Abstract The paper examines the human resources recruitment, performance appraisal, pay and benefits at the JetBlue airline. The paper uses JetBlue as a example of human resources playing an integral role in the success of the company.
Outline:
Equal Employment Opportunity Laws Impacting Jet Blue's Hiring Practices
Internal Recruitment Methods
External Recruiting Methods
Effects of Recruitment Methods on JetBlue's Recruitment Efforts
Personnel Selection and Goals
Factors That Influence a Performance Appraisal System
360- Degree Feedback Evaluation Advantages
Why Should JetBlue Adopt a 360-Degree Feedback Evaluation?
Employee-Related Factors that are Essential in Determining Financial Compensation
Discretionary Benefits
How JetBlue Has Incorporated Discretionary Benefits
Conclusion
From the Paper "The Equal Employment Opportunity Laws gives a blueprint for the development of HR systems that are constant with legal requirements and make HR decisions that are legally defensible. JetBlue Airways has always been a company which implements equal race, gender and nationality policies. Various laws impacting the hiring practices of employers take place all over the country. Due to these laws which have been set in place to protect potential employees, and to protect their employers, such laws have been passed and amended to enhance the hiring of all organizations. Acts such as the Pregnancy Act of 1978, Americans with Disabilities act of 1990, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment act of 1994, and the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1996 are all laws that have been passed to protect the right of those who are seeking positions within an employer daily."
Abstract This case study examines the express mail industry through a look at the three major firms. It presents an overview of Federal Express, United Parcel Services and Airborne Freight, and discusses competition in the industry. It addresses Airborne Freight's current position in the market and offers suggestions for how the company can strengthen and sustain their competitive position.
Table of Contents
Five Forces Analysis
Positioning Analysis
Cost Driver Discussion
Value-Chain Analysis
Discussion on Questions/Issues
Bibliography
From the Paper "In 1971, Federal Express pioneered the idea to take the time-sensitive packages and letters of customers and have them delivered safely and punctually to anyone, anywhere in the world. Its orchestrated transportation modes and the ability to track the whereabouts of packages from any place in the world, truly "made the world small." The market acceptance of this new package delivery concept lead to a number of firms entering the market, but dwindling down to three major contenders. The major competitors in this industry are defined as Federal Express, the pioneer in the express package industry; UPS who was shook from its slumber by the success of Federal Express in the 1980's and 1990's and Airborne Freight that successfully moved into the express mail industry after numerous years in the perishable delivery business. FedEx has worked at a fast pace to stay ahead of its competitors and since UPS joined the express business in 1982 it has leverage its huge profits from their non-express ground business to subsidize their competition. Because of the stiff price competition, the express market has become much more price sensitive."
Abstract This paper details a brief history of boron composites from its earliest applications to recent developments. It studies the application of boron in composite epoxies and fibers and the use of these materials in airframe manufacturing. It includes figures showing usage of Boron composite. It concludes that boron has been very successful in aircraft manufacturing if the costs can be brought down.
From the Paper "Compounds of boron, most notably from unfinished borax ore, known as Tincal, were exported from Tibet in olden times. Historically, boron has been used for refining gold and silver in Arabia, ceramic glazes in China, and embalming in Egypt.
"Boric acid, a mild antiseptic, was isolated in the laboratory by chemistry professor William Homberg in 1720. Sir Humphrey Davy, a British chemist, and two French chemists, Joseph Gay-Lussac and Baron Louis Th?nard, discovered the element, boron, in 1808 concurrently. However, it took another 155 years before science turned its focus from borax to boron, and began to reveal the secrets of this mysterious and valuable element."
