The Indian call center experience: a case study in changing discourses of identity, identification, and career in a global context.

Mahuya Pal (MSc, Calcutta University) is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Communication at Purdue University. Patrice M. Buzzanell (PhD, Purdue University) is a professor in the Department of Communication at Purdue University. Correspondence concerning this article can be addressed to Mahuya Pal and Patrice Buzzanell, Department of Communication, Steven C. Beefing Hall of Liberal Arts and Education 2114, Purdue University, 100 North University Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2098; e-mail: mpal@purdue.edu, buzzanel@purdue.edu. Table 1. Demographics of Participants

Age / Pseudonym Age Educational of Participant Gender Range Attainment Akash Male 19-21 Pursuing undergraduate Amit Male 21 Pursuing MBA Anjan Male 19-21 Pursuing undergraduate Chitra Female 21 Pursuing undergraduate Deb Female 19-21 Pursuing undergraduate Gautam Male 45 College degree Hari Male 21 Pursuing undergraduate Jayanta Male 21 Pursuing undergraduate Kumar Male 21 Pursuing MBA Maya Female 19-21 Pursuing undergraduate Mita Female 21 Pursuing undergraduate Naveen Male 21 Pursuing undergraduate Pritha Female 19-21 Pursuing undergraduate Rabin Male 48 Pursuing undergraduate Rahul Male 21 Pursuing undergraduate Raj Male 19-21 Pursuing undergraduate Ranjan Male 19-21 Pursuing undergraduate Ravi Male 21 Pursuing undergraduate Roshan Male 19-21 Pursuing undergraduate Sunil Male 21 Pursuing MBA Pseudonym Marital Number of of Participant Job Title Status Children Akash Outbound caller Unmarried None Amit Outbound caller Unmarried None Anjan Outbound caller Unmarried None Chitra Outbound caller Unmarried None Deb Outbound caller Unmarried None Gautam Outbound caller Married One Hari Outbound caller Unmarried None Jayanta Outbound caller Unmarried None Kumar Outbound caller Unmarried None Maya Outbound caller Unmarried None Mita Outbound caller Unmarried None Naveen Outbound caller Unmarried None Pritha Outbound caller Unmarried None Rabin Outbound caller Married One Rahul Outbound caller Unmarried None Raj Outbound caller Unmarried None Ranjan Outbound caller Unmarried None Ravi Outbound caller Unmarried None Roshan Outbound caller Unmarried None Sunil Outbound caller Unmarried None Table 2. Summary of Findings Based on the Coding Processes Open Coding Axial Coding Accents Strategic Identity(ies) Invocations Names Definition: It integrates separate Knowledge of Western culture markers, resources, and emotions Global-local involved in invoking identities Ambivalences consistent with clients' cultural Emotional performances expectations.

Example: "My call center name is

Rachel, but I hate people calling me

that when I am not on calls ...

because that's kind of an identity

crisis for me when people can have

their real names." Economic discourse (Re)framed Work, Career, and Family Relational discourse Discourses and Practices Career discourse Definition: It integrates separate

categories under the principle that

the participants construct preferable

meanings of their work through

language.

Example: "It is unbelievably youthful

and lively out here ... It's more

like recreating college."