The Geography of Call Centers in France

Résumé 0

Call centers are an emergent activity in the new economy. They present a new interesting area of study to geography: What are the factors influencing the localization of agencies that deliver remote services to the client? The map of localization in French urban zones, counted in terms of the number of workstations, portrays a strong but irregular metropolitan pattern of spatial distribution. A much finer analysis shows a process of hierarchical diffusion starting from the capital and spreading to regional headquarters, and finally to essentially rural areas. This process gives rise to job creation opportunities. Call centers have become the target of local economic development policies and a tool for the reconversion areas facing employment difficulties. These new activities are, however, threatened by the increase in overseas delocalizations. The growth of call centers is one of the ways through which territories enter the era of “cognitive capitalism” against the backdrop of globalization and metropolization. However, the dynamizing effects of this very Taylorian activity are very uncertain, and for local communities, focusing only on call centers is a dangerous bet.