_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
*Co esponding au ho : E-mail: Tuija.koi unen@u a. i;
B i ish Jou nal o Educa ion, Socie y &
Beha iou al Science
12(4): 1-10, 2016, A icle no.BJESBS.22086
ISSN: 2278-0998
SCIENCEDOMAIN in e na ional
www.sciencedomain.o g
In isible Wo k: Gende ed Examples om Th ee
Finnish Call Cen es
Tuija Koi unen1*
1Uni e si y o Tampe e, Tampe e, Finland.
Au ho ’s con ibu ion
The sole au ho designed, analyzed and in e p e ed and p epa ed he manusc ip .
A icle In o ma ion
DOI: 10.9734/BJESBS/2016/22086
Edi o (s):
(1) Madine Vande Plaa , Depa men o Sociology and C iminology, Sain Ma y's Uni e si y, Canada.
Re iewe s:
(1) Bakky Ngozi Adi ika, Nnamdi Azikiwe Uni e si y, Awka, Nige ia.
(2) John Walsh, Shinawa a Uni e si y, Thailand.
Comple e Pee e iew His o y: h p://sciencedomain.o g/ e iew-his o y/11893
Recei ed 17 h Sep embe 2015
Accep ed 8 h Oc obe 2015
Published 19 h Oc obe 2015
ABSTRACT
Aims:
This a icle examines in isible wo k asks in he wo k o ganiza ions o call cen es. The aim is
o analyze wha kinds o in isible wo k asks he e a e and, mo eo e , o ind ou how hese
a angemen s a e di ided acco ding o employees’ gende and posi ion in he wo k o ganiza ion.
S udy Design: The empi ical e idence is based on e hnog aphic esea ch in h ee call cen e
o ganiza ions in Finland. The semi-s uc u ed in e iews we e he main esea ch echnique in he
ield. Resea che s ha e only seldom ocused on in isible wo k asks as he s a ing poin o
analysis, e en hough his could gi e o he wise una ainable insigh s in o he ways in which wo k a
la ge is o ganized, especially in ela ion o gende .
Conclusion: The analysis indica es ha he in isible wo k asks in call cen es mos ly ollow he
same gende ed pa e n as he o mal wo k asks.
Keywo ds: In isible wo k; in o mal wo k; gende ; call cen es; e hnog aphic app oach.
1. INTRODUCTION
The ocus o his a icle is on in isible wo k asks
in he wo k o ganiza ions o call cen es. In isible
wo k e e s o wo k asks which a e o en
un ecognized, un alued and unpaid, and
he e o e one aspec o equali y in wo k li e. Such
wo k is done in coun less wo kplaces, and
O iginal Resea ch A icle
Koi unen; BJESBS, 12(4): 1-10, 2016; A icle no.BJESBS.22086
2
usually in isible wo k becomes isible only when
i is le undone. Resea che s ha e seldom
ocused on in isible wo k asks as he s a ing
poin o analysis, e en hough his could gi e
hem o he wise una ainable insigh s in o he
ways in which wo k a la ge is o ganized,
especially in ela ion o gende .
The aim was o ask, wha kinds o in isible wo k
asks he e we e in he wo k o ganiza ions, and,
in addi ion, o ind ou how he a angemen s o
in isible wo k we e di ided acco ding o
employees’ gende and hei posi ion in he wo k
o ganiza ions. The ocus was on he in isible
asks ha bene i employees and he social
communi y o wo k, and some imes also he
business o he i m. The analysis also included
in isible asks ela ed o ou e hnog aphic
ieldwo k in he i ms. By doing his, I b ough in o
ocus he somewha igno ed aspec o in isible
and o en in o mal asks in he wo kplaces. The
empi ical e idence was p oduced in h ee call
cen e o ganiza ions in Finland.
In isible wo k e e s o wo k, which is no
ecognized being done, o ha i is o alue. I
has been sugges ed [1] ha wo k may be
in isible because he place o wo k is hidden, he
employees who do he wo k a e in isible o he
wo k i sel is unseen. Se e al o hese o ms o
wo k’s in isibili y may occu simul aneously.
The call cen e business in gene al is a he
unknown and in isible o cus ome s in Finland,
al hough his si ua ion is slowly changing. Call
cen e wo k is backg ound wo k done in in isible
places, qui e simila ly as he highly skilled
behind- he-scenes wo k o , o example,
e e ence lib a ians [1,2]. Call cen e wo k is
li e ally in isible o cus ome s who usually do no
isi call cen e o ices and canno see cus ome
se ice agen s wo king he e. Mo eo e , Finnish
cus ome s do no necessa y ealize ha hey a e
alking wi h call cen e agen s ins ead o he
employees o he i m hey do business wi h. This
kind o hiding o he call cen e ope a ion is
usually done delibe a ely a he eques o he
co po a e clien when he assignmen is
ou sou ced o an ex e nal call cen e [3] as is he
case in his s udy’s call cen es.
Mo eo e , wo k may be in isible because
in isible people, o example domes ics, do i [1].
Wo k done a in isible places, such as homes, by
in isible people, may no be ecognized as wo k
a all, and he e o e i is in double jeopa dy o be
no seen [4]. Simila ly, he e a e in isible people
in mos o he wo k o ganiza ions, wo king as
sec e a ies, jani o s, cleane s and pos men.
