Professional call centres, professional workers and the paradox of the algorithm: the case of telenursing

Abstract

Although the professional call centre has been theorized, little empirical work has been carried out on this form of service delivery. The existing literature fails to distinguish adequately between professional call centres and professionals who work in call centres. In this study of telehealth it is shown that a centre which exhibits the features of a professional call centre does not overcome problems associated with this type of labour process. Ambiguities over the use of skill in a system that requires the deployment of computer algorithms gives rise to conflicts over monitoring, performance evaluation and the use of time. Conflict over the appropriation of technique may be exacerbated in professional call centres although this has not been reported upon in the call centre or telehealth literature.