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Human Resource Management Practices in an Airline Industry:
The British Airways Global Perspective
Dr. Julius B. Bertillo
Adjunct Professor, College of Business Administration
Arab Open UniversityBahrain Branch
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Josefina B. Salando, CPA
Managing Partner, Salando & Associates (CPAs & Underwriters)
Lecturer, Department of Administrative & Financial Sciences
Oman College of Management and Technology
Email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
This paper aims to highlight the management strategy of the British Airways aims
to redirect its short, medium and long-term strategic plans along enhancement of itscustomer service through a rationalized recruitment, selection, training and promotion
processes. British Airways is one of the largest, most progressive and quality-basedairline in the world servicing primarily Europe and the North American continent. One ofthe strongest components of the airline is its human resource management practices,
considered among the best practices in recruitment, selection, training and promotionssystems. People look up to this system to generate one of the most intensive trainings in
customer service.
The strength of the training program of the British Airways is the intensive
standards required in the hiring processes, contributing to the distinct British Airwaysquality of customer service unequalled in the industry. However, this proves to be at
great cost to the airline. Excellent training brings a better competitive edge of the humancapital, but this triggers transfers to competitors with better offers.
Moreover, the British Airways need to look deeper in its pockets to subsidize therising cost of training, development and promotions systems. However, the strategic
direction in these areas will likely focus on the diversification of the pool of candidatesamong the most preferred feeder countries. This will provide relatively cheapermanpower but with equally strong character-based standards of qualifications.Searching can be expanded to other Commonwealth countries and host countries with
flight reciprocities. Diversification is expected to gain benefits for the workforce and the
company itself.
Hence, British Airways is in the thick of its journey towards its expandedexistence through the human resources management strategy in an airline industry
globally. Enhancing the human resource management processes is a road map towards
this end.
Keywords:Human Resource Management, Airline Industry,
Human Capital, Strategy, Practices, Strategic Plan
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Introduction
The airline industry is an extremely competitive, safety-sensitive and a high technologyservice industry. Compared with other industries in the economy, this sector is a combination of
the application of information technology, tourism, engineering feats of designs but most
especially the aspect of people and the human resource component which makes the industrydoubly exotic, interesting and challenging to every stakeholder. People, employees andcustomers are fast adopting the lead roles in the technology shift from the traditional corporate
processes and services.
In fact, this is true not only in products and machines but in the domain of an
organizations core competence and competitive advantage. The implications are deep and vast
as well as so pervasive that they affect no less than the organizations philosophy, structure,
strategy, culture, and a number of operational and corporate publications and activities.
The conclusions drawn from the project is that, with the exception of a handful of high
performing airlines, the industry as a whole continues to function according to the traditional,top-down, industrial model of policy structure, operations and system of governance. This model
however, is manifestly inappropriate and becoming archaic in such a highly knowledge-based
service market as the airline industry. Human resource management (HRM) expertise in
recruitment and selection as well as addresses issues as diversity and equal opportunityemployment in particular are required for compliance now, more than ever. This is to spearhead
the strategic development of a customer-centred, learning-oriented workforce capable of
adapting rapidly to the strategic goals and change imperatives facing the airline industry(Appelbaum, S.H. and Fewster, B.M., 2003).
Thus, HRM in the airline industry is directed at a unique kind of manpower that strongly
addresses the typical needs of the industry. These needs include but are not confined to thefollowing: excellent interpersonal, communication, conceptual and physiological skills as they
are demanded an extraordinary kind of responsiveness inherent in the airline industry. British
Airways are one airline that has experienced both good and turbulent times since its 1974founding. After thirteen years of government control, British Airways went private and now is
the surviving entity after the merger and consolidation made by British Overseas Airways
Corporation (BOAC) and the British European Airways Corporation (BEA). Operating 240aircrafts servicing 120 destinations throughout the world, British Airways competes with about
42 other British airlines but has maintained leadership in the industry. Its main competitor is
Richard Bransons Virgin Atlantic, an airline established in 1984 and with 10 per cent market
share in terms of kilometres logged as of 2007 (Mighty Students, 2010).
