Analysing Organisational Behaviour of British Airways

This aim of this assignment to focus and analyse Organisational Behavior at British Airways.

This assignment begins with summarizing the procedures used by it to motivate its employees and make them work as team towards the achievement of organizational goal.

The purpose states that the study of the module Organisational Behavior needs to be applied in fundamental front by providing significant procedure to the company chosen and revise the employees value in the organisation.

The assignment comprises of factors which are necessary for an organization to develop which are factors of Leadership, Motivation, spreading team effectiveness in the organization through the different channels of communication and use of different theories at different levels of the organization for its smooth functioning.

To help the organisation in rebuilding its reputation, recommendations has been given and conclusion is been drawn.

INTRODUCTION

British Airways is the major airline which proposals the flights facilities added to 550 destinations. Customers can choose from first class, business, best and economy class. A facility comes a long way since that first flight. British Airways bids food services and a collection of amusing options counting movies, TV, games, and music.

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British Airways is the airline company of the United Kingdom. It has its headquarter in Waterside which is near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport and as found it is the biggest airline of UK on the record basis of number of international flights and international destinations it has. Its second hub is London Gatwick Airport.

The British Airways Group was designed in 1974, September 1. BA was formed by the merger of two large London-based airlines, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and British European Airways Corporation (BEA), and two much smaller airlines, Cambrian Airways Cardiff and Northeast Airlines Newcastle upon Tyne. Only BA was one of the two airlines to operate the supersonic Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde capitalizing the world’s first supersonic service in January 1976 for the passengers.

British Airways is registered on the London Stock Exchange (as BAY) and is a component of the FTSE 100 Index. On 31 March 2009 the airline renowned its 35th anniversary.

On 12 November 2009, British Airways established that it had grasped a preliminary contract to combine with Iberia Airlines. The joined airline become the world’s third-largest carrier (after Delta Air Lines and American Airlines) in terms of annual report income.

(http://www.britishairways.com)

METHODS OF EVALUATING THE ORGANISATION

LEADERSHIP

“Leadership is the process of influencing the activities of an organized group in its efforts toward goal-setting and goal achievement (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2007). Leaders impact our daily lives and futures. In good times and bad, there is always a need for strong leadership. The leaders determine the success of a business or an industry it chooses or inherits. How does someone earn the designation of being a great leader? History and current experiences provide guidance on how one might develop the abilities demonstrated by respected leaders”.

LEADERSHIP AT BA

British Airways need great leaders to help its struggle with current trading conditions and achieve its long-term vision. A leading global best airline need be courageous and highly actual in emerging present and possible leaders.

BA has introduced its High Performance Leadership (HPL) system during the year. This is system combined, business strategy linking, performance appraisal, growth and reward. Motivated the senior leaders primarily, HPL has demanding valuation instruments to identify gifted leaders and to provide them with the right tools and support to continue developing.

BA well-defined, connected and initiated to degree of individual performance.

For every ability, exact behaviors have been established so that leaders can know exactly what are the expectations and BA is supportive up to a range of expansion program, with executive coaching, systems, opportunities and outside courses. BA is also using new methods to quality of performance. These will allow BA to monitor progress of individual and path the overall accomplishment at supervision talent.

Among the other leadership creativeness BA have initiated:

• Behaviors for Success – it deals with the development program of leadership for the community of HPL, concentrating on sympathetic and emerging leadership performance of personal
• Leadership Matters – a structure to identify and improve a leaders who have crucial roles in the Customer life and Actions areas of business of British Airways.
• A Leadership Development Portfolio – this will be announce this year with the purpose of secondary existing and probable leaders of business at every level which includes the developing leaders.

Case study

To be in progressively competitive market, BA strong-minded operate to stand out from its challengers by recapturing the status for service leadership which it enjoyed in the 1990s.

BA have hurled a planned marketing campaign by inviting customers to experience the difference and promote BA, BA standard that the key to bringing this aptitude in the air lay in the hands of 4,000 on-board cabin crew managers. To re-engage this precarious team of leaders the company should find some definite ways, it distinguished that all cabin crew would be released with its full potential, leading to inspiring the service knowledge of all customers of BA.

To develop its leadership BA selected in 2007, NKD which was set to work producing an stimulating programme called ‘Leadership Matters’, merging with the latest leadership styles with practical methods for cabin crew managers to use in daily activities. The project initiated with an concentrated ‘Discovery’ period where it was discovered through a series of centre groups:

The productions from this phase manufactured the grounds upon which the whole progress programme was built:

Once the programme was overall through with the aims, cabin crew managers were asked to the central part of ‘Leadership Matters’ – an appealing and reviving workshop for two days.

