High commitment management practices re-examined: the case of Indian call centers

Abstract

Considerable debate exists in the West about the effectiveness of high commitment management (HCM) practices in reducing the negative features associated with work in mass-production call centres. This debate has been glossed over the Indian context. Addressing the gap by critically examining the role of HCM practices in Indian call centres, this article highlights the crucial influence of the organizational agenda and the Indian sociocultural milieu. The findings support the crossvergence thesis while confirming that HCM practices rarely undermine the organizational imperative of control. Indeed, organizational interests prevail, being manifest via the 'sacrificial HR strategy'. Clearly, employer organizations committed to promoting employee well-being and reducing attrition need to examine issues of job design, task demands and psychological contract obligations apart from implementing HCM practices.