Abstract This paper states that the field of aerodynamics could not exist without calculus. The author discusses the most prevalent and widely used equations. The advent of the computer has greatly improved the use of these equations in the field and allowed the field of aerodynamics to become more precise.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Myth about Bumblebee Flight
Turbulence
The Bermouli Equation
Continuity Equation
Navier-Stokes Equations
Conclusion
From the Paper "Math is the language of science. The different disciplines of math relate to different areas of science. Science needs math in order to be understood. Algebra allows us to create sentences using numbers to describe an event. Geometry and Trigonometry help us to describe shapes, and Calculus is the tool for describing change. It can be a change in angles as in vector calculus, a change in rate, a change in speed, or almost any other change."
Abstract The following paper discusses how there is no one aspect that stands out as a single determining factor of price per passenger or per flight. The writer examines how the air carriers act with the interest of maximizing revenue, whether that maximization occurs over time or with each flight. The condition of the company itself is also a major consideration in how the price analysts approach their job, which is also discussed in this paper.
From the Paper "Is the company struggling on the brink of or within bankruptcy? Do they need to break even or come out far ahead of their competition in the market? Also, the conditions of airports themselves can be a determining factor, especially in the long run: ?failure to expand capacity (of airports) will result in spilled demand and place an upward pressure on prices,? ("Economics FAQs"). Because major hubs are experiencing a vast increase in air traffic, the resulting delays and decreased quality of service adversely affects demand. Decreased demand implies an increase in prices to compensate for lack of revenue. The Law of Demand is probably the key factor in determining price of air travel; its ancillary clauses including Demand Elasticity are also primary factors. Finally, we must consider the day-to-day decisions made by the airlines to determine what price changes to put into effect. These day-to-day tactics, described in Wells, involve the different fare levels and rules and restrictions placed on tickets. Significant variables influencing these decisions include peak/off peak seasons and other load-determining factors."
From the Paper "American Airlines
Executive Summary
American Airlines has been a leading US airline since the 1930s. It was a pioneer in the passenger air travel business with the advent of the then-revolutionary DC-3, for which its president, C.R. Smith, made the specifications. After that, American grew and prospered generally, until airline deregulation in the US in the 1980s. Since then, especially in the 1990s, the firm has experienced significant problems in coping with the new environment of increased competition and the consequent need to minimize fares and costs. The company's high wage structure and the strong unions for pilots and flight attendants have led to labor strife through this decade, culminating in a costly strike by flight attendants in 1993 and a threatened strike by pilots in.."
From the Paper " The U.S. airline industry was deregulated de facto by the policies of the Civil Aeronautics Board from 1976 to 1978, and, subsequently, de jure by Congress with the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, based on the rationale that market forces would provide the impetus for increased and sustained competition between carriers, which would further translate into vastly improved quality and quantity of service for the consumer, and at significantly lower cost--a process known as contestability theory. According to Borenstein, for many economists, however, deregulation was simply the rejection of some 50 years of "incredibly inefficient regulation" (53).
The Carter administration actively promoted the deregulation of the airline industry as it had the trucking industry and financial institutions. The Reagan administration's approach to.."
Abstract The CRM (Cockpit Resource Management) concept is an outcome of the work of a group of human factors practitioners in the United States in the analysis of, and response to, "crew-caused" air transport crashes and other incidents. This paper presents a discussion of cockpit resource management (CRM). Some years ago, several major airlines implemented official cockpit resource management (CRM) programs. The paper shows that the implementation of these programs was motivated by desires to improve the safety of in-flight operations. Eventually, program objectives were expanded to include the efficient use of resources available to in-flight crews.
Table of Contents:
Analytical Exposition
Derivation of CRM
Opposition to CRM
CRM and Flight Crew Behavior
Response of Airline Management
The Objective of CRM
CRM and the Team Concept
Critical Context
Team-Based Organization
Implementing Team-Based Organization
Self-Managed Teams
Socio-Technical Systems
Assessing STS
Applying STS
Applying CRM at Continental Airlines
Integrative Conclusion
CRM Outcomes
CRM and the Future
Enhanced Personal Awareness
Bibliography
From the Paper "CRM is designed to enhance management practices in the event of emergency. A variation on the CRM concept is the crew resource management approach, which includes in-flight personnel other than those personnel who perform their functions in the cockpit of the aircraft. CRM controls the division of responsibilities during a flight. CRM can be interpreted broadly to include the relationship between the pilot and the machinery as well as among the flight crew members. Although CRM is commonly thought of as coordination between or among multi-pilot crews, in its larger sense it is much more than that activity. CRM encompasses the interpersonal relationship between a pilot and her or his passengers and between a pilot and the air traffic control (ATC) personnel with whom he or she deals. In its broadest sense, CRM refers not only to the interaction between human beings, but also the interaction of a pilot with the technology of the aircraft."