The workshops themselves were intended to give leaders space and interval to consider their leadership style and the impression they have on their teams and customers. The energetic events aimed to attract the on-board leaders, and improve their skills as real as 21st Century leaders should possess.

Every aspect of the workshop’s design – the choice and presentation of the learning venue, event invites, the learning content itself, film, event materials and the style of facilitation – was consistent with the BA service promise and the key traits of Modern Leadership.

The result of this program were early indications suggest that ‘Leadership Matters’ is proving a great success. Satisfaction ratings from delegates average an impressive 5.8 out of 6. The programme is successfully reconnecting leaders with the essence of their role and providing them with new skills and confidence to become effective Modern Leaders.

(http://www.nkdlearning.co.uk/case-studies/british-airways-case-study/)

MOTIVATION

The history of motivational study has seen the rise of differing, but not equally exclusive methods to motivation. There are many challenging theories which endeavour to explain the landscape of motivation. Such theories are all at least to some extent true, and help clarify the behaviour of firm people at certain times. But, the study for a comprehensive theory of motivation at work seems ineffective. All the theories existing here have their critics but still any theory or study which helps in understanding of how best to motivate people at work must be beneficial.

Even though there is no one single answer, as a group the different theories deliver a framework within which we can try to answer the query of how best to motivate individuals at work. We are therefore left to critic the relevance of these diverse theories, to a specific work situation ( Blane, ND).

(http://www.examstutor.com/business/resources/studyroom/people_and_organisations/motivation_theory/index.php)

TECHNIQUES USED BY BA TO MOTIVATE ITS EMPLOYEES

Workplace

BA endeavour to provide a working environment that will engages, supports, engages and develops its employees.

The key factor of BA workplace pillar is to motivate its employees to be dedicated towards their duty as they are the one’s who make the airline run and BA require them on the board till the journey’s end.

BA diversity and inclusion team has established a plan for the company that encourages all the employees with the aim of identifying aptitude and encouraging flexible rational. This plan is reinforced and united into all sections over BA senior level promoters and defenders.

This in opportunity will identify and meet the varied needs of Ba employees.

Another strategy BA have set up is for conflict and harassment resolution. To formulate this strategy BA has hired a total of 50 advisors and mediators employed across British Airways to make a culture where self-respect and admiration are trademarks of relationships at work, and where nuisance or mistreatment are not allowed to be abided.

Rewards and recognition

BA knows that what is the importance of reward in making it a great business holder to work. BA is very much dedicated in building an environment where BA employees feel valued and are known fairly in the organization for making their contribution in the organization individually.

British Airways deals with two types of principal funded defined benefit pension schemes in the UK, the Airways Pension Scheme (APS) and the New Airways Pension Scheme (NAPS). From April 1, 2003, new employees were allowed to join the British Airways Retirement Plan (BARP).

Smart Pension measures, which allow BA UK-based employees to make their pension contributions in a more tax well-organized way, were presented in early 2008. Around 90 per cent of those employees who are entitled are now benefiting from this arrangement.

One of the main aim of BA is to provide total reward packages for its employees which will inspire them in high performance and exceptional customer service throughout the business

However, BA substituted its grade based reward scheme for managers with a new broad band system which links rewards more closely to individual performance and ability. On the other hand BA Bravo recognition scheme allows it to distinguish people across their business for their hard work and attainments.

Improved training

“In simple terms, training and development refers to the imparting of specific skills, abilities and knowledge to an employee. A formal definition of training & development is, it is any attempt to improve current or future employee performance by increasing an employee’s ability to perform through learning, usually by changing the employee’s attitude or increasing his or her skills and knowledge” (Rao, 2009).

Rao, D.(2009), ” HRM-Training and Development”, June, MBAguys.net[Online]

Available at: http://www.mbaguys.net/t2217/

Accessed on: 1st December]

In the last year we delivered 235,000 days of training. We also welcomed some 3,100 people into the company which required a high level of induction training and a refresh for our new entrant training programmes.

BA has established several training centre for its employees where they are been trained not practically but mentally too.

BA invest more effectively in the development of its employees to build both their skills and educational standards for this it has opened several vocational study centres. With the help of these centres all new applicant of cabin crew can now achieve an NVQ Level 2 stipulation on accomplishment of their training which is comparable to 4 GCSE’s.

Leadership development

Leadership is a major main concern for BA, for which BA have established a number of platforms to improve the competence and presentation of its leaders.

This comprises of a day plan for all leaders, called ‘Leading the Business’, which emphases on the experiments of managing variation, pleasing employees and bringing results to support the business plan. BA have also advanced a leadership website to deliver information and training resources to provision managers with all aspects of their characters.

