Abstract:

Burnout is the professional exhaustion which consists mainly in emptying oneself of one’s inner resources in order to cope with chronic stress at work, losing any sensitivity towards customers who are then considered as mere files, and finally feeling devoid of the energy needed to act efficiently. On the one hand, this study contributes to the enrichment of the theoretical framework related to the burnout syndrome, and on the other, it highlights the determinants of professional exhaustion within call centers. The conceptual model integrates the antecedents of burnout and the consequences of this syndrome on the perceived performance of call center operators .

A quantitative survey showed that burnout in call centers is two-dimensional. It is revealed mainly through emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. The survey also showed that the major antecedents of burnout are motivation through individual performance, motivation through recognition, motivation through remuneration, role conflict and role ambiguity, as well as the personal characteristics of call center operators, such as gender, family status, age, seniority, salary and premium. Finally, the survey demonstrated that burnout has a negative effect on the perceived performance of call center operators.