Abstract By the year 2005, more than 60 percent of the American workforce will be women. However, the questions remain: What part of that percentage will be managers? And, does the "glass ceiling" really exist?To determine if the "glass ceiling" is, indeed, real, this analysis focuses on that question. The paper examines one industry -- commercial airlines and examines the role of women at Delta Airlines in the United States and Air France in France.
From the Paper "It is apparent that the lack of women in senior management positions in both airlines is a confirmation of Adler and Izraeli's 1988 seminal study that detailed corporate opinions of dealing with the two contrasting views of male-female management "equity," assuming a similarity between male and female contributions, and ?complementary contribution," assuming a noted difference between male and female management contributions. The challenge, say the authors, is for the corporation to strive to recognize the value of these differences (Adler & Izraeli, 1988)."
Tags: discrimination, Joan, Juliet, Buck, Sharon, I., Wibbem
Abstract Since the horrific events of September 11, 2001, there has been a great deal of debate on whether or not airline pilots should be armed in the cockpit. With the U.S. waging a global war on terrorism, it may be possible that terrorists will retaliate against the U.S., and they may use airliners again. This paper argues in favor of allowing airline pilots to be armed in the cockpit. This paper covers both sides of the argument and presents unbiased views, as well. Quotes from U.S. Congressmen also included in the paper.
From the Paper "Another argument in favor of arming pilots is that they are, psychologically, among the most highly trained and level-headed professionals in the world. They are accustomed to making critical ? and sometimes life-saving ? decisions in a split second, so arming them would make sense, according to the APSA. In addition, Senator Zell Miller (D-Ga.) strongly supports passing an amendment in favor of pilots carrying guns. Senator Miller believes it is logical to allow pilots to be armed. Senator Miller stated, "Will someone please explain to me the logic that says we can trust someone with a Boeing 747 in bad weather, but not with a Glock 9 millimeter"? (Sen. Miller, Chicago Tribune)"
Abstract This paper explains the various techniques used by aircraft accident investigating teams today. The writer explains the technical terms for the layman, which include accident scene photography, metallurgy, fluid analysis of fuels and oils, fire investigation in flight or on the ground occurrence, human factors, flight deck design, appropriate degree of automation, automatic overwing exit, human forensics and pathology, and flight data recorders.
From the Paper "Aviation accident and incidents are extremely painful and expensive for the aviation industry. This is why the aviation industry has investigative engineers who hold the responsibility of investigating accidents by reviewing and identifying the primary cause of the accident, whether it was related to aircraft performance such as, aerodynamics, engines, electrics, hydraulics, or if it was environmental or simply human error.
Investigating aircraft accidents can be extremely complex, sometimes taking many months to figure out the cause of the whole accident. So for the purpose of this task, there are engineers who often collaborate to work in teams in conducting the investigations. Primarily they are solely responsible licensed Professional Engineers, hired by the FAA Air Transport."
Abstract This paper explores the extent to which US Airways was affected by the events of September 11 and the restructuring strategies it has begun to implement in an attempt to recover from bankruptcy and economic ruin. The reasons for the airline's economic decline are stated, and the measures implemented in order to improve liquidity, increase revenues, and reduce costs, while simultaneously taking advantage of competitive strengths are outlined, as well.
