. Despite such attempts th e struggle fur transforming labour power into profitable labour remains, an d the article ends by exploring confrontation between workers and managers and worker agency more generally.