Eventually, this research is expected to identify the different critical areas of manpower
training and development as influenced by the training needs analysis prepared for the human
resource component of the respiratory tract. Considering the expected varying needs of themanpower component, the final result of the survey is expected to open doors for strategic
linkages whereby the manpower complement of the airline would be trained on prepared
modules based on their individual needs. Hence, this research is expected to recommendmodifications towards enhancements of human resources strategies and objectives.
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Aim and Objectives of the Organisation
This research study aims to analyse existing human resource management in the airlineindustry in general as well as to assess how HR functions are conducted and handled in a
multinational airline such as British Airways. This study intends to identify how British airways
in general implement working policies and how the company responds to the needs of theworkforce. Alternately, this will help evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of such policies.
Problem Statement
The human resource management practices at British Airways along recruitment,
selection, training and promotions; the preparation and performance needs of the human resource
component of British Airways in terms of their interpersonal, communication and conceptualskills. The strengths and weaknesses of the training needs program at British Airways along
interpersonal, communication and conceptual skills; and the strategic enhancements are needed
to address the short, medium and long-term development needs of the men of the BritishAirways.
Significance of the Study
The research is expected to provide insights into the aspect of human resource
development management towards understanding the role of strategic human resourcemanagement in the airline industry in general and the British Airways in particular. Likewise,
this will develop appropriate policy imperatives and specific functions dictated by the theories
and practice of human resource management.
To develop new HRM models to meet the emerging demands of the field as well as
provide opportunities to develop usable knowledge and critical awareness of human resource
management at British Airways. The study is also expected to clarify the career paths ofemployees in the airline to serve them in assessing the strengths and weaknesses for appropriate
long-term career enhancements. This is expected to enhance the learning and growth perspective
of the caller.
The survey is a serious attempt at providing a direction and a trajectory for better
rendering of customer services at British Airways hand in hand with the learning and growth
perspective of its human capital. This focus serves as a strategic road map on how BritishAirways may hope to repackage itself towards the objective or upgrading and consistently
raising its potentials in a cutthroat competitive aviation industry not only in the United Kingdom
but in the airlines other service areas around the globe, Europe especially.
British Airways dutifully crafted its business plan which is aimed at focusing on four key
emerging priorities that arose out of the previous years strategic plans. Among the most
significant of these are the following:
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1) Upgraded and innovative customer experience with its trademark Basics and
Brilliance, Club World, First Cabin and similar programs meant to introduce innovative
customer come-ons with its plan to acquire long-haul aircraft as well as countering the negativeimpact of the operating glitches during the transition experience at Heathrow Terminals 1, 4 and
5. This was initially designed to produce new varieties of premium customer experience through
increased presence in the European and American markets. This objective becomes a part of theStrategic Human Resource Management of British Airways;
2) Planning for growth in terms of new long haul aircraft, premium services and added
destinations between Europe and the Americas;
3) The continuing need to contain costs in the face of stiff competition, rising cost of
delivering service, fuel and administrative costs. The entity additionally attempts at undertaking
a more efficient asset and liability management to reasonably assure itself the advantage ofliquidity and solvency under the current economic environment; and,
4) Taking a lead on corporate social responsibility to articulate a social and corporatebalance in the conduct of its operations (Jamali, D. and Mirshak, R. 2007).
A critical component of a business plan is the marketing program which identifies and
focuses on the opportunities available to British Airways worldwide in congruence with itsidentified key priorities. The marketing plan clearly outlines a road map towards market recovery
via excellence in the basics, and ultimately to the deployment of brilliant premium services not
available anywhere or in other airlines competing in identical routes.
Specifically, the marketing plan cross links with the business plan with the former as the
centrepiece of the airlines assertive leadership thrusts towards the first half of the 21st
century.
Just like the Victoria era slogan that the sun does not set on the British empire, British Airwaysis determined to head for industry prominence after several turbulent encounters with difficult
challenges that it had to go through. Apparently produced by its own weight, its bigness is
without the support mechanism it needed to stabilize its moves. A portion of the business plan,the marketing plan describes in more detailed fashion how the business plan will breathe through
the middle of the marketing plan which is considered the heart of the business plan.
