Analysis of British Airways Leadership and Management Roles

British Airways is United Kingdom’s largest international airline, with destination towards all over world with more than 550 routes. All over the world the airline has been internationally recognised for its high standards and they are also characterized by airline critics as well as the passengers in many reviews and articles.

British Airways was owned by Comair Limited since 1992, it was started off with low rate of beginnings as Aircraft transport and travel in 1919, in the same year in August its maiden flight from Le Bourget to Hounslow. Dur to the turn down in industry, British Airway united with a few other airlines thus forming a new name for British Airway, Imperial Airways and this was the first major British carrier. They were only 18 aircrafts and 250 employees functioning at this point of time.

British Airways had a partnership with Qantas and acquiring more aircrafts, British Airways limited was a combination of Imperial Airways and British Overseas Corporation (BOAC). British Airways added a new airline to handle the transatlantic flights which was known as British European Airways (BEA).

Leadership Role of British Airways

British Airways has launched a strategic campaign which invites customers to upgrade to British Airways and experience the difference, the important way to keep their promise lay in the hands of 4000 on board cabin crew managers. Improved service experience of all British Airways customers if company could productively ‘re-engage’ the team leaders by doing this the full potential of all the cabin crew would be released.

A 2-day workshop was conducted for cabin crew managers on the core elements of ‘Leadership Matters’. NKD designed an over all ‘pre-work’ pack for all delegates which ensured maximum output from those events. This also introduced a 360-degree tool, a lifeline diagnostic and important articles on Engaging Leadership and Emotional Intelligence which were introduced to begin the process of increased self-awareness and personal effectiveness.

The aim of the workshop was to give the leaders space and time to consider their leadership quality and style and the effect they have on their customers and team mates. These events were organised to ignite ‘early-career passion’ of on-board team leaders which also help in expanding their skills and abilities as an efficient 21-century leader.

The workshop was designed in such a way that, the place chosen, invitees of the event, the content of learning, film, materials used for workshop was consistent with the service promises made by British airways and these were the key traits of the Modern Leadership.

‘Leadership Matters’ is said to be a great success by the early indications. The program also helps in connecting with the leaders with the soul of their role and give them a new experience and confidence to become a effective Modern Leader. British Airways has been impressed with the impact of the leadership development to date that NKD has now been ordered to develop a 3day version of the workshop for corporate leadership induction program for all British Airways leaders worldwide.

Management Role of British Airways

Many high-profile decisions and disputes made by the British Airways were reported in newspapers over the past years. The strategies made by the British Airways proved conservational and in certain examples sometimes which lead to industrial action from the staff.

They realised change must be made form the top and during the year they reorganised the top management system, which now consist of nine directorate heads led by the Chief Executive. This has been now split into two major groups- the Management Board and the Customer and Operations Executive. The vision and the strategic direction of the company is decided by the Management Board which meets weekly.

The Customer and Operations Executive is responsible for the day-to-day customer service, operation performance and ensuring the highest standards of safety, they also meet weekly like the Management Board.

Concept of Leadership, Management and Motivation

Management

Management is a global term, it is required in every individual, family, educational institution, hospital, religious organizations, team of players, business enterprise etc. Planning, organising, coordinating the control of affairs of a business concern in done under the head management, it brings all the resources available and motivates people to achieve the objectives of the business firm along the fulfilling their dreams.

Management as function involves a set of interrelated actions of getting the objective of a business enterprise and taking appropriate actions to achieve these objectives. Planning, organizing, staffing, directing, controlling, deciding and evaluating comes under the management process.

Leadership

Leadership means directing, it also the ability of the person to influence the group towards the achievement of the goals.

Motivation

It is a common myth about the motivation that motivation is said to be a personal-trait, that is some have it and others do not. Individual situation and interaction lead to motivation.

Leadership Concept of British Airways

The current trading conditions and to achieve the long-term goals an organisation requires a great leader. Leading global premium airline company like British Airway must be bold and highly effective in developing a potential leader, this is the reason they launched a High-Performance Leadership (HPL) system. The system is an amalgamation of business strategy, objective setting, performance assessment development and reward. HPL had very rigid mechanism for assessment which was initially focused on the senior leaders which was to identify talented leaders and to give them the right tools and support to continue developing. They have also measured and defined, communicated to begun measure individual performances against three capabilities which they think is required in a leader in addition to the operational excellence:

• Communicating a common vision,
• Agreeing accountabilities,
• Motivating and inspiring others.

The capabilities are specified with behaviours so that the leaders know what is expected from them with range of development programmes, including executive coaching, networks, forums and external courses, they are also using new techniques to measure the performance, individual progress is also monitored and track of overall success is maintained.

Other leadership qualities launched were:

• Behaviours for success – the method to identify and develop leaders who have crucial role in the customer and operations area of their business
• A leadership development portfolio which will be introduced this year with aim of supporting current and potential leaders at every level of the business, including emerging leaders, those on a fast track to senior positions and those with strategic roles at the very top of our organisation.

Management Theory of British Airways

Long-run performance of an organisation is decided by the strategic management which is a set of decision and cover the area including environmental scanning, strategy formulation, strategy implementation and evolution and control. The success of an organisation in market is determined by the execution and formulation of projects using strategic management. The major strategic applied by an airline company is mergers or alliances. Every airline company form some kind of alliance with the airline industry and these alliances seems to be consistent and there are records of regarding forming alliances since 1940s. Airline alliances have become an inseparable part of task environment of airlines from a strategic perspective, these alliance prove to be helpful in the business because it will helps in the control and maintenance; because of this British Airways adopted these strategy in-order to increase their service. In March 31, 1924, Britain’s four airlines, namely, In-stone, handily Page, Daimler Airways and British Air Marine Navigation merged to form Imperial Airways. During this merging time a number of smaller UK airlines merged to form the original privately owned British Airways Ltd. After the second world war in 1939 the British Government nationalized the airline to form the British Airways in 1974. Establishing world brand loyalty, access to large markets, building hub-to hub traffic are some of the strategic reasons behind the alliances along with the long-term profitability. These mergers prove to be beneficial since it helps to serve more passengers and establish market reputation. 

Strategy formulation and implantation is an on-going, never ending, integrated process requiring continuous reassessment and reformation, is dynamic and involves a complex pattern of actions and reactions. To enhance the quality of their services the airline tends to innovate and improve their actions. British Airway cope with the competition from another airline by providing continuous changes and innovation for better services. The dynamic and complex nature of strategic management enables room for change in British Airways. This change is done by improving the amenities of the airlines and developing new information system as added services. 

Conclusion

British Airway remains the first airline to offer the jet passenger services, first to operate weather-beating auto landings, the first to offer super suspension passenger services and the first in the modern era to offer fully-flat beds. British Airway could gain a good reputation in the market and the trust from the customers because of the above stated services, this further made the company to “the world’s most favourite airline”.