The work well-being of customer service representatives : A case study of a Finnish company

Abstract

The work well-being of employees has become a much-discussed topic during the past decades. Engaged and motivated employees are satisfied, committed and productive, and have a low level of sick leave. The aim of this research was to form a primary under standing of the case company’s customer service representatives’ well-being, specifically answering the research question: What impacts the work well-being among customer service representatives? The research was composed as an inductive case study with a qualitative research method based on eight semi-structured interviews with the case company’s customer service representatives. The definition of work well-being along with motivation and engagement are presented in the literature review, as well as remote working, which was topical for the research due to an ongoing pandemic during the time of the research and forced the company to pursue remote working. The research results indicated proper cooperation being the one broad positive characteristic of the employees’ job, the absence of accomplishments and deficient work tasks being the negative characteristics, and working remotely, sales, and meaningfulness causing dissension among the employees or having both positive and negative characteristics concerning them. The results reflect the results of previous studies presented in the literature. They indicate that the practical implications of maintaining the cooperation of the company and improving aspects of the employees’ work tasks and remote working, as well as focusing more on the employees’ personal development would increase the well-being of the customer service representatives. The methodological approach as well as the complex subject and the prevailing times of the company lead to limitations which encouraged future research with a narrower scope.