Thei wo k may be aken o g an ed while he
employees a e no seen. Call cen es a e an
impo an o m o on -line se ice wo k: ha is,
jobs in ol ing an in e ac ion be ween he agen s
and cus ome s, bu s ill he employees a e
in isible. Cul u ally call cen e wo k is conside ed
as women’s wo k [3,5,6], which also enhances i s
in isibili y.
In addi ion, wo k may be in isible because o he
na u e o i . Two di e en ypes o in isible wo k
asks has been poin ed ou [1]. The i s a e
de ined as ou ine o manual wo k bu ac ually
equi e conside able p oblem sol ing and
knowledge. One example is he wo k o
elephone ope a o s, whose wo k is hea d bu
no li e ally seen. Pa o he se ice wo k in call
cen es appea s as ou ine wo k, bu in ol e
a ious wo king skills. Secondly, in o mal wo k
p ocesses ha a e no pa o anybody’s job
desc ip ion bu a e c ucial o he collec i e
unc ioning o he wo kplace [1,2]. This kind o
wo k is usually bo h in isible and in o mal, and
he e o e in double jeopa dy being no
ecognized. No all in isible wo k is in o mal in
na u e, al hough in many cases i is. Simila ly,
isible wo k may be ei he in o mal o o mal.
Fo mal wo k – o o ganiza ion, as i has also
been called – e e s o he ac i i ies and
p ocesses ela ed o wo k, ules such as policies,
p ocedu es and egula ions as well as he ac ual
wo k asks and ac i i ies ela ed o hese. In
o he wo ds, he ac i i ies o he o mal wo k a e
mo e o less equi ed a wo k. In con as ,
in o mal wo k, o o ganiza ion, is mo e nuanced
han he o mal o ganiza ion and i e e s o
ac i i ies and p ocesses no necessa ily di ec ly
ela ed o wo k. Such a e, o example, a i udes
and belie s, ges u es o goodwill and o he
in e ac ion among he social communi y o wo k.
In o he wo ds, in o mal asks a e no di ec ly
ela ed o making p o i , bu hey may enhance
p o i making, and in o mal ac i i ies may suppo
wo k e en i hey a e no di ec ly ela ed o i .
Such ac i i ies a e no equi ed in wo k bu
conduc ed on ee will and s ill possible o ca y
ou du ing wo k ime a he wo kplace.
Fu he mo e, in o mal asks do no usually
include o anybody’s job desc ip ion and he
employees a e no paid o doing hem [7,8].
The dis inc ion be ween he o mal and he
in o mal wo k o he employees goes back o he
Haw ho ne s udies conduc ed a he Haw ho ne
plan in he US in he la e 1920s and ea ly 1930s.
Fo mal wo k was unde s ood o e e o hose
Koi unen; BJESBS, 12(4): 1-10, 2016; A icle no.BJESBS.22086
3
pa e ns o in e ac ion p esc ibed by he
company ules, egula ions and policies. In
con as , in o mal wo k e e ed o he pe sonal
in e ela ions o he employees which we e no
ep esen ed by he o mal wo k. The esea che s
used his dis inc ion be ween o mal and in o mal
wo k o sugges ha wo ke s we e no mo i a ed
by economic o o he “ a ional” in e es s such as
wages. Hence, he e ec o wo ke s’ in o mal
wo k on p oduc i i y was emphasized [9-11].
The di ision be ween he o mal and in o mal
wo k was de eloped in ela ion o indus ial wo k.
Taking in accoun he essen ially di e en na u e
o se ice wo k in call cen es, he clea -cu
di ision be ween he o mal and in o mal wo k is
no always possible o make. In some ins ances
o wo k, he in o mal asks in e wine wi h he
o mal asks, and hey enhance each o he .
In o mal wo k p ac ices may be a c ucial means
o ackle he day- o-day p oblems in wo k, as i is
no ed o be in gold mine s’ wo k [12]. I is
no ewo hy ha gende canno be si ua ed in one
o he o he o hese laye s o wo k o ganiza ions
bu is ele an in ela ion o bo h o hem. Thus,
his a icle ollows he idea ha gende is a
p ope y o o ganiza ions, no jus indi iduals
[13,14].
I has been no ed ha he new o ms o wo k
ha e s a ed o esemble adi ional domes ic
wo k in hei p ac ical managemen o boundless
and endless, ne e comple ed, mos ly imma e ial
asks and cho es. Fu he mo e, new wo k is no
cha ac e ized by a sequence o asks o a
sepa a ion o spaces, bu a he by ch onological
in e mingling and spa ial o e lapping [15].
Mo eo e , emo ions ha e become impo an
cha ac e is ics o new wo k, and one o m o
unpaid and o en un ecognized in isible wo k in
se ice wo k s ill is employees’ emo ional labou ,
he managemen o one’s own eelings. I is o en
equi ed, bu seldom paid, alued o app ecia ed
[16]. I is claimed ha emo ional labou
di e en ia es men’s wo k om women’s wo k in
he sense ha women a e mo e o en equi ed o
display emo ional labou han men. Fo example,
emale ligh a endan s ind emo ional labou
mo e demanding han men, and hus unwelcome
he e osexualizing p oposi ions make emo ional
labou s ill mo e one ous o women [16-18.]
