Singapore Airlines Analysis - Case Study Example

Singapore Airlines Name: Course: Tutor: Institution: Date: Question 1: Theatre Analogy in Services Experience A theatre analogy is an approach through which services provision to the consumer base is evaluated based on a theatre case study and example. In this case, the services are evaluated and based on how such would be offered and administered in a theatre. Under the theatre, the key stakeholders in a service delivery are the performers and the audience. In this regard, the performers play the key role of providing the service, which is often represented by acting and performing plays and other performance genres for the audience entertainment. On the other hand, the audience represents the service recipients who pay their money and sacrifice time to attend on such performances in exchange of leisure, entertainment and satisfaction. Therefore, a theatre service provision analogy describes the principles of service provision that include provider devotion, service quality and audience willingness to pay for quality services. In this case, the analogy holds that if service providers are willing to offer quality services in the market, then recipients are willing to replicate through increased payments for such services reception. This approach could be applied to evaluate and analyze John’s travel case study. In the case study, the Singapore Airlines Company serves as the service provider. In this regard, the airline offers a range of services including the core service of air travel as that offered to John and his son Jack for their flight from Manchester to Singapore. Moreover, the corporation offers services such as air travel services through it cabin crew and hospitality services through its restaurants and bars at the airport. On the other hand, the passengers, in this case study, John and son Jack, accompanied with other mentioned passengers such as the two Manchester University students, represent the service recipients. Their satisfaction and payment of services offered is based on the quality and nature of the offered services. For instance, John was pleased with services offered by the cabin crew in the airplane making the services worth paying for and satisfying. However, a critical case study evaluation establishes that the airways company overlooks the concept of stage impact on audience satisfaction. Under the theatre analogy, the performers enhance stage and venue comfort and ambience to increase the overall consumers’ satisfaction. In this regard, besides the direct performance services offered, the performers utilize the venue as a support for its audience increased satisfaction. Evidently, an evaluation of the Singapore airlines flight management establishes that the corporation overlooks this aspect. This can be evidenced through a series of examples as demonstrated in the case study. On one hand, the organization fails to fit in enough monitors in the sitting area for its consumers. In this case, the case study reports that only a slight 20% of the consumers sitting in the area had access to the monitors and consequently a majority had to shift their sitting positions to access the monitors for the passport proceeds directions, of which they needed. This is an indication of failure to enhance the venue performance to supplement services offered in the core service business, which in the case study are flight services. Therefore, based on this analysis, it is apparent that the application and use of the theatre analogy can enhance critical improvements in the organizational services provision. In this regard, the analogy adoption would especially focus on increasing the overall secondary and support venue services. One instance through which venue as a complimentary service would be enhanced is through increased installation of direction notes and monitors. As such, this would ensure that consumers, wherever they are in the entire airways premises have an absolute and undeterred access to all the required information with regards to their flights in order to avoid and reduce on the subsequent and unnecessary and inappropriate anxiety and confusion that results from the information inadequacy. In addition, the venue management would increase directions as well as desks to serve their consumers. In this regard, the case study establishes that John and his son Jack had challenges locating the required desk 21. Moreover, despite the efforts offered by the guard, they had to endure a lengthy queue prior to being served. In this regard, the organization can increase its overall venue ambience and contribution to its overall consumer’s satisfaction through increasing the counter numbers in proportion to the overall flight class demands. Through such an approach, Singapore Airlines would increasingly enhance and facilitate its eventual consumers demand through offering support services that improve the consumers venue perception, an aspect that implicate on their overall rating of the organizational performances despite their superior and high quality core services provision. Therefore, it is apparent based on this analysis that the application of the theatre analogy serves as a critical aspect that organizations can apply to enhance their service quality as well as increase their overall consumers satisfaction possibilities. Question 2: Consumers as Co-producers Increased global competition and increasing strains on organizational profit maximization approaches, have led a majority of organizations to adopt different and unique approaches to increase their market influence. This especially occurs in the highly competitive industries in the market. In this regard, a review