Abstract Book of the 8th World Conference on Social Sciences Studies
Year: 2025
[PDF]
Contributors of Future Contact Centre Managers’ Competencies in the South African Police Service
KHOPOTSO MATSOSO, Prof Cecile Schultz, and Dr Cornelia Harmse
ABSTRACT:
Managers within the South African Police Service (SAPS) play a critical role in ensuring the effective operation of contact centres. The findings of this study could inform the redesign of roles, enabling managers to leverage their skills to adopt emerging technologies while concentrating on tasks that align with their expertise. As key contributors to SAPS operations, future contact centre managers must possess the skills and knowledge required to navigate the transformative changes brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). They must also demonstrate the ability to lead effectively in an evolving, technology-driven work environment. Therefore, identifying the factors influencing their growth and readiness is essential. A qualitative, interpretative worldview’s phenomenology research design approach was used to gather data from 12 SAPS contact centre managers across all 9 provinces, all of whom had at least five years of experience in the contact centre, with a minimum of two years in management. Semi-structured email interviews were used to gather data. The transcripts were imported into ATLAS.ti® for additional interpretation after the gathered data was inductively coded and subjected to thematic data analysis. The following themes emerged from the analysis, which define the contributors of future contact centre managers: technology contributions, work-related, and management contributions. The main limitation of this study is its lack of generalisability beyond the SAPS context. Many potential participants did not meet the inclusion criteria due to educational requirements or insufficient management experience. Other challenges included participants’ reluctance or inability to participate, and technical issues with phone or Skype systems. Additionally, the lack of reliable research and literature on contact centres further constrained the study.
Keywords: Contributing Factors, Future Contact Centre Managers, Fourth Industrial Revolution, South African Police Service