Emo ional labou is a o m o wo k, which is no
men ioned in he ca ego iza ion o in isible wo k
[1], al hough i is, oge he wi h o he o ms o
embodied labou , a he la gely expec ed o m o
in isible wo k.
2. RESEARCH MATERIALS AND
METHODS
The e hnog aphic esea ch ma e ial o which I
e e includes semi-s uc u ed in e iews, non-
pa icipan obse a ions, digi al pho os and
documen s. Howe e , he analysis concen a ed
on in e iews and ield no es based on
obse a ions while he es o he esea ch da a
we e conside ed as backg ound ma e ial. In
o he wo ds, pho os and documen s in o med he
analysis o in e iews and ield no es, which we e
conside ed as he key sou ce o da a. The da a
we e d awn om a la ge s udy on h ee call
cen e i ms in Finland [3]. The esea ch da a
we e p oduced in h ee case s udy call cen es,
which u ilized di e en ypes o labou o ce in
e ms o he employees’ age, gende , leng h o
employmen in he i m and educa ional
backg ound. The in e iews we e no aimed o
s udying in o mal asks bu o in es iga e gende -
ela ed p ac ices in he wo k o ganiza ions a
la ge.
The empi ical esea ch ma e ial consis ed o 54
in e iews wi h call cen e wo ke s and
manage s. The in e iew ques ions included he
hemes o gende di isions a he wo kplace;
social in e ac ion wi h co-wo ke s and manage s;
he social communi y o wo k and po en ial
con lic s and disag eemen s a wo k. These
hemes allowed he in e iewees o alk abou
issues ha I concep ualize as in o mal asks.
Mo eo e , he ield no es con ained desc ip ions
o ins ances, asks and p ac ices ha we e ound
as in o mal in na u e, such as co ee oom
p ac ices, a ga he ing wi h mulled wine,
employees’ discussions du ing he wo kday and
sho ime slo s jus be o e and a e he
in e iews.
The e hnog aphic esea ch da a was mainly
p oduced by me bu also by my senio colleague
Päi i Ko ajä i. We bo h conduc ed in e iews
and obse a ions in all h ee case s udy
o ganiza ions. In gene al, we we e welcomed
and g an ed ull access o he wo kplaces,
al hough one o he call cen es was an
excep ion in his. We we e no allowed o access
he s a oom o he ac ual wo king space o he
cus ome se ice agen s, and consequen ly, o
obse e he agen s’ cus ome se ice wo k. The
p ac ice was jus i ied wi h a gumen s o he
o ganiza ion’s p i acy p o ec ion policy, which
gua an eed ull p i acy o he co po a e clien s.
We conduc ed all he in e iews in he
employees’ o ices, in emp y o ices o in mee ing
Koi unen; BJESBS, 12(4): 1-10, 2016; A icle no.BJESBS.22086
4
ooms du ing egula wo king hou s. The
in e iews gene ally las ed be ween i een and
nine y minu es, a e aging abou six y minu es
o e all. I ha e changed he pa icipan s’ ac ual
names o pseudonyms. Fo he sake o
con enience, I call he wo k o ganiza ions wi h
he pseudonyms Pu ple, G een and Blue.
Wha dis inguished all h ee case s udy
o ganiza ions Pu ple, G een and Blue om each
o he we e hei size, owne ship, loca ion, wo k
assignmen s and labou o ce. Wha was
common o he i ms was ha hey we e
independen subcon ac o i ms o which se e al
co po a e clien s had ou sou ced a sha e o hei
cus ome se ice and elema ke ing. Ano he
common poin was ha he e we e mo e women
han men wo king on he o ice loo le el. A he
le els o middle managemen and op
managemen , he gende di ision a ied among
he wo k o ganiza ions. Thus, he hie a chical
gende seg ega ion which e e s o he gende
di e ences in he o ganiza ional hie a chy a ied
among he call cen es.
When i came o he analysis o he in e iews
and obse a ions, I ollowed he same logic ha
was sugges ed [19] as he ini ial s ages o
e hnog aphic analysis. I i s ly iden i ied he
ins ances which a e ela ed, acco ding o my
in e p e a ion, o in isible wo k asks. This
in ol ed doing a sys ema ic hema ic eading o
he da a o e and o e again [20]. In p ac ice, I
ead he esea ch da a h ough he hemes o
in isible wo k asks and in o mal side o he wo k
o ganiza ions. Du ing he eading, he con en o
hese hemes become mo e p ecise. The second
phase o analysis in ol ed analysis o he
ins ances whe e gende was men ioned in he
esea ch da a. Mo e o he poin , he call cen e
employees alked abou doings and
cha ac e is ics o women and men bu did no
alk abou gende as such [3]. Respec i ely, I
ha e also eased ou gende om o he pieces o
he da a whe e gende is p esen on a sub le
le el han in e e ence o women and men.
Gende is, hen, a concep ualiza ion I adop ed
om he heo e ical ame o he a icle.
