Human Resources: An Introduction to HR

Running head: INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN RESOURCES
Introduction to Human Resources
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INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN RESOURCES
Introduction
British Airways (BA) is flagship carrier of the UK with an excellent track record of
safety, punctuality and top notch services. However, in the recent times, British Airways has
drawn much attention due to strikes called by its pilots. Around 4300 pilots, which is around
93% of the total pilot force of BA, took part in the first strike in the 100 year history of the
airline. The reason for the strike has been highlighted as the rejection to the demand for 11.5%
increase in the pay. According to the British Airways Pilots Association, they received pay cuts
after the financial crisis for supporting the airline, however, when they demand for a payrise and
benefits after a decade, the company is refusing (Nguyen, 2019). Thus, they have called for
strike, which has been affecting the business of British Airways in a massive way. This a major
Human Resource issue that can arise in any organization and companies must deal with this
remuneration related HR issues very sensitively.
Different viewpoint on the HR issue
The dissatisfaction and lack of motivation of the British Airways pilots have generated
from the lack of proper wage increase and lack of benefits. According to the two-factor theory of
motivation by Herzberg, wage, benefits, incentives, bonus, perks etc. fall under the category of
hygiene factors, absence of which creates job dissatisfaction among the employees and that
results in demotivation (Alshmemri, Shahwan-Akl & Maude, 2017). Furthermore, the pilots have
also lost confidence in the company management and the direction of business operation. The
cost cutting programs, aimed to increase profits of the airline, have led to fall in the quality of
services and negatively affecting both the customers and the employees (Topham, 2019).