of the porters five faces models in such organizations establish that such industries have high number of suppliers, free market entry and exit as well as reduced governmental interferences. One such industry example is the air travel industry. Over the years, the air travel industry has gained popularity. Statistics demonstrate that the industry has in the last decades expanded its services and magnitude. Moreover, forecasts indicate that the industry is bound to expand and exponentially grow into the future, thanks to increased globalization and technology developments supporting international trade. Therefore, organizations operating in this industry have to develop unique approaches to establish and retain competitive edges over competitors. One such recent development is the adoption of consumers as co-producers perception. Under this approach, consumers are allocated functions to adjudicate some of the services themselves rather than relying on the organizational staff to allocate them. In such a case, consumers administers the services as per their needs and desires, boosting their satisfaction overall rates. A review of the case study illustrates a few applications of this approach. One is the online booking of the flight. In this regard, John booked the Singapore Airlines flight through the internet. As such, as the case study reports, this approach offered John the ability to decide when to book the flight and the appropriate time, through checking available flights over the period. In this case, the study establishes that John was impressed by this achievement. In addition, a self service bar exists in the airline waiting area for its consumers as well as customized entertainment gears for its customers to choose rather than the centralized entertainments system customized and dictated upon b the management. A review of these co-producer instances in the case study establish and reveal their role in increasing consumer satisfaction and overall worth in the airline decisions. In this regard, they feel part of the overall decisions affecting their service delivery, consequently reducing resistance while increasing satisfaction levels. A review of the air travel industry establishes that comfort and satisfaction form the key basis repeated businesses. One of the areas in which consumers’ satisfaction matters are their sitting positions as well as the inspection and verification aspects. In this regard, an industry review establishes that a majority of travelers would rather be allowed the opportunities to select and choose their sitting positions rather than have them radically assigned by the airline. As such, organizations offering the sitting position alternative in conjunction with online flights booking registered increased booking capacities as well as consumer satisfaction ratings and positive reviews as evidenced in their respective websites. Therefore, based on this analysis, key consumer relationships in the air travel industry come into play. On one hand, this analysis establishes that consumer satisfaction is based on the level and extent of their involvement. In this regard, the more the consumers are involved in making decisions on their travel support services, the more the likelihood for their eventual satisfaction and repeat business. On the contrary, reduced consumer participation increases dissatisfaction and eventual poor organizational reviews. Secondly, increased consumer perception as co-producers and their involvement in the organizational services provision benefits the organizations through reduced costs of production. For instance, offering self service check in electronic services as well as cafeteria and seat booking reduces the human resource needs for such airlines. As such, through reduced service provision costs, the organizations can inevitable reduce their overall flights as well as raises their services quality. Therefore, based on a personal experience on air travels and a review on the performance of major international airlines such s Fly Emirates and the British Airways establish the development and the incorporation of the consumers as co-producers approach enhances increased performance. Based on this analysis, it is recommended that in order for Singapore airlines to increase its overall performance, market reputation and increased appeal, it should develop unique approaches through which to incorporate consumers and co-producers management approach in its services administration, especially on the non-core services prior to the flights. Therefore, this analysis concludes that the adoption of this consumer perception approach is a valid managerial development worth adoption and emulation in order to facilitate and enhance overall industrial growth and development through increased stakeholders satisfaction and shareholders gains maximization. Question 3: Servicescape Services provision as a product in the market concept has evolved and developed over the years. While as traditionally services provision was considered basic and imperatively a support commodity for goods provision, this perception has since changed. Traditionally, this development can be cited in the Marxism approach on capitalism. In this regard, the approach advocated for waged labor, the first form of services provision to earn revenues, based on which subsequent services provision concepts and principles have evolved (Baron, Warnby and Hunter-Jones, 2009, p.5). Currently, the services provision industry has evolved to develop its own operational rules and execution frameworks, based on its distinguishing features form the goods supply industry, where goods and producers can be separated. One such development is the