The las s age o he analysis was he w i ing o
he esea ch epo [21,22]. W i ing is a way o
knowing – a me hod o disco e y and analysis
wi h which i is possible o disco e new aspec s
o he opic and he w i e ’s ela ionship o i
[23,24]. A his s age, he empi ical esea ch was
complemen ed by seconda y li e a u e and he
indings we e ela ed o p e ious s udies and
heo e ical discussions. Mo eo e , w i ing binds
he pieces o analysis oge he o a cohe en
esea ch epo and d aws he s udy back o he
o iginal con ex o he wo k o ganiza ions.
The a icle is based on he analysis o p ac ices,
which ocused on wha he people do in hei
e e yday li es and how he social o de and
ins i u ions a e cons i u ed [25]. I has been
a gued ha such app oach is pa icula ly use ul
in s udying gende in o ganiza ional phenomena
because gende is cons an ly nego ia ed and
ede ined in e e yday p ac ices h ough which
he indi iduals in e ac . In o he wo ds, women
and men do gende and con ibu e o he
cons uc ion o gende iden i ies when hey ca y
ou and a e ca ied ou by he p ac ices [25,26].
Thus, he app oach o doing gende , whe e
gende is unde s ood as doing and p ac icing i
ins ead o being a woman o a man [27,28], was
adop ed.
The concep o p ac icing gende was u ilized as
an analy ical ool, and by doing so i was possible
o ocus on a he small, e e yday in e ac ions
be ween indi iduals. The concep was o iginally
elabo a ed by Pa icia Yancey Ma in and i
poin s o “doing gende ” h ough in e ac ion.
Ma in [26] concep ually dis inguishes he
p ac icing o gende om gende ing p ac ices. In
he con ex o wo k, gende ing p ac ices e e
mos o all o gende di isions o labou and
cul u al unde s andings abou women’s and
men’s wo k. P ac icing gende e e s o he li e al
saying o doing o gende , and acco dingly o
exe cising agency in eal ime and space. I is
o en apid i e, di ec ional, ime bound and
in o med by minimal awa eness, ye some imes
p ac iced in en ionally. P ac icing gende , o
mo e o he poin p ac icing eminini y and
masculini y, is la gely un e lec i e bu also
una oidable beha io since ou ac i i ies and
being a e in e p e ed on he g ounds o ou
gende . Ne e heless, he in e p e a ions do no
ha e o be cong uen wi h ou gende .
Consequen ly, he a icle enables a be e
unde s anding o he gende di isions o wo k.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 S a Room Ac i i ies
F om he beginning o ou ieldwo k in he wo k
o ganiza ions i became ob ious ha some hing
e y special concen a ed on ki chens and s a
ooms. They a e he p i a e sphe es o public
wo kplaces [29]. I a gue ha in hose places
in e sec wha has been called [1] in isible wo k
done in in isible places and in o mal wo k
Koi unen; BJESBS, 12(4): 1-10, 2016; A icle no.BJESBS.22086
5
p ocesses, which a e no pa o anybody’s job
desc ip ion. A pa icula ask in s a ooms is
making co ee o he b eaks. Co ee has an
impo an ole in he Finnish socie y a la ge, and
also in wo kplaces. Finns a e among he bigges
co ee consume s wo ldwide, and he s a u o y
b eaks a wo k a e called co ee b eaks, and s a
ooms a e called co ee ooms. Consequen ly,
d inking co ee is a no m, and d inking ea, o
example, is no .
When I i s isi ed Pu ple in o de o in e iew
he male managing di ec o , he e was a co ee
cup wai ing o me. I was no asked i I d ink
co ee o no , and he e o e I had o le he
managing di ec o o know ha I p e e ea. He
eplaced he co ee cup wi h a eacup and se ed
me ea ins ead o delega ing he ask o
somebody else. I was emba assed by he uss
my dislike o co ee was causing. Mo eo e , he
si ua ion was ull o hidden cul u al meanings –
he, a man and a managing di ec o o e ing me
his hospi ali y in he o m o co ee, and me, a
woman and a isi ing esea che , declining his
hospi ali y and asking o ea.
In Blue he e was also an inciden conce ning
co ee in he beginning o ou ieldwo k. We i s
a i ed he e, my colleague and I, wi h an
in en ion o in e iew he male CEO and he male
call cen e manage . Be o e we s a ed, hey
o e ed co ee o us. Howe e , nei he o us
d inks co ee. In o de o se e ea, he call
cen e manage used his mobile phone o call a
emale eam leade who wo ked ups ai s. He
ied o ask he , wi hou us no icing i , whe e he
ea bags we e. As in Pu ple, also in Blue i was
unexpec ed ha he isi o s did no d ink co ee.
A ha ime he si ua ion el qui e amusing: a
male call cen e manage was ying o se e ea
o wo emale esea che s, bu he had o phone
o a emale eam leade and ask o help.
Qui e simila ly, Ikonen and Ojala [30] ha e
desc ibed how an in e iewee se ed wa m
sausage sandwiches o he ege a ian
esea che in he home. The esea che a e he
sandwiches because she el ha i would ha e
been oo ude o decline he o e . I was no able
o beha e in such a poli e way because my
dislike is so s ong ha i is simply impossible o
me o d ink co ee. Howe e , hese ieldwo k
incidences se he one o he analysis o hei
pa . Mo eo e , hey in o med he esea che o
he ways in which such su p ising si ua ions a e
handled in he wo k o ganiza ions, al hough
hese pa icula si ua ions would no ha e
occu ed wi hou he esea che en e ing he
ield.