On the aspect of the significance of research, the marketing plan serves as the
management blue print for strategic decision-making; especially in the field of marketing
management under various assumptions, scenarios, alliances and configurations. Strategic
marketing management which is contained in this road map marketing plan will enablemanagement to adopt strategies such as cost leadership, attractive premium services, human
resource strategies and expanded terminal network in the industry as a way to create a demand
gap in the long haul travel sector as well as a similar disruption in the premium business travel
from continental Europe to the premier city of New York in the United States. The experiencesof the past years are expected to provide hard lessons for British Airways management towards
strategic marketing processes.
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For the business traveller all over, the marketing plan attempts to redefine the concept of
basic and premium travel. With the integration of cost advantage expected to ensue along the
airlines objective of operational excellence, airline travellers can reasonably expect these costrationalization measures to have a positive effect on the price competitiveness of British Airways
while maintaining the sort with which British Airways has been known for.
The airline industry, for one, is likewise expected to significantly benefit from this workspecifically in the area of collaboration, alliances and economic cooperation without any attempt
at abusing the regulatory privilege this union may provide such alliances. Hence, partnerships
should be undertaken for the development and maintenance of constructive relationship withother companies in the industry as at work. In the same way that this will be tempered and
enhanced by a strong corporate social responsibility not just in terms of the environmental
aspect, it is expected similarly to be strung along the social issues directly and indirectly affected
by the industry.
Key questions the project seeks to answer
This study is expected not only to address the main problems of the study but will also
answer the key questions such as: 1) the importance of strategic human resource management in
the airline industry as compared to other sectors; 2) identifying the perspectives and linksbetween HRM and organization performance; 3) describing the factors that are likely to
influence growth in employment under the new emerging technology, changing business
practices, growing complexities in operations as well as key demographics in the industry andthe British Airways itself. 4) What's the key differences between the functions of HR in a
multinational airline are as well as the British airways.
Profile of British Airways
British Airways are one carrier airline that has passed and gone through the brightest andthe most turbulent times since its establishment and founding in 1974. After thirteen years of
government control, the airline went into private workforce in 1987. The resulting airline is the
surviving entity after merger talks and consolidations made by British Overseas AirwaysCorporation (BOAC) and the British European Airways Corporation. Currently it manages and
operates 240 aircrafts servicing more than 120 destinations all throughout the United Kingdom
and Europe, Africa, North and South America, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific. British
Airways competes with about more than 40 other British airlines but has maintained leadershipin many areas of the aviation industry not only in the United Kingdom but in Europe as well. Its
main competitor , Virgin Atlantic is an airline established by Richard Branson in 1984 and with
about 10 per cent market share in terms of kilometres recorded by the end of 2007.
The airlines and aircraft manufacturers around the world struggle to strike it big and live
in the midst of the worldwide financial turnout crisis, British Airways vows to target
development and grow its market share while intently addressing its operational concernstowards excellence and financial health. The surging complexity of the market ahead is expected
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to put the airline industry on the offensive to obviate possible downturns as what happened to the
automotive and the investment banking industries during the last quarter of 2008, which as
everyone knows has led to the global financial turmoil. Reports had it that requests forgovernment canvasses were made in the prospect of lower demand from car buyers. The airline
industry is among those expected and likely to be affected by the crisis due to the expected
economic contraction in the aftermath of the financial meltdown.
Theoretical Background
This includes a logical and empirical discussion of the key variables considered in the
research and their relationship to the field that this study seeks to consider and address. In
developing a strategic plan, Kaplan et al, (2004) recommended that there is a need to align the
corporate measures and approaches with the entitys mission, vision and overall philosophythrough a strategic program that focuses primarily on the human capital. He adds that a balanced
scorecard system can effectively be taken to enable the organisation to address the various
perspectives on an even keel.
This principle advocates the balanced focus on the diverse perspectives of the company
such as: the financial perspective which is focused on shareholder value, the customer
satisfaction perspective which is aimed at matching customer expectations, internal businessprocesses perspectives which advocates the use of state-of-the-art processes; and the learning and
growth perspectives which is directs equal attention to the evolution of the human capital. The
balanced scorecard approach is believed will likely reduce the risk of having measures skewed infavour of a specific perspective thereby creating imbalances in its operating efficiency and
effectiveness.
