NRS-451V Singapore Airlines Case Study (Student paper) Singapore Airlines was created in 1972 following a separation from Malaysian Airlines. In the wake of reorganization, Singapore Airlines undertook aggressive growth, investing and trading to maximize profitability and expand market share. Through this change, a new company philosophy emerged, “Success or failure is largely dictated by the quality of service it provides” (Wyckoff, 1989). By reinventing the company infrastructure and introducing new initiatives focused on excellence in customer service, Singapore Airlines became a global leader in the service industry, elevating existing standards among competitors. Evaluation of Workforce Management Program The strategy widely utilized by Singapore Airlines to ensure differentiation in an increasingly competitive market was its attention to in-flight service. “Good flight service [was] important in its own right and is a reflection of attention to detail throughout the airline” (Wyckoff, 1989). This statement perpetuated the belief that excellence in service was directly tied to the careful selection and individual performance of in-flight crews charged with the responsibility of fulfilling the needs of individual passengers and exuding the levels of service demanded by the organization. Applicants destined to work as flight stewards were drawn from a very young population, typically spanning the ages of 18-25 years of age with high school equivalency against the English system of education. Selection of applications was competitive largely due to the degree of skill, poise, and experience required of its candidates. These policies led to the on-boarding of a highly skilled and youthful workforce with positive attitudes and a willingness to be trained. Critique of this approach revealed several disadvantages. The most significant being the potential for greater turnover when hiring a younger population as opposed to an older, more experienced crew. Experience alone would play some role in the development of new employees, as greater experience would bring greater poise and confidence. However, in light of the predominant population Singapore Airlines catered to, a younger in-flight crew would remedy the awkwardness likely to be encountered by older clients being served by older crew members. In addition, a younger crew would likely be more accepting of new procedures and less cynical of the requirements of employment. In light of the young demographic most desired in this role, recruitment, training and “conversion” processes were both stringent and comprehensive. All aspects of in-flight service, including training related to terminology, amenities and food preparation were provided in great detail, as were training for emergency preparedness and response to every potential scenario encountered in the air and on the ground. Formalized on-boarding, training and continued development were the hallmarks of the comprehensive workforce program. Even well into a crew member’s employment, on-going training and cyclical evaluation provided a mechanism for employees to be aware of individual performance and gain exposure to methods of continuous improvement. With an on-going plan of evaluation, communication, and development, the workforce was well-positioned for high levels of performance and quality improvements. Though it would seem that Singapore Airlines’ work management program suited the organization well, it greatly narrowed the pool of applicants and kept many, well-qualified and experienced candidates from positions that would create diversity among the largely homogeneous workforce and place the organization in a better position to serve populations whose ethnic origins were not of Asian descent. If the organization aims to be the leader in an increasingly global marketplace, the workforce must mirror the diverse needs and perceptions of the greater population. Advertising Campaign Singapore Airlines is known in the airline industry for its quality of service. This emphasis on customer service and customer satisfaction is largely reflective of the Asian culture for which the company embodies. Attention to detail, impeccable presentation, and care for others are traits synonymous with countries of Asian heritage. Similarly, Asian countries revere conservatism, organization and hierarchy (Allik, n.d.) so, it would follow that young Asian individuals demonstrate the same gracious, caring behaviors to others. The expectation of “gentle, courteous service” is consistent with these norms and with the approaches taken by the organization. So much are these standards and stereotypes linked to Asian culture and the epitome of service, that the symbol applied to the airline is that of a young Asian woman. This image is resoundingly more beguiling and traditional, recognized by nearly 50% of consumers over typical marketing imparted by competitors, with a marginal recognition of 9.6%. In light of the positive impact and recognition of the existing marketing campaign, it was considered advisable to retain the current marketing strategy. Systems for Measuring Service Quality Singapore Airlines has two primary components involved in measuring service quality. The first is a system to measure customer complaints and compliments for every 10,000 passengers. The second measurement is a comparative rating of airline services prepared by the International Research Associates (INRA). The first component, customers’ complaints and compliments, stayed relatively the same despite rapid organizational expansion. This type of analysis has shown a generally high satisfaction level, but could be skewed due to the vast areas the complaints and compliments could cover; from ticket sales and baggage areas to in-flight crews. To address this concern the complaints were split between the areas. However, to get an accurate barometer of customer satisfaction, it was recommended that the airline conduct routine surveys of customers. Often, customers submitting comments fell into one of two categories; those having complaints or those having compliments. The second component to gauge customer satisfaction involved the INRA surveys. The airline executives paid particular attention to these scores as they indicated levels of satisfaction among the