Differential effects of workload on system performance in cord and cordless public telephone switchrooms

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Abstract
Subjective mood and performance efficiency among operators of cordless public telephone switchboards were earlier shown to compare unfavourably with similar measures obtained among operators of the previous generation of cord boards. The present study explored the relative responsiveness of the two systems to diurnal fluctuations in call-traffic load, in an attempt to identify more specifically the advantages in cord board design and operation. In both systems information was collected concurrently from the switchroom and its associated ‘service observation room’ by sampling data every 5 min throughout the period of known maximal change in call-traffic load, 11.30-15.30, on 5 successive weekdays. Average workload per operator per 5 min was calculated from recorded call traffic and observed staffing levels. The temporal structure of sampled call-processing was analysed to provide data on ‘time to answer’ (TTA), (call type), (time to record details), (ring-tone received), and (called person answered). Only TTA was significantly related to workload. Overall, TTA was slightly, but reliably, slower for the cord board. However, a regression analysis of TTA on workload established that cordless operation was significantly less stable as workload fluctuated. Alternative explanations of these findings are advanced and the implications of current improvements to both systems are briefly outlined.