Smiling Down the Line

Info-Service Work in the Global Economy

Bob Russell

$69.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

University of Toronto Press
12 September 2009

Globalization; Service industries; Media, information & communication industries; Information technology industries

Series: Studies in Comparative Political Economy and Public Policy

Just as textile mills and automotive assembly plants have symbolized previous economic eras, the call centre stands as a potent reminder of the importance of information in contemporary economies. Bob Russell's Smiling Down the Line theorizes call centre work as info-service employment and looks at the effects of ever-changing technologies on service work, its associated skills, and the ways in which it is managed. Russell also considers globalization and contemporary managerial practices as centres are outsourced to poorer countries such as India and as new forms of management are introduced, refined, and discarded.

Invoking extensive labour force surveys and interviews from Australia and India, Russell examines employee representation, work intensity, stress, emotional labour, and job skills in the call centre work environment. The cross-national approach of Smiling Down the Line highlights the effects of globalization and scrutinizes the similarities and differences that exist in info-service work between different industries and in different countries.

By: Bob Russell
Imprint: University of Toronto Press
Country of Publication: Canada
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 21mm
Weight: 520g
ISBN: 9781442609815
ISBN 10: 1442609818
Series: Studies in Comparative Political Economy and Public Policy
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 12 September 2009
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Bob Russell is an associate professor in the Department of Employment Relations at Griffith Business School, Griffith University.

Reviews for Smiling Down the Line: Info-Service Work in the Global Economy

'Smiling Down the Line is highly recommended for any scholar interested in the transformation of globalized work, the effects of information and communication technologies on the technical and social division of labour, and managerial attempts to control labour process in the new economy... it stands out due to its rigour and in-depth analysis of info-services work in call centres and as a portrait of work and employment in contemporary capitalism.' -- José-Luis Álvarez-Galvan * British Journal of Industrial Relations: vol49:02:2011 *