In this report I will be investigating the ongoing and available opportunities for change in strategies which helps British Airways (BA) to foresee and overcome the problems encountered i. e. performance, cultural, structural etc. Also by identify these problems I will be able recommend approaches for change both in the long and short term basis. In addition I will be able to illustrate the implications and benefits of a major change in the organisation, for example developing new performance measurement and management models.
Other strategies of change can include strategic alliances, reduction in staffing levels, regularisation of the fleet, outsourcing and information technology. British Airways is the world’s biggest international airline, carrying a vast number of passengers from various countries to another. Also the company is one of most recognised airlines in the world. British Airways’ worldwide route network covers around 550 destinations across the globe. The airline company in the UK operates mainly from two bases situated in London; these are Heathrow and Gatwick airport.
Although British Airways is one of the world’s largest international airlines, it sometimes struggles to compete with the US competitors because they tend to carry more passengers on domestic flights. I will now analyse BA group’s culture in terms of “values, norms of behaviour and basic assumptions”, then identify aspects of culture that could improve the company’s performance, as well as help with the company’s progression with the change in management structure and style.
Furthermore this will enable me to specify the approaches of implementing change in management culture, structure and strategies. The BA management style was traditionally formal, inflexible and run on a strict authoritarian method. Also it was principally based on the values that the company was to be an efficient airline, and very little attention was paid to the customers. However due to the alterations in the market place of air transport and with the external threats i. e.
governments deregulating and privatisation in the industry, BA had to change to a new brand of corporate culture and values. As a result the conversion was that BA adopting a culture from one which was bureaucratic and rigid, to one that is more service-oriented and market-driven. The inevitable success of this cultural variation was clear to see, for example the company’s share price had risen as well as the cargo and passenger revenues. Also some of the new values added to BA’s culture were: being responsible and honest, team-orientated and innovative and team-spirited, safe and secure handling.
Also I believe that the responsibility of implementing the various change processes discussed previously, lay principally with the commitment from the top management and the senior/middle managers, who must ensure the success of the change process. However there must be some sort of involvement of the employees regarding the identification of managing change, because it will add unity and teamwork in the organisation, thus making employees that are lower down in the hierarchy feel motivated and wanted, which in turn will tackle the high level of absenteeism that BA encounters.
Furthermore I think that although the stated methods and desired approaches of change throughout this report can assist BA, there are still other techniques that can be considered. For example BA can employ a change agent to help them to facilitate change within British Airways. It will be wise to use a change agent because the changes recommended previously are complex and require knowledge and skills, that some of the managers at the organisation may not possess. And as the changes are so essential for the future of the organisation, a change agent could be used to improve chances of a successful implementation.
I think when considering whether the agent should be internally or externally used, it is key to remember that most parts of the organisation is in preparation for change in one way or another, and so it may be difficult to find an internal agent who is able to impartially stand back, from the current situation and look at how things can be done better differently. In this particular situation I think it would be easier for an external agent to be hired, so that BA’s department can successfully reach change agent goals and business objectives.
