Preferences, aspirations and spending: are call center employees myopic?
Date
2004-04-05
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Abstract
This thesis aims to determine whether workers' preferences, aspirations and spending profiles may be used as measures of their time-preference. To achieve this, we used customer support representatives as models of present- oriented workers because of their decision to work in this line of job despite the slow career advancement opportunities it offers and the alienating nature of the work itself. Once this assumption was made clear, we attempted to test whether these individuals who opt to work in a call center show corresponding life choices that are linked with present-orientedness, or at the very least, exhibit characteristics that show a greater degree of present-orientedness than workers employed in other industries.
Data were generated though distribution of surveys to 2 groups, which are customer support representatives and workers in other industries. The results were then analyzed through logistic regression analysis.
This thesis was able to establish the fact that time preference orientations of workers may be highly correlated with certain life choices and decisions made by workers. It has aptly shown the significance of certain factors linked with a person's preference over the present or the future. The indicators that proved to be significant are the following: duration of the job search, reasons for occupational choice, investments in education, inclined interest for leisure and smoking.
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Keywords
Call center employees, BPO, Business process outsourcing, Consumer behavior, Consumer spending, Consumer preferences