Compilation of Research Studies on Doha's Transportation and Urban Development

This compilation of research studies provides a comprehensive overview of Doha's transportation and urban development. It includes papers on airline operations, supply chain management, and sustainable urban qualities, among other topics. The studies cover various aspects of the city's growth and development, offering insights for stakeholders in the transportation and urban planning sectors.

Running head: LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author’s Note:

1LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Table of Contents
1. Introduction:................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Overview of Airport and Airline industry:............................................................................3
1.2 The extent of relationship between airport and airlines:.......................................................5
1.3 How suppliers are connected to the airport:..........................................................................6
2.1 Airline operations and its major components:.......................................................................7
2.2 Factors behind choosing an operational airport:....................................................................7
2.3 Airport Operational Efficiencies and operational performance management:......................9
2.4 Factors behind gaining airline competitive advantages:......................................................10
2.5 The areas for improvement in airline operations:................................................................11
2.6 Some solutions for better performance for airport operations:............................................12
2.7 Information sharing, collaboration and integration:............................................................13
2.8 A case study about Hamad International airport: HIA and its operational performances
with strategic decision:..............................................................................................................14
2.9. Conclusion:.........................................................................................................................17
3.0 Research Methodology:...........................................................................................................18
3.1: Research Design:................................................................................................................19
3.2 Research Type:....................................................................................................................20
3.3 Research approaches:...........................................................................................................21

2LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Deductive Research Approach:.............................................................................................22
Inductive Research Approach:...............................................................................................22
Abductive Research Approach:.............................................................................................22
3.4 Research techniques and ethics:..........................................................................................22
3.5 Study Population:.................................................................................................................23
3.6 Sample Population:..............................................................................................................23
3.7 Sample Techniques:.............................................................................................................24
3.8 Data Collection Instruments, sources and method of administration:.................................24
3.9 Primary Data:.......................................................................................................................25
3.10 Design of questionnaire:....................................................................................................25
3.11 Interviews:.........................................................................................................................26
3.12 Secondary Data:.................................................................................................................28
3.13 Method of Data Analysis:..................................................................................................28
3.14 Limitations of research:.....................................................................................................29
3.15 Conclusion:........................................................................................................................30
References and Bibliography:........................................................................................................31

3LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
1. Introduction:
1.1 Overview of Airport and Airline industry:
The airlines industry is responsible for facilitating passage by air by providing the
required service to the flight travellers and cargo by the utilization of aircraft that come in the
category of the helicopters and airplanes. It is the 400 B.C. when the origin of the airplane had
been identified. This was during the time of invention of the kite. The airline industry is
structured into three main components namely general, commercial and military. Commercial
airlines might put focus on the different areas of business that pertains to crop dusting, fighting
the forest fires and also in case of operations that are in the nature of rescue. According to the
trade organisation airlines of America, commercial aviation is responsible for driving more than
$1.5 Trillion per year in the economic activities and more than 10 million of jobs. General
aviation includes personal and business or executive flights and the instruction of flights. The
subsectors of the airlines industry comprise of operations, maintenance, finance and marketing
divisions (Belobaba, Odoni & Barnhart, 2015).

4LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Figure 1 : Construction of the Hamad International Airport
There is a possibility of air transportation to be either planned or non-programmed.
Mostly all business-related airlines operate based to a particular schedule, fly regular routes
even in case when the plane is not full. Air carriers which do not function based on a particular
schedule usually fly at the time of non-peak hours. There is more amount of suppleness
concerning choice of airport, flight times and load factors. There are several available jobs within
the industry and provides employability to a record number of people. The airline industry is
characterised by intense antagonism with strong price pressure which causes a continuous
obligation for the enhancement of efficiency. In parallel it can be stated that the industry is
continuously growing with more and more passengers who travel much more frequently.

5LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
From the time there has been the increase in the traffic, the airline industry has been
noticeable by high growth and there has been a continuous increase in the productivity. Both
globalization and privatization have a suitable impact on the airline industry (Phellas, Bloch &
Seale, 2011).
1.2 The extent of relationship between airport and airlines:
The basic fact which can be stated with respect to airports and airlines is that they share a
common goal. With the passage of time the relationship between the two has distorted. Airports
were much more bigger but the balance has transferred to the airlines due to the enforcement of
deregulations. In case of airports which have limited slot access, there is a risk of air routes being
suspended immediately. For the maintenance or expansion of airline routes it is necessary for
support of airport costs in a suitable way. For the expansion of complex at airports it is necessary
to draw foreign airlines which do not possess their base in the country as well as national flag
carriers (Teodorovic, 2017).
The important things to keep in mind when airports intensify a business with air carriers
are that the airports are obligatory to offer each company with a fair surroundings for business.
Therefore only one company alone cannot be kept under focus. It also needs to be kept in mind
that airports and airlines are different entities and so no laws can be violated or treated through
their cooperation. For a few decades after the completion of World War 2, both airports and
airlines were protected by the designation of the airlines which were allowed to operate and
restrictions on the establishment of routes pursuant to the government authorization were
protected (Mahadevan, 2015).

6LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
In the backdrop of greater selection and concentration within the industry, fewer airports
have the required capabilities to become airline hubs. More and more airlines are forming
alliances and it has become possible for the airports to expand their networks despite the cases
where they are not utilized by the airlines. In the prevailing circumstances, there must be much
more factors and reasons for the airports to attract different airlines and routes than the mere
reduction or exemption of facility charges (Wu, 2016).
1.3 How suppliers are connected to the airport:
The suppliers remain connected to the airport at all times. There are number of providers
for incorporated IT business solutions and communication services for the air transport industry.
There are close monitors on every segment of the airline industry and there is the innovation,
development and management of business solutions over the most extensive network of the
world. The specialists in the air transport infrastructure and IT solutions make it possible for the
complete addition of technology systems at the airports. Resultantly there is a proper
collaboration with all the necessary stakeholders, involving airlines and concessionaires in order
to augment the efficiency, capitalize on passenger fulfilment and advance the overall fiscal
performance.
There are all round facilities of overall communication, monitoring of traffic and control,
the implementation of the data link requirements in order to attach to the networks providing
data and voice communications with suitable customer aircrafts. Proper care is taken to ensure
that there is connectivity and a sense of reliability established within the minds of all the
stakeholders.

7LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
2.1 Airline operations and its major components:
Airline workings require the highest principles of safety, dependability, competence as
well as comfort. There is a increasing need for air traffic, a high concentration of movements and
only a limited place available for handling the operations. It is a prime requisite to implement
optimized actions and technologies and a close connection of all relevant stakeholders. The
airline operations consist of all the factors which are relevant to the system. Airlines were
administration owned before the time of liberalization, many airlines were known to be flag
carriers due to the reason that the airports were commercialized and now the airport operations
are supported. The profit margins for the airports are also greatly result the increased profit
margins of the airports.
Airports were conventionally a civic entity because of the massive change within the
airlines, the airports were suddenly originated and seen to be operative towards
commercialization. At the time the airports began to move commercially it was from one
building but with the growth of the industry and the influx of the passengers, there was an
inevitable need to increase in size. The proper revenue management and the type of situations in
which the airplanes need to run are to be considered. Airports and airline facilities are a crucial
aspect of the overall impact of the system.
2.2 Factors behind choosing an operational airport:
There might be several components which need to be kept in mind at the time of
choosing a particular operational airport. The most important choice factor is that of price. Apart
from price there are several factors which can impact the choices of an operational airport.

8LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
One crucial factor is that of distance from important locations and the right conditions in
the airport. The best located airports have the chances of more people flocking to the places to
wither catch flights or go to some places. Parking facilities are also important in the operational
airports and their choices. In case the cost of parking in a particular airport is higher than
another, then it might be added to the base price of the flight at the time of price comparison
between different airports. For trips which are loner, free or inexpensive parking can cause huge
savings amounting to hundreds of dollars. Therefore those airports with free and easy parking
facilities need to be chosen at all times. The time and gas money lost to pouring of additional
distance is possible to be improved very speedily.
Another important factor is that of public transit. Every person does not like to take
public transport to the airport. There might be a lot of luggage to the airport specifically at the
time of travelling to far off destinations. It might however work suitably for some customers as
well. Public transit can prove to be a safety valve for many of the routine hassles for air travel. In
case of cancelled flights for which the individuals have no backup plan to go home, flights at odd
hours and at times which a person’s family cannot receive him or her might get salvaged in case
there is the option of a quick ride to the local train station.
The airport tolls are also considered in cases where the airport has to be chosen based on
the price. The travellers who mostly frequent airport management need to use an airport hotel for
some specific reason or another. At times when there are very early flights or at times of flight
delays there might be problems in asking family or relatives to come over. A particular airport
with enhanced choice of nearby hotels and short rides on hotel shuttles can also save the riders
from the tougher issues of air travel.

9LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Another crucial factor which needs to be considered at the time of airport choice is that of
security. After a certain number of trips to any particular airport, there is a clear understanding of
how the security check points are run, how many checkpoints are there and the security crews as
well as configurations (Mertens, 2014).
Handling of baggage at the airports is a crucial factor which the people need to keep in
mind at the times of their choice of airports. The quality of handling of baggage is very crucial in
which an airport is managed. There has been hugely differing assessments on the baggage
handling quality at several airports. In certain airports there also are night curfews in order to
reduce the noise and traffic in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Usually curfews are not major
problems at the airport as they are manageable according to the particular situations
2.3 Airport Operational Efficiencies and operational performance management:
The aviation industry is inflowing towards a new era of change as there is the aim to
fulfil the environmental challenges. The operational efficiency includes different aspects like the
delay against the schedule, availability of flight time, and also the cancellations of flight. A
suitable amount of importance is given to airline costs which are incurred as the result of delays
against the schedule as well as the additional time that the airlines build into their schedules in
the anticipation of delay. The types of estimation of the costs fall under two particular categories.
The “cost factor approach” applies the cost factors to the delay quantities. Different cost factors
might be used for different types of delay which are based on the place where the delay occurs.
There needs to be a type of delay at the time of investigation, the type of aircraft as well as the
duration of delay (Rizzo, 2013).

10LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
The problems with the cost factor approach include the limitations in the data which are
necessary for the categorization of delay. The problems include the limitations in the data which
are necessary for the categorization of delay incurred by the airline flights. Another reason is the
limited basis for the determination of the cost factors. Another approach is based on the
aggregate cost and considers the sort of relationship between the total airline cost as well as the
amount of delay. These issues might be incurred at any time by the airline flights. The recent
research which has been conducted recently states that there is a nature of relationship between
the factors to be investigated using the methodology of statistical cost estimation. The estimates
of the total cost of delay to the airlines based on the aggregate approach might be more than what
is based on the cost factor approach. However the differences in the total cost are more or less
fair. The suggestion of the latter approach does not allow in the capturing of much of relevant
information (Farhadi, Ghoniem & Al-Salem, 2014).
Not only the price but the operational cost also needs to be maintained at the airline
facilities. It is crucial for the airline industry to ensure that the operational transits are managed
well and all the components of the aircrafts are well maintained in order to avoid any sort of
delay.
2.4 Factors behind gaining airline competitive advantages:
At the present scenario, more and more people aim to fly and this number is increasing
with each passing day. This is responsible for the economic growth and the rise of opportunities
and also brings challenges to the industry. There needs to be a proper provision for suitable
airport performance from the time of approach to the departure. There are several years of
experience which helps all the airports worldwide. The airports need to create intelligent, highly
integrated airport operations that are responsible for raising the performance continuously. At

11LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
present more and more people are opting to use airlines for their travel. The ease and the
feasibility with which the airlines are utilized are a most important contributing factor for the
expansion of airline industry and also for it gaining a suitable competitive advantage.
2.5 The areas for improvement in airline operations:
The aviation industry is changing at a rapid pace. The airports around the world are
challenged to manage the increase at the time of staying profitable as well as maintaining safety.
The airports and airlines need to be facilitated to do more than what they already possess. It
needs to be endured that all parts of the airport are working together. The airport should be
turned into an interactive one. The throughput of the airport needs to be expanded. By letting all
the parts of the airport work together as a single unit it is possible to help the unlocking of the
hidden potential for the airport traffic and its expansion. With the leading solutions for the gate,
airfield, tower as well as service, connectivity of the entire airport needs to be secured and there
need to be more and safer aircraft movements.
There needs to be a proper system integration to ensure that the airline systems are
properly integrated to beat airport congestion. Actually it can be said that congested airports
solved the problem by leading the way for the building of new infrastructure. At present the
airports are finding new ways to overcome the challenge without proper infrastructure
investments. One of these is the proper use of the effectual utilization of several independent of
successive IT and operational improvement steps. It is desirable that there is a proper tailored
approach to boost the performance at the airport. Each airport is diverse and one solution will not
suit all. The solutions must be best suited according to the demands of each airport,
environments as well as business objectives. The totality of the airline programs should be such

12LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
that the airport performance is the best and at the optimum level of performance (Yang &
Banamah, 2014).
There needs to be a proper airport performance from approach to departure. The
industry’s most extensive portfolios are offered and there needs to be a proper foundation for the
completely integrated solutions for the support of airport development. It needs to be understood
that there are increased demands on the tower and airfield and gate. The operational know how
of the case is to be enabled for assisting all the parts of an airport to work together as one in
order to increase the performance of the airport. The situations from customer arrival to
departure are to be kept in mind. Newer and better apron management systems and docking
systems are to be implemented for improving the airport throughput, tackle the available
congestion and also optimize the transit process, efficiency and predictability.
2.6 Some solutions for better performance for airport operations:
Each airport is different and therefore only one explanation is not bound to fit all. Every
solution must be customized to each of the airport’s weight, environment and business. It is not
unknown that the existing infrastructure often possesses hidden and unused capability which can
be released within a holistic observation of the airport. There needs to be the application of an
advisory and consultative approach in order to create the right solution. The aim in this case is to
propose a cost effective way to resolve an airport’s most prestigious challenges quickly and
smoothly. This can help to include every aspect of the traffic control and leadership, from
approach runway to the tower based traffic control systems, to intelligent gate and docking
mechanization. The operational view needs to be utilized in order to optimize airport
presentation and success of the customers.

13LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
A stepwise procedure can be adopted in order to optimize the performance of the airport.
There needs to be an operational approach which will help to create an optimized solution which
boosts the aircraft movements, safety and also optimizes the airport efficiency. It is needed that
the airport performance be accelerated, concentrating on the efficiency, sustainability and the
safety by the analysis, recommendations as well as the deliverance of the proper mix of
intelligent operational and technical solutions and services for the tower, airfield as well as gate
facilities. The first step is to understand the operations of the airport including the detailed
analysis of the traffic flow and airfield tower and the gate operational processes. After the proper
identification of the areas which need improvement, there needs to be a new and innovative
operational scheme which needs the business needs as well as the strategic objectives.
There needs to be a proper solution design. The complete airport operations solution
needs to be decided which helps in the integration of all the systems together which are needed
to implement the new procedures of operation. For attaining the complete benefits of the
operational concept it is crucial to select the most fitting products and systems for the integration
into the complete solution.
It is then desirable to make sure that the experienced project management teams are kept
in charge of the deployment and engineering of the complete system. There needs to be a tightly
integrated solution which works seamlessly and with the best amount of efficiency. The highest
performance of airport is sustained with the support of the operations team and this includes both
the maintenance and training. Thus it can be said that there needs to be a proper mix of
intelligent, operational and technical solutions and forces for the tower, airfield and gate. The full
six-step mix of solution design may not always be required so the input from the expert form any

14LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
of the three stages so the expert input can be mixed and matched to achieve the safest and most
efficient ground operations for every airport.
2.7 Information sharing, collaboration and integration:
Global airlines are thinking of ways in which they can obtain bigger payoffs from the
way they are managing their expenses. They possess the technology all around their functions
and also have the opportunity to leverage it better. They also have the technology around their
operations for the betterment of the technology. The most suitable airline operations actually
unify the technology in a way which sets the stage for better integrated processes all around the
company, connecting different departments with the real time data for the shaping of the decision
making capabilities. The capability to foster procedure which are best integrated with the
maintenance, ground operations, flight crews and revenue forecasting are responsible for the
operational efficiency, customer loyalty and also the profitability. At a time when they are asked
about the connection between the operational success and technology of the respondents which
point towards the improved integrated business procedures built on the foundation of the
connected systems. With the requirements for more environmentally sound aircraft there have
been numerous chief alterations with new aircraft which can grasp double the amount of a
normal jumbo which is understood on both the levels which has to reduce the needs of both the
aircrafts. There is the chance of aiding the passenger arriving and departing a particular airport,
for the alleviation of the pressure at the check in desks as also with the agents. Due to the
demands due to the change in the climate, the market demand has not changed dramatically.
There have been certain technological advances which have been shown. The security at the
airports has changed internally as well as externally (Davies & Hughes, 2014).

15LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
2.8 A case study about Hamad International airport: HIA and its operational
performances with strategic decision:
“Qatar’s Hamad International Airport”, a world class facility planned to turn out to be
tine of the new aviation hubs of the Middle East. It features the world’s largest free-span
continuation hanger is the latest addition to the Kingspan Insulated Panels LLC’s growing
portfolio of the projects in the region. The hanger is made by the utilization of the King Zip SF
and it is done based on the highest protection standards. The hangar is capable of management
extremely wide body aircrafts and functions as the central maintenance facility for the fast
expanding feet fo Qatar Airways.
“The Kingspan Insulated Panels LLC’s capabilities were a perfect fit to the requirements
of the organisation. A remarkable milestone was achieved in the history of aviation infrastructure
development in the particular region. Offering the ultimate design and also premium flexibility,
the King Zip Standing seam is manufactured in aluminium and is available in stainless steel, zinc
or copper. It can be supplied smooth, embossed, crimp curved, concave or convex, smooth
tapered or smooth curved. The King Zip SP standing seam roof on the Qatar’s Airport hangar
spans across an impressive area of 98000 metre square. The KingZip SF can be contrived on site
allowing roofs to be built using very long lengths of sheet and also increasing the speed of
construction considerably.”
The architectural walls of the Kingspan re covert fix insulated wall panel systems and
they offer unparalleled freedom of design and top of the range performance to architects. The
wide range of profits allows the architects to look beyond the conventional insulated panel of
designs for the creation of buildings, with much more inspiring facades and need to have better
inspiring facades with suitable parameters.

16LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Figure 2: Hamad International Airport
Figure 3: Hamad Airport facilities

17LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Figure 4: Qatar Airways
Pre engineered single components with single fix nstallationm AWP panels can also be
quickly and easily installed and the site time in this case is reduced by around 50%. The
steelwork requirements are also reduced and are environmentally sustainable. The method of
energy efficient performance is responsible for the reduction of the lifetime operating costs and
also the carbon dioxide emissions by a percentage of 50%. The airlines at Qatar and the Hamad
International airport have become the standard to abide by in the present situation.
The maintenance hangar at the Hamad international Airport is presently the Benchmark in the
region for advanced, safe and durable roofing and walling. It basically underlines the strong
partnerships at the Kingspan insulated panels LLC which has been formed in the middle east
where ambitious infrastructure developments are on-going.
2.9. Conclusion:
The airline industry has grown enormously in the recent times. In the past it has been
seen that there were very few airlines operating across the world. There is a great development in

18LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
the particular industry of choice. The growth of the airline market has been responsible for a
considerable competition of the stakeholders. The development of an effective strategy is
considered to be the only solution to overcome the competition in the industry. The growth of the
airline market has been responsible for the competition among the stakeholders. The success of
any airline industry at present is dependent on the suitability of the adopted strategy. The secret
behind successful airlines is the highest growth rate in all parts of the world where it has its
operations. The growth of the airline industry has also led to a suitable amount of brand
awareness in the industry. The facilities which airlines provide to its customers can lead to the
reasons for its success.
Much effort goes into the aviation industry being constructed properly and are not all
positive. The main fact is that the changes in the industry cannot always be positive. The aviation
industry can continue to grow in all ways, means and for the achievement of both profit and
whatever the consumer demands. It is clear to stay that the industry is very complex and will
always have that particular status.
3.0 Research Methodology:
The aim of this section is to discuss about the methods of research and the ways which
have been adopted to conduct the relevant research. The research methodology focuses on
several areas of the study including that of research type, the nature of the data to be collected,
the nature of the research design, the methodology of data collection and finally the limitations
of the research and scope for future study if possible. It also discusses about the primary data, the
secondary data in case any of them have been used and so on. The methodology is basically used
to understand how much effective the research design is on the basis of the survey conducted. In

19LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
order to make a particular research robust as well as far-sighted, for the effective contribution of
the study in future it is crucial to properly develop an efficient as well as appropriate research
methodology. The tools and purpose used in this case need to be relevant to the particular study
(Mertens, 2014).
3.1: Research Design:
Research design is basically a master plan or framework which is of help in guiding the
framework of a particular research. Three different conditions are there in order to determine the
choice of a research design which include the nature of the research questions which are asked,
the control of the researchers on the actual behaviour and also the focus on the current
happenings. The aim of a research design is to basically guide a researcher through the procedure
of the collection, analysis and interpretation of data. Overall there are three basic categories of
research design which are considered at the time of the framing of the methodology for the
research under question. These comprise of descriptive, explanatory and finally exploratory
research design.
The first type namely the explanatory design of research deals with the identification of
various types of occurrence of certain incidents. The exploratory research design basically helps
to understand the events which are occurring in an in-depth manner. This is evident from the
term exploratory itself. The exploratory framework not only helps in understanding the issues
deeply but in addition to that also helps in the attainment of proper insights regarding the
occurrences and the solutions of the relevant problems which are considered in the research
(Zohrabi, 2013).

20LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
The descriptive nature of research design is descriptive by nature. This is actually helpful
in the enhancement of knowledge, depending on the type of study concerned. It takes into
account the nature of the events which occur and describe them based on the conceptual and
theoretical frameworks possible. The present research aims to understand the opinions of the
airport operation managers and also the supplier operation managers who are to be interviewed
based on the interview questionnaire which has been designed. The conducted interviews in this
case would help in the identification of the different operational tactics, issues, challenges and
show the direction to the supplier as to how the supplier integration and collaboration would be
brought about.
3.2 Research Type:
The research type in this particular study is of descriptive nature. The descriptive research
is basically a study of status and in widely used in several disciplines. Its value is basically based
on the premise that the problems can be solved and the practices improved through observation,
analysis as well as description. The most common descriptive research method is that of the
survey which includes questionnaires, personal interviews, phone surveys as well as normative
surveys. The developmental research is also descriptive by nature. Descriptive research is
basically a statement of affairs which are present in case the researcher has no control over a
single variable. In addition to this it can be said that descriptive studies might be characterised by
the simple attempt to determine describe or identify what actually is while other forms basically
analytical research attempts to establish why it is a particular way (Smith, 2015).
Descriptive research helps in throwing light on the present issues or problems by a
particular process of data collection which helps them to describe the situation much more
completely than it would have been possible without employing of this particular method.

21LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Descriptive studies are utilized to describe different aspects of any particular phenomenon on the
topic of study. An important characteristic of descriptive research relates to the phenomenon that
only a single variable is required to conduct a particular study. The three most important findings
of descriptive studies are the explanation, validating and description of the findings. An
important characteristic of this kind of research, is the employing of a number of variables which
are requested to conduct a particular study. This sort of research is seen to be closely linked to
the observational data collection method.
Descriptive research is very much effective to analyse specifically non-quantified topics
and issues. There is always the possibility of observation of the phenomenon in a completely
natural and unchanged environment. The chance of integration of the various qualitative and
quantitative methods of data collection is very much present in this method. This method is less
time consuming and much less in comparison to quantitative experiments.
3.3 Research approaches:
The research approaches of a specific study are used to show the major construct on the
basis of which the methodological framework of the research concerned is constructed. There are
broadly three types of research approach. These can be stated as deductive research approach,
inductive research approach and abductive research approach. The discussion of the research
approach is a crucial part of any scientific study regardless of the area of research. Within the
methodology, the approach used as well as the breaking down of the arguments needs to be
considered.

22LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Deductive Research Approach:
In case there is a formulation of a set of hypothesis for the research which need to be
confirmed or rejected at the time of research process it would comprise a deductive approach.
Inductive Research Approach:
In case of inductive research approach there is no sort of hypothesis formulation. It starts
with the research questions and aims and objectives that need to be achieved at the time of the
procedure of the research.
Abductive Research Approach:
In this particular research approach, the research process is designated to the explanation
to the incomplete observations which have been specified at the beginning of the study.
3.4 Research techniques and ethics:
Research ethics are factors which protect human subject or participants and also raise
unique queries and complicated ethical, legal, social and political issues. Research ethics is
particularly interested in the analysis of ethical issues which are raised when people are caught
up as participants of the research. There are three main objectives under the ethics of research.
The first and the most broad objective is the protection of the human participants. The second
aim is to ensure that the research is conducted in a way which serves the interests of the
individual, groups or the society completely. The third purpose is to examine the specific
research activities and projects for ethical soundness looking at the issues which include the
administration of risk, protection of confidentiality and the procedure of well-versed consent. No
matter whatever the research method adopted it needs to maintain the ethical considerations at all
times.

23LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
3.5 Study Population:
The study population is the one which the researcher needs to target and on which ideally
the research study needs to be based on. There needs to be a proper understanding of the study
population which is to be pre-determined in order to make sure that the findings and the
requirements of the study are met. In this particular case study on the supply chain collaboration
and integration for the enhancement of operational efficiencies and competitive advantage the
main and target population is that of the operational managers at the airports and centres and also
the customers, managers and suppliers of the industry. It also needs to be verified that the people
from whom the data are collected are genuine and authentic. It also needs to be made sure that
the data which the participants provide are authentic and genuine. The study population in this
case are the stakeholders of the airline and aircraft industry who all are to be interviewed.
A population is a group of individuals, persons, objects or items from which the samples
are considered for measurement. The complete group of individuals about whom the information
is gathered is the target population concerned. Based on the study the target population is
actually the managers, customers and supplies of the airline industry who all are to be
interviewed.
3.6 Sample Population:
The sample population in this particular survey consisted of certain operations managers
and a certain proportion, specifically 10% of the customers. The sample comprised of the airport
operations managers interviewed, the mangers of the Qatar Airlines and also the suppliers of the
airports. The sample population is usually taken in a research such that it is a representative of
the sample and it helps in the formation of an idea about the population. The sample needs to be
a proper representative of the overall population which has been looked at in this particular

24LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
regard. In case the chosen sample is genuine then the inferences which can be made about the
population and also about the nature of the research is genuine (Robinson, 2014).
3.7 Sample Techniques:
There are different types of sampling techniques which can be adopted for the choice of
the sample which is needed for a particular research. The popular types of sampling techniques
can comprise of the non-probability sampling, simple random sampling, systematic sampling,
stratified sampling, cluster sampling, quota sampling and mini-max sampling among others. In
this case the sampling technique is that of a quota sampling as the population and hence the
sample has been categorized on the basis of certain desired features. Quota sampling can actually
be considered to be the non-probability equivalent of stratified sampling which is usually one of
the better methods of sampling (Suri, 2011).
3.8 Data Collection Instruments, sources and method of administration:
Data sources that are used extensively in different researches are broadly of two
categories namely primary and secondary. The primary data comprise of those empirical
evidence which are collected by the researcher by directly interviewing the relevant people for
the purpose of their individual research. It is generally believed that primary data are less
erroneous and of superior quality in comparison to other forms of data. However the collection
of primary data is a time taking and costly process. This makes the researchers work with the
sources of secondary data sources. These categories of data are either obtained from different
sources of data and are not collected by the researcher. Secondary data reduces the cost of data
collection. However there always remains the risk of working with much more erroneous and
biased data (Phellas, Bloch & Seale, 2011).

25LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
3.9 Primary Data:
Primary data comprise an original source of data which is actually the one in which the
data are gathered by the research person at first by for his or her project. The primary data can be
collected in different ways. The most common techniques are self-administered surveys,
interviews, field observation and experiments. Primary data collection is genuinely expensive
and time consuming compared to the collection of secondary data. Despite this fact, the primary
data collection is the only suitable method of data collection for certain specific types of
research. Primary sources of data are original, the respondents are genuine and the data collected
are also authentic. In this particular case the nature of data collected is primary. The suppliers,
managers as well as the customers are either interviewed or provided with questionnaires in
order to elicit their responses. The airport operation managers and the supplier operation
managers are interviewed using a different approach and the customers are interviewed by a
different method.
No matter whatever the method employed to generate responses, the data which has been
generated are primary by nature and therefore as authentic as possible.
3.10 Design of questionnaire:
The questionnaire is an instrument of research which comprise of a series of questions
which are utilized for the purpose of gathering information from the respondents. These can
basically be considered as a written from of the interview. Questionnaires are a way of obtaining
large amounts of data which are collected from a large number of respondents. The answers
which are gathered from the examples of questionnaires which are typically analysed or
interpreted help the researchers to come up with solutions to the research which is being

26LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
conducted. Such solutions are analysed or interpreted which are utilized by different fields in
order to provide answers to the most pressing issues and solutions.
The negative aspects of questionnaires are basically the hiding of information by the
respondents who are not interested to share the suitable information. This might tamper with the
said records and cause the results of the research to be misinterpreted. In this particular
research two types of questionnaires are designed. One is the interview questionnaire and the
other category is the questionnaire survey. The answers are gathered from the questionnaires.
The two types of questionnaires involve two different types of question patterns. These
questionnaires are utilized to understand the answers and analyse them with respect to the
research.
3.11 Interviews:
The interviews which are made to the operation managers and the interviewees namely
the customers are used to elicit their responses in both cases. In the interview survey which is
given to the customers the actual nature comprises of closed ended questions which help in the
eliciting of the percentage of positive or negative answers to the respective questions in the
survey concerned. Closed ended questions structure the answer by allowing responses to fit into
pre-decided categories. The strength of a closed ended questionnaire is in the provision of large
amounts of research data at costs which are relatively low and the sample size which is
representative of the population can help the researcher generalize it. The questions in the
questionnaire survey are standardized and all the respondents are asked exactly the same
questions in the same particular order. This is supposed to mean that a questionnaire can be
replicated easily for checking the reliability of the conducted research. There is a certain

27LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
limitation in the sense that the specific responses do not allow the people to express what they
feel in their own words.
The customer survey questionnaire is basically based on the questions which have
multiple options and can elicit any of the responses which is possible from the survey. The
customer survey questionnaire comprises of thirteen closed ended questions which have four to
five choices from which the interviewees have to choose. The last question is related on the
feedback of the Hamad International Airport or any comments which the customers have to
make on the airport.
Therefore it can be said that the survey questionnaire helps to get a comprehensive idea
about their liking, their satisfaction level and also their ideas as to the delay areas in the airport.
Questions are also discussed about the staff, the performance level of the staff members and their
treatment of the customers at the airport (Im & Chee, 2011).
The interview questionnaire which is provided to the airport operation managers for their
interview comprise of fourteen open ended questions which are utilized to elicit their respective
responses on each of the questions. The interview questions for the airport operation managers
can be considered to be a structured interview which helps in understanding their opinions and
their viewpoints on the questions which are asked to them. The interview questionnaire of the
Qatar airways operations manager interview also comprises of twelve questions which are also
open ended to elicit responses from the managers. The supplier operations manager interview
also comprises of thirteen open ended questions which are related to the services to Qatar
airways and the provision of the collaboration as well as the approach of integration. These three
different types of interviews to the managers of the organisations help in the overall

28LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
understanding of the organisational needs and the importance of operations and supplier
collaborations with the airport.
3.12 Secondary Data:
In this case, secondary data sources have not been used much for the purpose of the
survey. The secondary data sources are not considered to be reliable sources of information in all
circumstances. The secondary data sources namely the airport manuals, the operations
explanations of the airport, supplier information have been utilized to select the sample to make
the sample representative of the population. As a whole the secondary sources of information
need to be considered. It needs to be ensured that the secondary sources of information are
genuine.
3.13 Method of Data Analysis:
There are two chief types of data analysis. These are qualitative and quantitative research
techniques. The method of “quantitative research” is utilized to quantify a particular problem or
is used to generate numerical data or data which can be transformed into usable statistics. It is
used to “quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviours and other defined variables an generalize the
results from a sample population which is larger”. It is used to collect measurable data to
formulate the facts and uncover the patterns in research. Quantitative methods of collection of
data are much more structured than the qualitative data collection methods.
The qualitative method of research is chiefly an exploratory research. It is basically used
to gain a proper understanding of the underlying reasons, opinions and motivations. It also
provides insights into the problems of the research and also helps in understanding the ideas for
potential methods of “quantitative research.” The qualitative research methods is used to expose

29LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
trends in the thought and opinions and also go deeper into the trouble. Qualitative data
compilation ways are several in number and they might vary based on the unstructured or semi-
structured techniques (Im & Chee, 2011).
3.14 Limitations of research:
The limitations of the quantitative research are some. The quantitative research
methodology usually requires a large size of the sample. In certain cases the respondents might
not be available to provide suitable resources for data collection. The time frame and the frame
of mind of the respondents need to be suitable for providing the suitable responses to the people.
There are limited responses which are available for the survey. The procedure of collection of
such data is expensive as well as time consuming. A lot of time is required to perform the
analysis. It is also difficult in case the amount of data becomes difficult to perform. The
requirements for the successful statistical confirmation of the results are very difficult in case of
quantitative research. The related secondary data is not available and accessing such data
becomes extremely difficult. It is more or less okay to analyse but difficult to understand in the
context of a particular phenomenon. The data might not be robust enough for the explanation of
complex issues. Quantitative research can be compared to scientific processes. Not always the
desired level of accuracy is reached at. In surveys the researcher pits importance on the self
reports and not on the direct inspection of the happening of interest. The respondents’ honesty,
seriousness, precise memory and interest in the survey settle on the accuracy of the findings.
There are certain patterns of behaviour which are ignored and therefore they might pose a
problem as the researcher might not consider it to be of interest. The research in this case might
be inconclusive.

30LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
3.15 Conclusion:
In this particular research, the type of data collected is quantitative data and the nature of
the data is obtained from quantitative research methods. However there is much scope for future
research and this can be done in case more and more interviewees are collected for research. It
however needs to be kept in mind that the interviewees should be such that their opinions need to
be relevant and of suitable consequence. It also has to be understood that the individuals
participating in the research has to be of consequence. Thus it can be said that if more and more
data can be collected to make the results suitable and conclusive. The research related to the
airports and airline industry is bound to help in valuable conclusions related to the method of
study. Attempts should be made to make the research suitable and helpful in future.

31LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
References and Bibliography:
Acharya, A. S., Prakash, A., Saxena, P., & Nigam, A. (2013). Sampling: Why and how of it. Indian
Journal of Medical Specialties, 4(2), 330-333.
Aljazeera News (2017). Qatar-Gulf crisis: All the latest updates. Available:
Bachour, D., & Perez-Astudillo, D. (2014). Ground measurements of global horizontal irradiation in
Doha, Qatar. Renewable energy, 71, 32-36.
Bazargan, M. (2016). Airline operations and scheduling. Routledge.
Belobaba, P., Odoni, A., & Barnhart, C. (Eds.). (2015). The global airline industry. John Wiley &
Sons.
Bernard, H. R. (2017). Research methods in anthropology: Qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Rowman & Littlefield.
Bernard, H. R., & Bernard, H. R. (2012). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative
approaches. Sage.
Berry, S., & Jia, P. (2010). Tracing the woes: An empirical analysis of the airline industry. American
Economic Journal: Microeconomics, 2(3), 1-43.
Bornstein, M. H., Jager, J., & Putnick, D. L. (2013). Sampling in developmental science: Situations,
shortcomings, solutions, and standards. Developmental Review, 33(4), 357-370.

32LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Bouarfa, S., Blom, H. A., & Curran, R. (2016). Agent-based modeling and simulation of
coordination by airline operations control. IEEE Transactions on Emerging Topics in
Computing, 4(1), 9-20.
Bruce, P. J. (2011). Decision-making in airline operations: the importance of identifying decision
considerations. International Journal of Aviation Management, 1(1-2), 89-104.
Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2015). Business research methods. Oxford University Press, USA.
Christensen, L. B., Johnson, B., Turner, L. A., & Christensen, L. B. (2011). Research methods,
design, and analysis.
Clausen, J., Larsen, A., Larsen, J., & Rezanova, N. J. (2010). Disruption management in the airline
industry—Concepts, models and methods. Computers & Operations Research, 37(5), 809-
821.
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2013). Research methods in education. Routledge.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods approaches. Sage publications.
Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Larson, R. (2014). Validity and reliability of the experience-sampling
method. In Flow and the foundations of positive psychology (pp. 35-54). Springer
Netherlands.
Davies, M. B., & Hughes, N. (2014). Doing a successful research project: Using qualitative or
quantitative methods. Palgrave Macmillan.

33LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Englander, M. (2012). The interview: Data collection in descriptive phenomenological human
scientific research. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 43(1), 13-35.
Farhadi, F., Ghoniem, A., & Al-Salem, M. (2014). