Comparative Analysis: Flexible vs Fixed Working Hours in Call Centers

This report examines the impact of flexible versus fixed working hours within a call center context. It begins by outlining the problem statement, which focuses on the debate between these two scheduling models. The report then delves into the problem's impact on the industry, followed by proposed solutions. The solution section includes mind mapping, brainstorming, and lateral thinking techniques to explore the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, along with examples and figures. A personal reflection section highlights the author's learning experience, focusing on enhanced skills in decision-making, problem-solving, and team collaboration. The report concludes with a discussion of the best ideas for implementation and overall implications for the organization.

Running head: SOLUTION AND REFLECTION
Solution and Reflection
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author name

1SOLUTION AND REFLECTION
Working Hours
Flexible
Fixed
Disadvantages
Advantage
s
Disadvantage
s
Advantage
s
Enhance productivity
Reduce staff turnover Better time management by employees
Risk of non-performing
Team oriented meetings
Reduce communication skills
Better allocation for meeting
Helps the management to manage the employees
Emergency support
High staff attrition
Decrease staff motivation
Increase Absenteeism
Mind Map

2SOLUTION AND REFLECTION
Brainstorming:
Issue Example problem Solution
Meeting
allocation
Some employees are with different
shift cannot able to participate in the
meeting
Before conducting meeting all the
potential employees will be
informed to present in that
particular time.
Motivation Reword and recognition process can
be hamper due to poor monitoring
and reporting system
The monitoring system will be
conducted on the overlapping time
when the maximum amount of
employees will be present
Risk
management
All employees can be fallen in same
hazardous condition
Some employees with specific
exception will be allowed to take
flexible shift with proper and
authentic evidence
Communication
issues
All other employees who are not
present in a particular situation can
create misinterpretation of same
information unintentionally
Essential departments including
facilities, sales, consumer helpline
will not be approved for flexible
shift time
Traffic and
distance issue
Some employees are unable to come
due to traffic scheduling and long
distance from residential place
Exceptional individual will be
allowed to take flexible shift with
proper and authentic evidence
Time
management
Employee preference can improve
the time management when not even
all employees of same project are
present at a time.
Department like Human Resource,
Marketing and promotion,
Operation Management will be
allowed to approve flexible shift for
their members.
Emergency
Support
For Emergency support flexible shift
will narrow down the possibility to
engage more workforce for boosting
productivity
The flexible shift system can be
changed in case of any emergency
and the workforce should be always
prepare for this

3SOLUTION AND REFLECTION
Driver: Time
management
Driver: Traffic and
distance issue
Driver: Emergency
Support
Driver:
Meeting
Obstacle: Fixed timing Goal: Meeting
deadline
Urgent flexibility elimination
Obstacle: Fixed timing Goal: Attendance
Making Exception with authentication
Goal: Urgent
Task
Obstacle: Flexible timing
Crucial departments will not eligible for flexibility
Goal: Effective
communication
Obstacle: Flexible timing
Flexibility will be temporarily unavailable for participants
Driver:
Monitoring and
Rewording
Goal: Recognition and
awarding
Obstacle: Flexible timing
Monitoring will be conducted on coincided schedules
Lateral Thinking:

4SOLUTION AND REFLECTION
Reflection
Participation in the team project has enhanced both my theoretical as well as
communicational skills. Being a team member, I learned to actively collaborate with my team
mates in order to complete the project successfully. I understood that working as team enhances
the capacity to collaborate and thus allow brainstorming. As a result of this, more innovative
ideas are developed that eventually enhances the productivity of the team. While creating the
mind map I understood how flexible and clear a issue becomes after it has been put together in a
mind map. Secondly, I understood that group project has better capacity to solve complex issues
like the above mentioned one compared to individual project. This is because, when several
individuals with different types of skills, background as well as experiences work together, a
single scenario can be visualized from different angles. Therefore, others in a team can help you
see things from a different angle. Before participating in the team project, I had the opinion that
fixed working hours are always better than flexible working hours. After joining the team
project, I learned to see things from the opponent’s points of view.
I understood that both flexible as well as fixed working hours posses their own merits and
demerits. Hence, organizations should opt for both the procedures in order to get best result. I
understood that it depends completely on the job profile that which one of the above discussed
working hours will be best suited for the employees. The brainstorming has enhanced my
creative thinking. Not only that I understood that it has the potential to encourage the view point
of each and every team member. Thus, team project has helped to develop a better understanding
of the research issue. Another benefit of team project as been evidenced by me is that it has
enhanced my decision making capability. Earlier, I used to make decision on the basis of my
knowledge without conducting research on the topic of the issue. This deliberate decision

5SOLUTION AND REFLECTION
making does posses several negative consequences. It has been decided through group opinion
that departments like Human Resource, Marketing and promotion, Operation Management will
be allowed to approve flexible shift for their members. It has been also decided that the flexible
shift system can be changed in case of any emergency and the workforce should be always
prepare for this.
While the above discussed important are associated with quality of team thinking and
collaboration, the material learnt over the semester has been highly beneficial for my personal
development. For instance, the brainstorming has enhanced my creative thinking. Not only that I
understood that it has the potential to encourage the view point of each and every team member.
Thirdly, Brainstorming is not difficult to comprehend; rather it’s a quick and easy class activity.
Similarly while creating the mind map I understood how flexible and clear an issue becomes
after it has been put together in a mind map. I understood that group project has better capacity
to solve complex issues like the above mentioned one compared to individual project. All these
lesson have enhanced my creativity and knowledge to a great extent and will be highly beneficial
for my future professional development