History of human resource management in the airline Industry is as compelling a reasonto keep the competitive advantage with a strong learning and growth of the manpower
complement. Airlines all over the world have enhanced recruitment and selection process that
transcend state boundaries. This global approach produced a positively entrenched a very diverseworkforce heavy on equal opportunity employment and a high standard of customer service by
its global passenger services team. Customer services make use of contact centres manned by
equally trained manpower considered among the best in the human resource managementindustry.
Interconnecting support among people at British Airways basically characterize the
interpersonal relationships in the company and are directed towards the best in terms of customerservices in all areas of contact with passengers and customers. Being among the few airlines that
compensate its people fairly, this strategy more or less casts a heavy price on the competitive
environment. But British Airways have always maintained that quality has a price and among
them quality of services comes from a highly motivated human resource component in all of itsoperating units.
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Historical Employee Relationship
British Airways have a highly unionized workforce with collective bargainingagreements conducted periodically. Although this has resulted in a number of negotiation
breakdowns, operations have been affected to some extent. Nevertheless, its continued effort to
cut employment costs through productivity and optimization of resources still poses a risk to thecompany. Functions at British Airways have started to focus on culture change and such programaims to transform the airline into a company and organization where innovation, relationships,
growth and customer services are the majors thrust practically composing the defining criteria of
excellence.
Its culture program has five major themes:
1. Engaging people to drive high performance in the workplace of the airway;2. A form of consistent customer service should help us focus on a strong customer
service;
3.
Stakeholder partnerships from within and outside of the company should enable theairline to make world class relationships;
4. Creation of a performance based culture; and5. Development of a short and long-term operational efficiency through a continuous
improvement driven philosophy.
This human resource thrusts of the airline has given a boost to the morale of the
manpower complement enabling the sector to consistently enhance the delivery of high-endcustomer service still considered unequalled in the annals of the airline itself and competing
heavily with the worlds best airlines located in regions across the globe.
Analysis of Management
A leadership team directs the linkages and collaborative undertakings within thecompany. The study makes use of the balanced scorecard theory and principle in strategic
direction. This theory which was developed by Robert Kaplan and David Norton (Kaplan &
Norton, 2004). Advocates addressing the four perspectives of addressing four perspectivesrepresenting the major components of the balanced scorecard, such as: 1) Financial perspectives,
which demands the profitability factor of the company to address the needs of the shareholders in
terms of value. 2) Customer perspective which requires that the needs and satisfaction of the
customers must be met to sustain marketability and a niche in the marketplace. 3) An internalprocess perspective which asks that the operation, administrative and technological processes in
the company are promptly addressed to continuously enhance the responsiveness of such systems
to the goals and objectives of the organisation. 4) Learning and growth which demands that a
unique and distinct training and development plan for the human resource component of thesystem should be sustained to enable the organisation to address the proficiency and competency
needs of the employees. In this way, the employees will be highly motivated to exploit and
maximize their potentials to grow with the organisation itself.
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Methodology
This study was used the descriptive method as this extensively provide and describe thesurroundings of human resource management starting from job identification, analysis,
recruitment, selection, training and development including promotions and career pathing,
separation and retirement; that is, the whole process of involved in the management of humanresources directed towards the goals and objectives of strategic human resource management.Likewise, this research was utilised the qualitative and quantitative approach in data analysis to
clearly provide the phenomenon of uniqueness in certain aspects of the strategic human resource
management, its implications to the industry requirement and the grounded theory this aims topresent and direct its conclusion too.
Data gathering procedures were focussed on the survey questionnaire directed at
respondents composed of key airline executives, HR managers and employees themselves. Thedata were processed to address the first and second problem statements. The resulting data and
information was assist determine the training needs analysis framework moving into the
identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the HR practices in the airline business.Documentary analysis will also be taken to make sure that practices, controls and management
plans for the human resource component are carefully planned and promptly went through.
The essence of the human resource management analysis is the application of systematicmethods for the accumulation of information about management phenomena inherent in the
subject matters that are between humans themselves. Human resource analysis is essentially
about data collection and the basic steps, such as: data collection, interviews, questionnaires,checklists and inventories, observations, Observations, self-description, and self-description.