BA now mainly focus on talent and leadership expansion over the coming year as BA shape the ability it need for development.

(http://www.britishairways.com)

Abraham.H.Maslow published ‘A Theory of Human Motivation’ in 1943. In this work he argued that people are wanting / needing beings. As such we always want more, and what we want depends on what we already have. Maslow suggested human needs can be arranged into a series of levels, a hierarchy of importance.

Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s theory of motivation is the theory which deals with the aspects of people needs in the place where they work. The theory describes about the unfulfilled needs of the employees which leads to conflicts in the organization. The structure of this theory is basically like a pyramid having five different sections of different needs. These are the basic needs of the people working which are need to be fulfilled so they can develop themselves as well as the company they working in,

The levels are:

Physiological Needs: It is the basic need of the people, it deals with the aspects like food, shelter, clothes, water in order to survive. People expect decent pay from where they work so they can fulfill their basic needs.

Safety Needs: It is the need which is concerned with the physical, survival or sense of security. In workplaces people expect high standard of work, safety and security, intervals of rest, pension and medical treatment from the company.

Social Needs : It deals with the aspects of love and affection. In workplaces people work hard and they form groups in which they require friendship. giving respect to each other and providing social facilities and friendly environment.

Self-Esteem : It is one of the major factor of Maslow’s Theory of motivation as it speaks about one’s self-respect. This means getting respect from others, feeling valued, having confidence and giving rewards for better performance in the company.

Self-Actualisation: It deals with the full potential of people. It describes the needs of people working like have challenging jobs, opportunities for creativity, achievement in work promotion.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

USE OF MASLOW THEORY OF MOTIVATION AT BA

Self-Actualisation needs: BA is fulfilling this need of its employees by giving them challenging jobs and providing them with training so they can develop their skills and perform well in their field of work and gain progress.

Self esteem needs: BA is satisfying its employees this need by giving them job titles, position in the company and receiving feedbacks of job.

Social needs: BA fulfils this need of its employees by making them work in groups and motivate them to work as a team. BA also organises cultural programs in the company for the employees where they can interact with each other and form social groups.

Safety needs: for this need BA has introduced several pension plans where employees will be provided with pension after their retirement and bonuses at present time.BA has introduced free medical centres for its employees.

Physiological need: BA fulfils this need of its employees by providing them with proper working conditions and paying them well according to their performance.

Team effectiveness at BA

Each colleague through the company together forms British Airways and therefore must work together to accomplish the organizational vision and goal.

Diversity and inclusion

British Airways is very pleased to be one of the business organization that salutes and nurtures variances. Diversity and inclusion one are of the method of life for British Airways.

The main emphasis of BA has been on developing its Dignity at Working strategy to reduce provocation and mistreatment in the workplace. BA has selected and skilled Provocation Advisors from across the world of business ,in response to their ’employees requests for people they can approach privately about any issues they may have and try to solve them. The advisors behaves as a listening ear to the employees and provide them with the guidance and practical knowledge.

BA consults with its disabled employee group to identify disability issues and help them to ensure that they are making all BA products, services and training fully comprehensive and available. All the employees are trained in incapacity awareness to increase their awareness about the all disabled employees and customers.

BA has also introduced a Building Ability strategy system to classify and encourage the needs of disabled customers and employees. BA frequently look at how it can progress the voyage of knowledge for the disabled customers and for the first time BA has conducted detailed customer research to classify areas for development. In July 2008, 522 members of the British Paralympics Association moved to Beijing for the Paralympic Games, providing BA with important trainings which BA can interpret into day-to-day practice.

Generally, BA Pride at Work strategy comprises of process training, communications and workshops across the business which are helpful in development of BA as well as its employees.

Colleague involvement

BA certifies that all its colleagues are to be kept well knowledgeable about the working of its Company, customers and industry by using inclusive internal communications technique. BA gives priority to Face-to-face communication and run regular updates across the Company so that more people can interact at a time, share ideas with senior and line managers. BA also run workshops which are helpful for the managers in communicating and making key statements and also online forums and an online Ideas which can exchange to inspire wider discussion. On the Other hand BA has introduced online communication channels for the colleagues.

(http://www.britishairways.com)

Team Effectiveness Theory used by BA

McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y

The motivation of employees is generally the accountability of the manager. After McGregor’s study- The Human Side of Management recommends that two styles of employee exist, each retaining different needs.

Theory X- expresses a negative sight of human nature, depicting employees as lethargic, unambitious people who loathing work and need to be measured through sentence.

Theory Y- discusses that employees are not money motivated but increase recompense from the job itself. Theory Y grants employees as self-disciplined, work obliged people who desire accountability and inspired fulfillment.