general consumer population and identified areas requiring continuous improvement. In 1973 Singapore Airlines scored 68, in 1974 the company scored 74 and in 1979 they scored 78. The scores of 39 other airlines demonstrated that two other competitors, Cathy Pacific and Thai International, were improving rapidly. This provided one indicator of competitive advantage. In order for Singapore Airlines to stay ahead of their competitors they would need to evaluate their position against industry leaders and determine if changes would be needed to stay competitive, particularly with respect to customer service and customer satisfaction (Wyckoff, 1989). Plan to Introduce Slot Machines Singapore Airlines has responded to many changes in order to differentiate itself within an increasingly competitive market place. One responsive action was to remove sleepers, replacing them with a business class section. Reactions from consumers were less than favorable. The move strayed from what consumers came to expect of elite levels of customer service, which were in large part, due to the attention paid to the personal needs of its elite customers. Although intended to be innovative and distinctive, the inclusion of slot machines on transatlantic flights was another idea met with considerable consumer dissatisfaction. While potentially generating a new stream of revenue, the idea only worked to incite passengers with a new category of charges. In addition to generating cost for the consumer, the machines took valuable space away from seats and posed problems in light of weight restrictions (Time, 1981). These changes only compounded issues and introduced new problems such as the potential for in-flight injury, rather than improving in-flight services. While there was some opportunity for revenue, initially, the gains would last for a season and were not expected to extend out into the long-term. Conclusion The Singapore Airlines Case Study highlights both effective as well as ineffective management approaches within the company. The subsequent analysis and evaluation of company operations and strategies offer a compelling glimpse of organizational design and leadership amid change, as well as provide a platform for future discussions of organizational development and change management. Group evaluation of organizational design, organizational decision-making, and organizational process at Singapore Airlines yielded some recommendations for new approaches to address complaints, become more mainstream in an increasingly diverse market space, and become more innovative without losing sight of the customer service focus that has made Singapore Airlines so successful. © 2013. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved. Course Code NRS-451VN Class Code NRS-451VN-O503 Criteria Content Percentage 80.0% Case study assesses the readiness of the health care organization or network in addressing the health care needs of citizens in the next decade 30.0% Case study includes a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to network growth 10.0% Case study includes a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to nurse staffing 10.0% Case study includes a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to resource management 10.0% Case study include a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to patient satisfaction 10.0% Essay provides comparison between health care organization or network and Singapore Airlines 5.0% Cultural issues that may influence practices are discussed 5.0% Organization and Effectiveness 15.0% Thesis Development and Purpose 5.0% Paragraph Development and Transitions 5.0% Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use) 5.0% Format 5.0% Paper Format (use of appropriate style for the major and assignment) 2.0% Research Citations (In-text citations for paraphrasing and direct quotes, and reference page listing and formatting, as appropriate to assignment) 3.0% Total Weightage 100% Health Organization Case Study Unsatisfactory (0.00%) Case study assesses the readiness of the health care organization or network in addressing the health care needs of citizens in the next decade is not provided. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to network growth is not provided. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to nurse staffing is not offered. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to resource management is not provided. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to patient satisfaction is not provided. A comparison between a health care organization or network and Singapore Airlines is not presented. Cultural issues influencing proposed practices are not presented. Paper lacks any discernible overall purpose or organizing claim. Paragraphs and transitions consistently lack unity and coherence. .No apparent connections between paragraphs are established. Transitions are inappropriate to purpose and scope. Organization is disjointed. Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice and/or sentence construction are used. Template is not used appropriately or documentation format is rarely followed correctly. No reference page is included. No citations are used. 200.0 Less than Satisfactory (75.00%) Case study assesses the readiness of the health care organization or network in addressing the health care needs of citizens in the next decade is offered; however, relevant information is missing as indicated in the assignment instructions. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to network growth is provided; however, relevant information is missing as indicated in the assignment instructions. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to nurse staffing is provided; however, relevant information is missing as indicated in the assignment instructions. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to resource management is provided; however, relevant information is missing as indicated in the assignment instructions. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to patient satisfaction is provided; however, relevant information is missing as indicated in the assignment instructions. An incomplete comparison between a health care organization or network and Singapore Airlines is presented. Cultural issues influencing proposed practices are referenced. More information is needed to establish how they influence the proposed practices. There are inaccuracies. Thesis and/or main claim are insufficiently developed and/or vague; purpose is not clear. Some paragraphs and transitions may lack logical progression of ideas, unity, coherence, and/or cohesiveness. Some degree of organization is evident. Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register); sentence structure, and/or word choice are present. Template is used, but some elements are missing or mistaken; lack of control with formatting is apparent. Reference page is present. Citations are inconsistently used. Satisfactory (79.00%) Case study assesses the readiness of the health care organization or network in addressing the health care needs of citizens in the next decade meets the basic criteria for the assignment as indicated in the assignment instructions. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to network growth; meets the basic criteria for the assignment as indicated by the assignment instructions. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to nurse staffing meets the basic criteria for the assignment as indicated in the assignment instructions. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to resource management meets the basic criteria for the assignment as indicated in the assignment instructions. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to patient satisfaction meets the basic criteria for the assignment as indicated in the assignment instructions. A summary comparing a health care organization or network and Singapore Airlines is presented. There are inaccuracies; more information is needed. Cultural issues influencing proposed practices are summarized. Some information or support is needed to establish how these influence the proposed practices. Thesis and/or main claim are apparent and appropriate to purpose. Paragraphs are generally competent, but ideas may show some inconsistency in organization and/or in their relationships to each other. Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are used. Template is used, and formatting is correct, although some minor errors may be present. Reference page is included and lists sources used in the paper. Sources are appropriately documented, although some errors may be present. Good (89.00%) Case study assesses the readiness of the health care organization or network in addressing the health care needs of citizens in the next decade meets all criteria for the assignment, as indicated in the assignment instructions, and is offered in detail. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to network growth; meets all criteria for the assignment, as indicated in the assignment instructions, and is provided in detail. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to nurse staffing meets all criteria for the assignment, as indicated in the assignment instructions, and is provided in detail. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to resource management meets all criteria for the assignment, as indicated by the assignment instructions, and is provided in detail. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to patient satisfaction meets all criteria for the assignment, as indicated in the assignment instructions, and is provided in detail. A discussion is presented comparing a health care organization or network and Singapore Airlines. Minor detail is needed for clarity. Cultural issues influencing proposed practices are discussed. General information and support is provided to establish how these influence the proposed practices. Thesis and/or main claim are clear and forecast the development of the paper. It is descriptive and reflective of the arguments and appropriate to the purpose. A logical progression of ideas between paragraphs is apparent. Paragraphs exhibit a unity, coherence, and cohesiveness. Topic sentences and concluding remarks are appropriate to purpose. Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. A variety of sentence structures and effective figures of speech are used. Template is fully used; There are virtually no errors in formatting style. Reference page is present and fully inclusive of all cited sources. Documentation is appropriate and GCU style is usually correct. Excellent (100.00%) Case study assesses the readiness of the health care organization or network in addressing the health care needs of citizens in the next decade is offered in detail, while demonstrating higher level thinking by incorporating prior learning or reflective thought. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to network growth; is offered in detail, while demonstrating higher level thinking by incorporating prior learning or reflective thought. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to nurse staffing is offered in detail, while demonstrating higher level thinking by incorporating prior learning or reflective thought. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to resource management is offered in detail, while demonstrating higher level thinking by incorporating prior learning or reflective thought. Case study including a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to patient satisfaction is offered in detail, while demonstrating higher level thinking by incorporating prior learning or reflective thought. A detailed and clear discussion is presented comparing a health care organization or network and Singapore Airlines. Comments Cultural issues influencing proposed practices are thoroughly discussed. Detailed information and support is provided to establish how these influence the proposed practices. Thesis and/or main claim are comprehensive; contained within the thesis is the essence of the paper. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear. There is a sophisticated construction of paragraphs and transitions. Ideas progress and relate to each other. Paragraph and transition construction guide the reader. Paragraph structure is seamless. Writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English. All format elements are correct. In-text citations and a reference page are complete. The documentation of cited sources is free of error. Points Earned
Purchase answer to see full attachment