The above data gathering methods and standards aim to triangulate the analysis directed
towards raising a forward-looking theory of collaborative relationship needed to train manpowerfor maximum customer service despite the difficulties of creating an ideal cross-cultural
dimension of management applications in all markets serviced by the airline.
Design of the Interview Questions
The interview questions were deployed to the key informants represented by the top
executives of the airline. Key decision makers that impact the day to day operations of the airline
was provided basic as well as key questions that will reflect the emerging culture of change
desired for customer-driven collaborative activities. The respondents are expected to be recordedfor purposes of documentation and further analysis to generate new hypotheses and models of
HR management unique and distinct to British Airways.
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Findings
The salient findings of the study were:
Based on the survey conducted, the following data were gathered and analysed. Likewise,
the information indicated and provided deeper insights into the issues confronting this study.Thus, the following identified sub-problems are given due course:
1.The human resource management practices at British Airways in terms of recruitment,selection, training and promotions.
A candidate for employment as Cabin Crew must undergo an intensive five-week
programmed training near Heathrow and Gatwick. Initially, an offer of employment is provided
online where applications can be made as well. A series of interviews and assessments withmanagers and recruitment specialist are made to learn the technical skills and qualifications.
After a candidates acceptance of the offer, a starting date is given and the candidate receives a
training package ahead in advance.
The training includes modules on safety, equipment procedures on board, product and
service knowledge, providing excellent customer service, awareness of cultural uniqueness and
diversity and training on personal and professional assertiveness. The five-week training shouldprepare the candidate to get a license and fly at least three different aircrafts at a given time. This
initial five-week training period continues during the next six months of flying duties after which
the candidate, after satisfying the standards set, gets awarded with the Wings representing a fullmember of the British Airways Cabin Crew Team.
Promotions are likewise provided by the airline in coordination with the National
Occupational level standards. Satisfactory completion of the training merits a City and GuildsNVQ Level 2 qualification licensed in Aviation Operations in the Air, a trademark of the City
and Guilds of London Institute. The airlines Quest Learning Centres providing a continuing
specialization and skills training.
In addition, qualities along personal skills such as initiative and team-working ability,
good communication skills are strongly desired. For more senior and managerial positions, atrack record or proven leadership ability is an important factor, among others. As mentioned,
teamwork is paramount in British Airways Cabin Crew management structure. Here, the first
level of promotion is becoming a Purser. This position takes responsibility for a specific cabin as
First Class or Club. With additional experience, this brings eligibility to Cabin Services Director(CSD), the most senior rile among the Cabin Crew which calls for strong leadership and
management skills, manages the overall delivery of throughout the duration of a flight. From
here, opportunities to pursue other interests in advisory positions are open.
2.The training and performance demands of the human resource component of BritishAirways in terms of their interpersonal, communication and conceptual skills.
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British Airways considers the most important quality in its crew to be the desire to help
and serve others. The airline is looking for people from whom this interpersonal trait comes
naturally. This pertains to the ability to build and sustain strong relationships quickly, both withcustomers and co-workers and colleagues. The company considers it to be essential that
candidates are the sort of person who can fit easily and instantly into an organization or a team
and collaboratively work towards a common goal.
For the airline, the most successful Cabin Crew members must be naturally outgoing with
an exceptional zest and exuberance for life. Common sense as a basic conceptual skill is equally
important which comes with the ability to be ready for every possibility and contingency from allforms of emergencies to any apprehensive, nervous, nave elderly passenger who might have
never travelled on a plane before. Having all of these and still be able to calmly and confidently
communicate with every kind of person from all levels is a topnotch choice for British Airways
Cabin Crew.
Thus, a nominee who possesses and with pleasant disposition for these attributes is the
type of person who can honestly take real pride in doing a job and customer service well, hence,will make an instant impact wherever she or he goes and chances are, he or she will do well as a
British Airways |Cabin Crew regardless of race.
3.The strengths and weaknesses of the training needs program at British Airways interms of the interpersonal, communication and conceptual skills.