In he hi d wo kplace, G een, we we e no
welcomed o he s a oom whe e he ki chen
acili ies we e. Ne e heless, we we e old abou
he in isible asks ca ied ou he e. Acco ding o
he in e iewees, he o ganiza ional
housekeeping was associa ed wi h women and
was expec ed o be done by emale employees.
Mo eo e , age was a c ucial ac o in ela ion o
hese in o mal asks, and, o example, one o
he old- ime agen s exp essed he di ision
based on age as ‘ he kinde ga en depa men
and he es o us.’ Hence, a couple o he
middle-aged o olde women ook ca e o co ee
making o he s a u o y b eaks and o loading
he dishwashe a e wa ds. They looked a e
asso ing he ash o ecycling and ook ca e o
he locke s and co ee ooms and also ook
esponsibili y o a anging social e en s and
exe cise in leisu e ime. Howe e , i canno be
old apa i hese women we e expec ed o do
o ganiza ional housekeeping because o hei
age o hei ela i ely long wo k his o y, because
hese wo can go hand in hand.
The in o mal asks in G een’s s a oom could
ha e been o ganized in o he ways and, o
example, could be a anged in shi s be ween all
he agen s ega dless o hem being women o
men. Ins ead, hese middle-aged agen s we e
exp essing o ganiza ional mo he hood o
housewi e y a wo k by doing hese asks which
a e some imes conside ed as olun a y. Thus,
he p edominan a mosphe e a he wo kplace
encou aged hese emale employees o ac in
acco dance wi h he gende ed expec a ions. To
pu i di e en ly, he in o mal asks con o med o
he s e eo ypes o women as ca ing, sociable
and skilled a household asks.
In con as o G een, he in o mal asks in
Pu ple’s ki chen we e done wi hou a collec i e
o ganiza ion o o as o suchlike. P esumably, a
ki chen o a would ha e been di icul o o ganize
because he majo i y o he elema ke e s had
pe sonal p e e ences in wo king imes and,
consequen ly, hey did no wo k i e days a
week. Subsequen ly, he common e e yday
asks we e done indi idually. E e ybody washed
hei own dishes and cleaned up a e
hemsel es. The wo emale sales manage s’
ask was o make co ee eady be o e he b eaks.
P esumably, his was in o de o a oid
in e up ing he p o i able wo k o he
elema ke e s. Howe e , one o he wo emale
sales manage s, As a, poin ed ou ha she does

Koi unen; BJESBS, 12(4): 1-10, 2016; A icle no.BJESBS.22086
6
no always emembe o make he co ee in he
u n.
E e ybody knows me, and when I’m in he
e ening shi o example, I should make
co ee, and I don’ , e e . “As a is doing he
e ening shi , so he e is no co ee.” I don’
emembe i when I’m in he middle o doing
a hund ed hings a a ime, and good
hea ens, i s six o’clock and I ha en’ made
co ee.
Making co ee was included in As a’s wo k
du ies, bu because she equen ly o go o do i ,
he ask u ned e en mo e in isible. As a’s
in e iew does no ell who e en ually makes
co ee ins ead o As a, o a e he employees le
comple e wi hou co ee. My in e p e a ion is ha
he sales manage s, pa icula ly As a, did no
conside making co ee o o he o ganiza ional
housekeeping asks as deg ading, bu hey we e
p eoccupied wi h hei mundane wo k.
In Blue, aking ca e o he ki chen was di ided
in o o a ing shi s which las ed o one week a a
ime. The shi included making co ee be o e he
b eaks and clea ing he co ee oom a e wa ds,
loading and emp ying he dish washe , swi ching
he ligh s o and locking he ki chen doo a e
he wo k day. As a as I can ell, he e we e no
gende - ela ed a angemen s in ol ed in he
ki chen shi s and he employees did no
commen agains he p ac ice. The only complain
was he di ision o he ki chen shi s be ween he
wo eams o di e en sizes.
The employees’ s a u o y co ee b eaks we e
s agge ed and, a leas when I was p esen , he
women we e si ing on one side o he able and
he men on he o he . Du ing lunch and co ee
b eaks, in o mal discussion was p opelled by
gende oles ha I would desc ibe as a he
con en ional in he sense ha hey we e based
on women’s and men’s di e en sphe es o
esponsibili ies. Fo example, a g oup o women
we e once discussing in a humo ous one how
helpless hei spouses we e and how he men
could no ind hei socks when hey we e ge ing
d essed. This co ee b eak discussion is an
example o how p i a e li e came o he
wo kplace. Acco dingly, wo k o ganiza ions a e
o en eple e wi h displays o p i a e and
unspoken he e osexuali y, such as wedding
ings, pic u es o spouses and he e osexual
couples, oge he wi h a mo e gene al
he e osexual aes he ic which ames bodily
appea ance and symbolic in e ac ion [31]. While
domes ic a ai s and amily ela ions we e a opic
in hese discussions, a he same ime he one
o discussing abou gende di e ences and
gende ela ions was se .