perception of service delivery environment as an influencing factor in its overall acceptability and eventual consumer satisfaction. This is commonly regarded as servicescape. Servicescape can be argued and described as the approach through which service providers consider and moderate their service provision environments as a support tool to their overall service delivery satisfaction and quality perception improvements. This concept is based on the theoretical argument that the physical service delivery environment has implications on not only the organizational consumers, but also its employees. On one hand, such physical environments influence employee performance sand motivation to perform and function. In this regard, supportive physical environment such as good working conditions with food aeration increases employee overall productivity. Moreover, it is argued that some work environment factors such as good working conditions although do not serve as motivators, their absence serve as demotivators. In this regard, in order to facilitate and enhance optimized organizational performance success, it is imperative for service providers to equip their employees with these facilities and working conditions. In this regard, such an initiative is more applicable and impeccable in the service industry rather than in the physical goods industry. Due to their inseparable nature with providers, services qualities are directly linked to the providers’ condition. As such, motivating and hedging against demotivation for such proving employees would increase their overall performance and eventual service quality, earning the organization increased reputation. An example application of this approach on employees can be illustrated by the Singapore Airlines case study as experienced by John. In the case study, John notices that there are long queues in the line and little order in the check inn area. As such, this is likely to disorient the employees exposing them to undue fatigue, pressure, stress and poor performances. Consequently, a combination of these factors reduces employees working motivation as well as their overall productivity. In this regard, it is apparent that in order to increase Singapore Airlines employee motivation and overall productivity the organization should improve their working conditions. For instance, the organization can increase its human resource workforce to reduce on the existing long and unorderly queues at its check inn desks. Therefore, through this approach, the organization would significantly reduce on the overall employee working pressure thus improving their overall working motivation and productivity. Moreover, the case study establishes that the employee encounter challenges in communicating with the consumers with the required flight announcements updates due to minimal monitors fitted in the organizational waiting areas. Therefore, in order to ease their pressure in communicating, the organization can increase its monitors for increased efficiency. On the other hand, improved servicescape in the organizational waiting area would increase its consumer’s satisfaction and overall possibility for repeat business into the future. On one hand, consumers satisfaction and servicescape factors in the Singapore Airways can be improved through the adoption of a range of approaches. Basically, this can be achieved through three key approaches. On one hand, is increased self-services availability. In this regard, the organization can improve its services quality through allowing consumers self service opportunities. In this regard, when allowed consumer self service, the consumers attain services in their desired measures consequently increasing their overall profitability rates. Therefore, based on this approach, it is apparent that if Singapore airways increased its overall self service facilities such as check in log in through electronic means, it would increase and boost its consumers satisfaction rates. A second consumer oriented servicescape is the establishment and development of interpersonal services through which the consumers interact with the employees in service provision, rather than entrusting such provision to any of the groups. Through such an approach, organizations facilitate the concept of self service among consumers, but allows for service monitoring due to the technicality of such services administration. For instance, in the case of an air travel organization would incorporate consumers in the provision of services such as check in. Although such services can be achieved electronically, the organizational employee should be available for verification of the check in process as well as assistance to consumers who may need help in such services adjudications. In this regard, under such an approach, organizations would in the overall increase both employees and consumers satisfaction. Finally, under the servicescape enhancement principle is the application of remote services that consumers serve themselves remotely, especially online. Such include online booking. A review of the case study establishes that Singapore Airlines has remarkably achieved this environmental service enhancement aspect. As John’s case study establishes, he was conspicuously pleased and satisfied with the online booking facilities offered by the organization. However, the organization has room for improvement. In this regard, the organization can expand its scope to partnering with support industries in the market such as the restaurant and accommodation facilities. Through such an approach, this would increase their consumers’ selection base through which they would attain complementary services, subsequently boosting their