Among the strength of the training needs program of the airline is the intensive quality-basedstandards of services involved in the hiring processes. This aspect contributes to the maintenance
and enhancement of the distinctly British Airways quality of customer services considered
unequalled in the industry. This leads to a weakness along the cost of recruitment and training
that will effectively acquire the best candidates all over, this brings at great cost to the airline.Excellent training opportunities also bring the competitive edge of the human capital of the
airway. However, when these highly trained personnel are deployed the prospects that these
highly-educated people are pirated by competing airlines which can give a better compensationpackage complete with perks and benefits way above the capacity of British Airways.
The depth of such training conducted on all candidates enable Britis Airways employeesto extremely enhance their interpersonal, communication and conceptual capacities that enable
most of them to rise fast in the ranks and bring work excellence in the various operating units of
the company. However, this added strength brings an extra potential weakness in the form of a
strong employees union and groups that are extremely intelligent and skilled in creating leveragein the negotiation procedures for workers even compensation issues.
In fact, this has contributed somewhat in the periodic stoppages and strikes by Cabin
Crew, pilots and other employee groups over the years. In some cases, the stringent standardshave become so structured that candidates are lost in some stages of the training and
development processes. This adds to the costly training processes that British Airways have
instituted. Therefore, the cost of recruitment, selection and promotion can be staggering at times.Thus, this state of affairs is likely to raise the price of travelling via British Airways.
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4.The strategic enhancements needed to address the short, medium and long-termdevelopment needs of the manpower of the British Airways.
British Airways need to look deeper in its pockets to subsidize the rising cost of training,
development and promotions systems. The strategic direction in these areas will likely focus onthe diversification of the pool of candidates among the most preferred origin countries. This willprovide relatively cheaper manpower but with equally strong quality-based criteria of
qualifications. While sourcing can be extended to other countries which are members of the
Commonwealth, the long-term potential of sourcing candidates from host countries with flightreciprocities will diversify the manpower and allow better unique services in the areas where
distinct cultures, customs and preferences are part of the entire marketing plan.
In addition, the above measure is likely to dissipate strong leveraged compensationnegotiations with a more diverse group of manpower complement. Therefore, these stages of
strategies in the recruitment, selection, training, development and promotions systems should be
programmed during the short, medium and long-term periods to allow equal opportunities forother operating strategies to blend well with the overall business plan and marketing plan.
Key questions the project seeks to resolve
At the outset, this field is expected to address the main problems and issues as well as
satisfactorily answer the key questions facing the airline:
1) The importance of strategic human resource management in the airline industry as
compared to other sectors should be taken in the context of that strategic term to mean is the
decision process that identifies the key options and solutions to the corporate concerns of BritishAirways. These strategic thinking processes, although may likely impinge on a number of critical
issues are considered highly effective in adopting meaningful changes towards profitability and
viability. The HRM processes in the airline industry are quite the sensitive type that requires avery high degree of conformance of the best standards of customer service that are hard to
benchmark.
The importance of this strategy for the human resource sector of the industry is critically
related to the unpredictability of the manpower supply in that country along the demand-supply
side. This is equally critical to British Airways considering the relatively high manpower cost
ratio to gross revenues it is booked, and the cost of customer service is required to continue itsupward climb with the stiffer competitive environment looming ahead. Piracy of topnotch
manpower is a solution to the high training cost, thus competing airlines seek to avoid this
burden by hiring trained manpower from another airline. British Airways is among the worlds
largest airlines with a huge source of piratable manpower.
2) This study identifies the perspectives and links between HRM and organization
performance. A number of studies have concluded that there is a direct link between excellenthuman resource management practices and the operation of an organisation. This is basic and
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fundamental to any industry. People are the best resource of any organisation can accept,
especially if such company belongs to the highly sensitive airline industry which is purely
service oriented.
In the balance scorecard principle advocated by Kaplan and Norton (2004), the
importance of the learning and growth perspective of an organization is critical as this comprisesone of the four perspectives of the scorecard framework critical to organizational effectiveness.This principle gives prominent concern to the development of the human capital that together
with customer satisfaction, profitability, internal business processes composes a balanced system
of strategic thinking in the modern corporate management practices (Atkinson et al, 2001).