Ca ying ou hese in isible asks on he
employees’ wo king ime p obably has an e ec
on hei wages, since hei wages is based on
bonuses and he less hey a e wo king, he
smalle hei bonuses a e. I he employees’
ca ied ou he asks on b eaks, he ime was
aken away om hei ec ea ional ime. The
mo i a ion o ca y ou he asks canno be
iden i ied, bu i has been a gued [29] ha wo k
done in p i a e sphe es is some hing you wan o
do, some hing ha is mo i a ed by lo e and ca e.
Howe e , he o a ing shi s a e an excep ion o
his, because hey obliga e he employees o
pe o m hei sha e o he asks.
3.2 In o mal E en s
In wo k o ganiza ions, he e a e also in o mal
e en s, which concen a e on social in e ac ion,
un and games, and ec ea ion. The o ganiza ion
and a angemen s o hese e en s a e usually
included o someone’s wo k load. In Na di and
Enges öm’s [1] classi ica ion, wo k asks ela ed
o in o mal e en s a e in isible in he sense ha
hey a e wo k conside ed as ou ine, bu may
equi e mo e wo k in gene al and especially wi h
de ails, p oblem sol ing and o ganizing skills
han p esumed be o ehand. Mo eo e , hese
asks a e usually no pa o anybody’s job
desc ip ion.
In Pu ple, e en s ha could be in e p e ed as
in o mal we e mos ly ips, Ch is mas pa ies and
o he happenings. The ips ab oad and e en s in
gene al we e isible in e e yday physical
o ganiza ion since he pho os aken he e we e
an impo an pa o he o ice deco a ion.
Howe e , he ini ia i e and esou ces o hese
ac i i ies came om he managemen and in his
sense, hese we e o ganiza ional e en s
al hough in o mal in na u e. As a was he main
o ganize o all he e en s, which she ob iously
enjoyed.
Well, a yea ago we had a ed nigh , i was
eally nice and he e we e a lo o
pa icipan s. E e yone had o wea
some hing ed. I always like o o ganize such
hings. And hen e e y hing in he e was ed
and he ood was ed, we had bee oo -
mince casse ole and ed desse . The d inks
we e ed oo, he e was ed wine and hen
ed soda and eally e e y hing was ed.
Koi unen; BJESBS, 12(4): 1-10, 2016; A icle no.BJESBS.22086
7
When As a was desc ibing his ed nigh and
o he e en s and pa ies she has o ganized o
me she was h illed. Al hough As a enjoyed
o ganizing e en s, she was e y busy and e en
s essed ou wi h all he wo k esponsibili ies she
had. Ye , she welcomed he planning o he
in o mal e en s as an exci ing change in he
wo k.
Wha is mo e, du ing one o my ieldwo k pe iods
in Pu ple, As a o ganized a ga he ing wi h mulled
wine o which I, oo, was in i ed. She also
cleaned up e e y hing a e wa ds. All he
employees oge he wi h he owne s o he amily
business we e enjoying mulled wine wi h o
wi hou alcohol and some Ch is massy snacks.
The owne s’ son, he managing di ec o , did all
he o icial alking o he employees, bu I go he
imp ession ha he pa en s’ p esence in his
ga he ing was e y impo an o he wo k
communi y. The ga he ing was ela i ely sho ,
as we e all he b eaks we a ended in Pu ple,
and soon all he elema ke e s we e back in hei
o ices making calls o he cus ome s.
In Blue, e e y o he mon h he employees had
he possibili y o ake pa in a ec ea ional day
ha Blue o ganized and co e ed wi h a couple o
eu o o e e y employee’s ac i i y and he
employees paid he es hemsel es. They had
gone o he hea e, bowling, o a guided lesson
o No dic walking, on a cycling ip, and ook pa
in an ice ishing con es . The ac ual pe son who
o ganized hese ac i i ies was no wo king in he
o ice whe e he ieldwo k was conduc ed, and
he e o e she o he was no in e iewed. The
ec ea ional ac i i y ook place du ing he
employees’ leisu e ime which some employees
conside ed as a p oblem. They hough ha he
ec ea ional ac i i ies should be o ganized o
happen du ing hei wo kday and o his eason
hey did no wan o pa icipa e. Thus, he
employe conside ed ec ea ional days as leisu e
ime ac i i ies, while some o he employees
conside ed hem mo e as wo king ime ac i i ies.
In G een, he employees had possibili y o a end
ec ea ional ac i i ies du ing hei leisu e ime
wi h he ouche s hei employe o e ed o
hem. Fo he i s ime in he i m’s his o y i had
a emale CEO, and she had launched se e al
employee- iendly social p ac ices, such as
summe gi s, gi s o he loyal employees who
ha e wo ked in G een ce ain numbe o yea s,
and Ch is mas pa ies. The CEO was de e mined
ha a e a gap o se e al yea s, he company
would esume i s adi ion o h owing Ch is mas
pa ies o he employees. Acco ding o he , i
simply was a mus because he Ch is mas pa y
was such an impo an pa o he Finnish wo k
cul u e.