trip success rates and overall satisfaction with the airline services. Based on the above review, it is apparent that servicescape has implications on both employees and consumers’ responses, thus justifying organizational efforts and costs of enhancing the development of appropriate physical services provision environment. Question 4: Capacity and Demand Issues An evaluation of the case study establishes that Singapore airlines face a demand shortage against its flight supplies. Demand is described as the ability and willingness by consumers to consumer a given market commodity as supplied in the market. On the other hand, supply is described as the ability and amount of products that produces are willing and able to supply into a market for profit gains. An organizational supply base is determined and highly influenced by the existing market demand and competition. As such, organizations supply products to meet existing demand and at maximum profit gains, as over supply would reduce prices causing organizational losses (Baron, Warnby and Hunter-Jones, 2009, p.7). Therefore, supply and demand interactions determine market quantities as well as prices. Adopting the case study as an example, the Singapore airlines represent the supplier in this regard, supplying flight services to its consumers. On the other hand, John and other passengers represent the flight service demand. However, as John noticed, on one hand, while as the queue, the fist class queue was conspicuously short representing a low demand for such a flight lass. Moreover, despite the long queues, the Manchester- Singapore bound had several empty sits. The presence of empty sits can be interpreted on two perspectives’ namely demand and capacity respectively. On one hand, this situation may indicate that the airline flight services receive a low demand as may be compared to other airlines plying the same route. As such, this can be concluded that due to increased services to Singapore competition, the organization has lost its demand and consumers base to competitors. On the other hand, this can be explained through the airline capacity analysis. An organizational capacity represents its ability and potential provide a desired service. In this regard, capacity varies from quantities supplied. As such, although an organization would have the capacity to produce increased products quantities; its supply could remain in small quantities due to existing low demands in the market. Therefore, organizational profit gain and maximization depends on the management ability to regulate and balance between its capacity and actual production. On one hand, capacity under utilization would reduce shareholders value returns, while on the other hand; capacity over exploitation could lead to surplus market supply, resulting to low prices and eventual prices. Therefore, the executive management is charged with balancing these two aspects for increased organizational gains and long-term growth and expansion. A review of the Singapore airline, Singapore flight, with John and his son Jack among the passengers represents a mismatch of these two concepts in the airline. In this regard, the empty sits john notices represent a mismatch between the flight supply and its subsequent demand. As such, this may expose the organization to eventual losses. Although a flight seat capacity does not need to be 100% for profit gains, statistics demonstrate that any carriage capacity of les that 75% expose the airline company to losses risks. Therefore, based on this analysis, it is apparent that Singapore Airlines management ought to undertake capacity demand corrective and alignment measures to avoid such occurrences in the long run. In this regard, the airline management has two strategic capacity regulation control measures at its disposal. On one hand, the fist corrective measure can be deduced form John’s observation in the waiting area through the window. He observed that the Manchester- Singapore airplane was one among the largest. As such, this indicates that the airline has other smaller planes plying other routes. In this regard, the management should align its demand with capacity As such, due to the evident low route low demand; the management can exchange the route plane with other smaller ones to increase sitting occupied capacities in the long run. As such, this would enable it allocate the relatively larger plane to other routes with high demands. Moreover, John notices that despite its spacious interior, the sits are closely fitted, even causing discomfiture for tall people him who is way over six feet. This can be explained as the reason as to why the sit capacity is relatively high. Therefore, as a remedy to increasing comfort, the organization should consider reducing the sitting capacity and instead increase its overall sitting allowance and comfort. Secondly, the organizational management has the alternative of decreasing its route flight numbers on a weekly basis. Instead of offering a large number of half full flights, the organization can consolidate flights to ensure that such flights is full to capacity or relative above 80% capacity to increase its overall profit margins. Therefore, based on this analysis, the case study evidences that Singapore Airlines Company has a mismatch between its flight capacity and demand. However, through the recommended alternatives, it is expected that the capacity mismatch would be resolved and profitability enhanced in the airline operations across its routes. Reference Baron, S., Warnby, G., & Hunter-Jones, P., (2009). Service Marketing Research: Developments and Directions. International Journal of Management Reviews, Vol. 7 no. 3, pp. 1-13 Read More