This book presents an innovative institutional transpositional
ethnography that examines the textual trajectory of "the life of a
calling script" from production by corporate management and clients to
recontextualization by middle management and finally to application by
agents in phone interactions. Drawing on an extensive original research
it provides a behind-the-scenes view of a multilingual call center in
London and critiques the archetypal modern workplace practices including
extensive use of monitoring and standardization and use of low-skilled
precariat labor. In doing so, it offers fresh perspectives on
contemporary debates about resistance, agency, and compliance in
globalized workplaces. This study will provide a valuable resource to
students and scholars of management studies, communication,
sociolinguistics, and linguistic anthropology.