The abo e desc ibed e en s wi h hei o ganizing
esponsibili ies blu u he he di ision be ween
o mal wo k and in o mal wo k. Al hough he
pu pose o such e en s is good and well-
in en ioned, i may u n as a bu den o a pe son
who has he o ganizing esponsibili ies,
especially i he esponsibili ies a e no sha ed
and hey ell o same pe son epea edly.
Mo eo e , a ending he call cen e e en s may
cause disag eemen s when, o example,
someone needs o s ay a wo k while o he s may
ake pa in he e en s. The emale sales
manage As a in Pu ple was an example o his.
Qui e simila ly, Connell [14] ound in one o he
wo ksi es ha when a social e en came o be
held – a und- aise o cha i y – i was wo
women who o ganized i . This is al hough he
planning, o ganizing and holding he e en s may
be un and ewa ding.
3.3 Collegial Help and Ad ising
Call cen e wo k, o mo e o he poin , emo ional
labou done in call cen es is o en emo ionally
d aining. In apidly changing cus ome se ice
si ua ions agen s and elema ke e s need o
simul aneously mas e a lo o de ails and ac s,
o in e ac wi h cus ome s smoo hly and o use
echnology. In doing all his, he employees o en
ask help om hei colleagues [3,32]. Collegial
help and ad ising is in isible wo k in he sense
ha i appea s as simple bu i equi es skills,
knowledge and abili y o sol e p oblems [1].
Mo eo e , doing emo ional labou o gi ing
collegial help and ad ising a e no included o
agen s and elema ke e s’ job desc ip ion bu i is
a common e e yday p ac ice.
In G een, he social communi y o wo k played a
cen al ole in suppo ing he agen s in hei wo k
asks. This became especially appa en in he
p oblem si ua ions. When cus ome s asked
some hing ha he agen did no know o when
he e we e di icul ies wi h he compu e , he
agen s had o ask o help. In he apidly
changing si ua ions o call cen e wo k, i was
di icul o he eam leade s o be p esen and
a ailable o he agen s all he ime and o sol e
hei p oblems. The e o e, i was con enien and
easy o consul someone who was si ing nex o
you. The agen s’ wo ks a ions we e a anged in
banks o six and he employees who we e
wo king in he same p ojec we e placed close o
each o he .
Koi unen; BJESBS, 12(4): 1-10, 2016; A icle no.BJESBS.22086
8
In call cen e wo k his ype o helping colleagues
appea ed o be sel -e iden , bu in o he jobs and
occupa ions i necessa ily is no . Fle che [13]
has s udied in isible wo k – o disappea ing ac s,
as she calls hem – o emale design enginee s’
and ound, ha in hei highly masculine wo k
en i onmen i is essen ial and he oic o sol e
p oblems, o a leas alk abou hem, while
p e en ing p oblems was no seen as eal wo k.
In call cen e wo k he emphasis is always on
as and smoo h encoun e wi h cus ome s, and
he e o e i is impo an o o esee he cus ome s’
po en ial p oblems.
The e a e cul u al assump ions abou wha kind
o knowledge and asks a e ‘na u al’ o women
and men in he wo k o ganiza ions [13]. In he
call cen es, one gende - ela ed di ision goes
be ween echnical suppo , including echnical
knowledge, quali ica ions and expe ience as well
as an in e es in compu e s, and cus ome
se ice which includes skills a lis ening o and
empa hizing wi h he cus ome s. Technology is
associa ed wi h men mo e o en han wi h
women [32,33]. Howe e , in G een he numbe
o emale agen s was la ge han o abou he
same as ha o male agen s in he echnology-
ela ed p ojec s. In he in e iews i was poin ed
ou ha he opics o in o mal discussions we e
gende ed acco ding o one’s in e es in
in o ma ion echnology. I was said ha he e
we e a couple o men whose hobby was
in o ma ion echnology, compu e games and
uning up compu e s. Thus, all who had such a
hobby we e men, bu no all men we e in e es ed
in in o ma ion echnology and compu e s. Fo
ins ance, one o he eam leade s – he was a
s uden o humani ies – explained ha he o he
employees ask him when he e we e p oblems
wi h compu e s:
Hen ik: I’ e no iced ha i some agen has
some p oblem wi h he compu e so maybe
hey p e e o come o me o ad ice. Fo
some eason hey hink ha I would know
compu e hings be e han i hey we e o
go o some woman and ask he . Al hough i
could be he o he way ound, ha he
women know mo e han I do.
In he ex ac , Hen ik desc ibes ha he was
asked o ad ice wi h compu e s e en hough he
was no e y good wi h echnology. This
implica es ha he assumed echnical skills we e
associa ed wi h his gende , no wi h his in e es s
in echnology, his wo k expe ience o his
educa ion in he humani ies. I has also been
no ed [14,33] ha expe ise in compu e
echnology is o en ela ed o young male
employees. Thus, i could be said ha in G een,
he o ganiza ional housekeeping was he
expe ise o women and he compu e echnology
was he expe ise o men. Howe e , he
app ecia ion o hese wo ields o expe ise in
ou cul u e is in comple e di e en le els [33].