The elements of risks associated with ineffective human resource component is
effectively minimized if not totally eliminated with HRM characterized with the best practices in
the industry (Shaw, 2003). Corporate manpower trained on systems thinking are high oneffectiveness. The development of a desirable culture of providing excellent customer service is
the aim of most airlines. Many have succeeded in the short term but few have kept its
competitive advantage towards the long-term (Anthony & Govindarajan, 2003).
3) In describing the factors that are likely to influence growth in employment under the
new emerging technology, such as changing business practices, growing complexities in
operations as well as key demographics in the industry and the British Airways it, the airlineindustry is one major sector that specially relies on the technological aspect that it has practically
become dependent on the role of high technology for its efficiency and safety operations.
On the demographic side, the long-term prospects of bringing down the cost of the
manpower component, British Airways is likely to take a closer look into its equal opportunity
area to strengthen its global competitiveness with a strong marketing focus, as earlier mentioned.
Thus the changing business practices and the growing complexities of operations is likely to beaccosted by a diversified set of manpower working for the airline, especially in areas where it
has a strong presence or with countries with reciprocity in the industry.
4) The key differences between the functions of HR in a multinational airline are as well
as the British ( airways are likely to be insignificant, except that the most stringent quality-based
practices in British Airways put the airline above the rest. The human resource practices inBritish Airways, provides greatest opportunities and prospects for advancement compared with
other airlines. The skills and qualification requirements for British Airways are tough and highly
selective. The promotional rate is similarly tough but responsive in providing all the career
opportunities for its people. The British Airways personnel are among the most compensatedgroup in the industry.
Thus, the moral superiority of the material is strong enough to provide the best possible
customer service available in the industry (William & Houck, 1992). Compared with otherairlines, there are distinct practices and culture-based advantages that put locally sourced
manpower of British Airways among the best service pool in the industry.
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Conclusions
Based on the findings, the following conclusions are drawn: British Airways is expectedto carry on being the leader in workforce development initiatives among the airlines although
regional carriers like Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, Southwest,
United, Qatar Airways among others are keeping their tab on their performance indicators tocreate niches of their own especially on customer service high on ethical practices (Jackson &Pritchard, 1994; Sharma, 2004). The pressing issues in the industry however, have contained the
initiatives of British Airways in itself, brought about by operating matters that needed better
focus and priorities regarding the various problems British Airways is facing. For instance, itcontinuously prodded its people to maintain the high quality standards of customer services
throughout its service areas around the earth; and this is aimed at getting the best possible
marketer available in the industry.
The business plan and marketing plan of British Airways is formidable documents and
proofs of seriousness to address the challenges and uncertainties of a highly competitive market
and the dangers of being an esteemed going concern of the industry. It embodies the ideals of theshareholders represented by the Board of Directors and articulates the decisiveness of
management to address the daunting tasks of maintaining quality, profitability, viability and
industrial peace in the midst of all its local expansion plans from Gatwick to Heathrow and
beyond the confines of Great Britain and the commonwealth countries.
Recommendations
Based on the findings, the following recommendations were: The study of the human
resource management at British Airways somewhat explains all important aspect and the use of
the human capital in providing the critical customer service in the most sensitive industry theairline sector. British Airways is an admirable airline endowed with character not found
anywhere else. It has sought to create impact everywhere and many times it had come after.
British Airways can remain highly relevant. This study can open avenues to conduct research onhow the airline, in the pursuit of customer service being offered by its diverse manpower, can
motivate researchers to closely consider the potentials of initiating the most diversified profitable
company in the world run my multicultural decision makers (Emirates, 2009). Studies on thesustainable competitive edge of British Airways can be an interesting research as well as how
British Airways can hope to undertake a very relevant corporate social responsibility everywhere
it is doing business. (Hill, 2008).
The airline industry will continue to be vulnerable to the risks, uncertainties and
complexities of corporate operations. Research therefore is one very important area where
survival and viability can be continuously studied. Future researches along the area of industrial
peace can be of prime importance to the airline considering its history of labour issues with itsunion. Finally, researches along human resource management can hope to create greater impact
on the industry. These are: Performance management in the British Airways; The Compensation
Solution to British Airways and Human Resource Management: A Source of Sustainablecompetitive Advantage for British Airways.
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