British Airways has adopted style of Theory Y to improve its Team effectiveness.

Evidently Theory X and Theory Y workers will respond in conflicting means to altered management efforts to increase Team effectiveness. The Theory X employee is more expected to react to financial encouragements, so BA focus less on these types of employees and Theory Y employees are encouraged by job enhancement, job expansion, job rotation and superiority control groups which leads the company into the directions of success that is why BA focuses mainly on these types of employees and provide them with bonuses, pensions, training of working in groups as a team. Theory X would lead BA towards falling in the area of better service.

Communication

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.”

Anthony Robbins quotes (American advisor to leaders)

”Communication is the process of sending a message through a channel and receiving the feedback from the same medium.”

COMMUNICATION AT BRITISH AIRWAYS

BA’s strategy is reproduced in its mission statement, i.e. “To be the undisputed leader in world travel”.

BA’s communication strategy makes use of different IT communication system with different programs guarantee smooth running of the operations. The information system is accountable (Britishairwaysjobs.com, Undated).for all the working of It through BA groups and plays a crucial role in modelling the airline in future.

British Airways symbols practice of Corporate Communications that is the global reputation of organisation’s manager and confirms that all concerned parties are awake of the airline’s expansions and news. Corporate Communication is accountable of the airline’s Intranet satisfied, which is one of the key networks used in care of mobile staff and providing with the latest newscast and strategies.

British Airways has a distant employee population that is frequently travelling in all angles through the world. Regardless of this task, BA employees are well connected via the company’s Intranet; presence in the sky, airports or on highways. BA also presented the Employee Self Service (ESS) project to deliver tools that agree staff worldwide to accomplish their own day-to-day management over the web (Computing, 2001).

Corporate Communications is too responsible in the production of BA News, a weekly newspaper which is spread to its employees and team players. A protected, healthy and dependable 24×7 through the world IT procedure is used to guarantee an improved teamwork (networking) and communication channel; leading finished communication.

BA another important channel of communication is IP Technology.

Communication channel has a powerful tool of Advertisement. A sum of professional communications agencies are organised to distribute the airline’s key communications to customers and media of BA operates in more than 80 countries

Another important BA communication channel is BA Media. The sales arm of the communication channels for British Airways Media presented by Britain’s premier airline brand. The communications setting that BA Media bids is both exclusive and ever growing, giving an opening to reach its audience. BA Media is responsible in the production of Business in fields like TV, Magazines, Marketing material lounges, Radio magazines etc.

(http://www.britishairways.com)

RECOMMENDATION

It appears that the main cause of the difficulties faced by British Airways is owed to the unplanned management variations executed. The problems also rise because of the insufficient knowledge of its management about the procedure of planned management and new management structures.

It can be observed as a set of theories structures designed to describe the factors essential for the performance of organisations and to support managers in thinking about motivating, leadership, planning ,communication techniques and team effectiveness for the development of the employees as well as the organisation. These can be accomplished through:

Reduce introduction to unprofitable sections of the market while taking strides to maintain and progress upon the effectiveness of its system.

The recruitment process at BA is very time consuming due to the large number of candidates applying, the company must enhance a quicker decision making system or standard.

BA should appoint more good inspirational leaders so the employees can get motivated.

BA must concentrate upon the employees who are not working up to their mark and avoiding working in groups, it should adopt some strategy to motivate them and make them work in groups which will help in improving team effectiveness.

The company should get in touch with their clients when they have some promotional offers.

BA should have more of the customer service and loyalty programs it creates an atmosphere of self-awareness in the organisation among the employees.

Conclusion

British Airways remains carefully enthusiastic about its future projections. However, it is convinced that significantly more work lies in the future if the airline is to be successful.

The motivation and commitment of employees is the significant for the accomplishment of British Airways. It has been verified that there is a clear link between employee motivation by leaders and customer contentment. The role of the People in the Division is to make sure that people within British Airways are well accomplished so that employee motivation remains high, leading to better customer service through the means of proper training and communication channel adopted by leaders in flat functioning of the organization. The Department is systematized into central expert units with ‘People and Organization Distribution’ units who work alongside each section managers in British Airways. Lot of advantages has been taken to uphold motivation and self-confidence of employees after the redundancy period. Redundant employees were aided to find alternative employment. For the present employees, Bravo is the company acknowledgement scheme, providing people leaders with a means of identifying the contributions of teams and individuals. There is a advice-giving and participative method with the unions. It is the leaders of the organization who takes these initiatives to notify the remaining employees as more than just survivors.

However, to solve such problems in relations of having good employee relationship and customer relationship the organisation brings back its strategy of Putting People First as Putting People First Again. In addition, the organisation also offers the updated course to all BA employees.