In Pu ple, he sales manage As a was e y busy
and e en s essed ou wi h all he o mal and
in o mal wo k esponsibili ies she had. ‘This is a
s ess ul job, eally ho ible,’ she said in he
in e iew, al hough she added ha she
ne e heless liked he job. Mo eo e , she
desc ibed he wo k as e y ime-consuming and
emo ionally ha d, especially when i included
suppo ing he elema ke e s in hei p i a e li e
ma e s, bu also in issues ela ed o hei wo k:
As a: When you come o his job you a e, o
ell you he u h, like a cesspi ; when
e e y hing nega i e comes o me and I
canno ans o m mysel in o egis e ma e ial
[ he da a he elema ke e s use when hey
call cus ome s]. So some imes you ge like,
hell no, I’d like o come some ime, le ’s
change places. I say a lo o imes ha you
come o my spo he e, come and lis en o
his. No hing is e e good. So I go o make
calls, I ge o close he doo behind me and
make he calls alone. I’d like o do ha
some ime, so you wouldn’ ha e o ca e
abou anyone else o hink abou wha kind
o esul s you ge wi h wha egis e ma e ial,
you’d jus ge o make he call and i hey
a en’ happy wi h i , so wha .
Thus, i is As a’s e e yday wo k and especially
he emo ional esponses o he elema ke e s’
oubles ha s ess he ou . In o he wo ds, he
elema ke e s’ wo ies inc eased he wo kload o
he sales manage s and As a, in pa icula . Bo h
sales manage s had hei o ice doo s open all
day, and hey we e willing o help he
elema ke e s whene e hey needed assis ance
o suppo . This in isible ask appea ed as
‘na u al’ and unques ioned pa o hei e e yday
wo k, as emo ional labou o en does.
4. CONCLUSION
The in isible asks in he call cen es included
o ganiza ional housekeeping asks, such as
making co ee be o e he b eaks, clea ing he
co ee oom a e wa ds, swi ching he elec onic
de ices and ligh s o , ecycling he ash and
gene al ca e aking o he o ganiza ion’s spaces
and e e ybody’s com o ableness. Mo eo e , he
in isible asks consis ed o esponsibili y o
Koi unen; BJESBS, 12(4): 1-10, 2016; A icle no.BJESBS.22086
9
a anging leisu e ime social ac i i ies such as
ips, pa ies and o he e en s. In addi ion,
ad ising and helping o he employees in p oblem
si ua ions wi h cus ome s o compu e s is he e
conside ed as in isible wo k asks i hese a e
done collegially ins ead o he channels o
hie a chical o ganiza ion s uc u e. Ano he
in isible ask was emo ional labou , ha is,
lis ening o colleagues’ wo ies and ying o keep
hem in good mood. Finally, he in o mal
discussions du ing b eaks o e a glimpse o he
way in which domes ic a ai s and amily ela ions
we e b ough o he wo kplace. These asks we e
in o mal in na u e al hough some o hem
lub ica ed he o mal side o he wo k.
Ne e heless, he backg ound o hese wo k
asks in he call cen es canno be aced, and
he e o e we do no now he p ocesses which
ha e led o p esen si ua ion.
In wo o he call cen e o ganiza ions in which no
o a o o he a angemen is se o he asks he
in isible asks end o pile up on some
employees’ shoulde s. Especially when he
o ganiza ional housekeeping asks a e in
ques ion, he employees who ca y hem ou a e
mo e o en women han men. This adds o hese
women’s wo k load a wo k and educes he ime
hey can spend on doing hei wo k wi h
commission-based wage. In he in e iews, men
a e no men ioned in ela ion o any pa icula
in isible asks, excep helping wi h compu e
p oblems. Mo eo e , age had an e ec on he
di ision o in isible asks especially when he e
we e employees o a ying ages wo king in a call
cen e. The middle-aged employees ook
esponsibili y o ca ying ou he in isible asks
mo e o en han he younge employees.
On he basis o he analysis he in isible asks in
gene al seem o ollow he same gende pa e n
as isible and o mal asks in he wo k
o ganiza ions. In o he wo ds, in isible asks
could be conside ed as gende ing p ac ices [27]
which u ilize he la ge gende o de a he
wo kplace and in he socie y. I ha e p esen ed
he ways in which in isible wo k asks a e di ided
acco ding o employees’ gende and posi ion in
he wo k o ganiza ions o call cen es, bu ,
ne e heless, he o he pa o he dual concep ,
p ac icing o gende [27], is no as clea ly p esen
in he da a. This is mo e a ques ion o he da a
hen a sho coming o he dual concep .
Mo eo e , gende ing p ac ices o in isible wo k
asks a e also called mic o gende di ision o
labou and hey illus a e he pe sis en de ails in
he daily li e o he wo ksi es [14]. Howe e , he
sys ema ic desc ip ion and analysis o his mic o
gende di ision o labou has been sca ce.
In isible wo k is o en in isible o he esea ch,
oo, al hough i o e s an ap si e o concen a e
on he unseen side o wo k and o ganiza ion.
In isible wo k also includes he po en ial o
g adually changing he gende o de a he
wo kplaces.
CONSENT
The au ho decla es ha o al in o med consen
was ob ained om he pa icipan s o publica ion
o his case epo .
COMPETING INTERESTS
Au ho has decla ed ha no compe ing in e es s
exis .
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