Jane Lockwood

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About

Dr. Jane Lockwood is a leading scholar in the field of professional communication, with a particular focus on the dynamics of call center work, language ideologies, and the intersection of technology and human interaction. Her research critically examines how scripted communication is negotiated between managers and agents, challenging the prevailing notion that call center workers are merely low-skilled, robotic performers. In her highly cited 2017 paper, “Scripts Are Beautiful”: Managers’ and Agents’ Views of Script Use in Call Centers (21 citations), Lockwood reveals the nuanced ways in which scripts are perceived as both tools of efficiency and sites of resistance, highlighting the agency of workers in adapting language to meet customer needs. This work has been instrumental in shifting the conversation from a deficit model of call center labor to one that recognizes the complex linguistic and emotional labor involved. Lockwood’s contributions have influenced both academic discourse and industry practice, making her a key voice in understanding how language, power, and identity play out in globalized service economies. Her research continues to inspire students and practitioners to rethink the role of communication in contemporary workplaces.