From the Paper "One of the principal certified air carriers in the US for transport of passengers, property and mail is US Airways. They have a code sharing arrangement with nine other air carriers to operate under the joint trade name "US Airways Express". These airlines include Allegheny, piedmont, PSA and Potomac. This airline serves nearly 200 cities in the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe and the Caribbean and is the 7th largest airline in the United States. The airline filed for bankruptcy protection on August 11th, 2002 and was the first among the airlines to seek bankruptcy protection. This was the first filing of bankruptcy protection by a major airline since the attacks of September 11th. Of course, the attack of September 11th has triggered a financial crisis in the entire industry."
Abstract This paper analyzes Chapters 6 and 7 of the "Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report". Specifically, it discusses the issues that surfaceed about NASA and its organization and answers the question: If you were designing a new organization to change the core processes what would be your priorities for change? It examines how the National Air and Space Agency (NASA) ultimately is a business organization, just like any other, and how it faces the same funding issues, internal power struggles, and management concerns that any other business faces.
From the Paper "The need for change in the organization is clear, and the priorities need to be established and followed. Clearly, the first priority should be either a general housecleaning in management, or at least a re-evaluation of the current management mission, and how it must contribute to change and safety, rather than deadlines and appearances. The second priority must be communication, because the communication streams are flawed, and it seems some staff are afraid to communicate concerns or problems. It also seems budgetary concerns are also a major issue with NASA. These concerns must be addressed, but they should never come ahead of Shuttle safety, and it seems from the start, they have."
Abstract This paper explains that United's mission and objectives are far too generic to service brands as a whole and, to that extent, need reviewing in order for United's mission to lead to the corporation developing a unique, relevant culture and business approach. The author believes that, judging from the airline's performance in the areas of on-time performance and its success in restructuring and adapting to the changing environment, it can be assumed that United's management is acting responsibly and ethically. The paper concludes that, for United to resolve its financial problems, it is critical that employees understand the importance of the current, imperative need to reduce costs aggressively across all of the airline functions. Table.
Table of Contents
Current Situation: Current Performance
Current Situation: Strategic Posture
Corporate Governance: Board of Directors
Top Management
Situational Analysis
Review of Mission & Objectives
Strategic Alternatives and Recommended Strategy
From the Paper "United's top management comprises of people with varying industry backgrounds and expertise, including obviously aviation. The Chairman, President & CEO, Glenn Tilton is a recent appointee having previously served as Vice Chairman of the board of directors of Chevron Texaco. He is supported by a group of Vice Presidents heading functions such as Finance, Strategy, Operations, Customer, Onboard Services, Worldwide Sales and Alliances, Airport Operations, Maintenance & Engineering, Corporate & Government Affairs etc. People with relevant background skills and experience who are closely involved in the business planning and strategic development process of the airline characterize the top management."
Abstract This report focuses on how newer, smaller, and more technologically advanced airlines, like JetBlue, are using different leadership and management styles to fulfill their mission for providing outstanding customer service. The paper shows that the weakness in the airline industry has become more than apparent. Moving into the 21st century, commercial aviation has been on a steady decline, and the major airlines must have felt as though the new, low-cost carriers were just a passing fad and that, by comparison, the majors would continue to offer a superior service. Smaller carriers like JetBlue have, however, demonstrated that they can operate more efficiently and be more cost effective by having the latest technology in their business model, information and infrastructure systems, airplanes and terminals, and leadership and management styles. The paper includes a literature review.
From the Paper "In April of 2003, Unisys announced that JetBlue Airways was going to completely overhaul its mission-critical infrastructure by combining the superior economics of a Windows-based computing option with a mainframe-class Unisys ES7000 server. ?By standardizing and consolidating its key business applications on the ES7000, JetBlue will leverage economies of scale in systems management and staffing, increase overall availability and significantly reduce costs.? (Unisis.com, 2003) The data warehouse gives JetBlue an opportunity to meet its goal of providing superior service and give the carrier real-time access to data about activities such as scheduling, booking and check-in. The new system also reduces operating and other infrastructure related costs."
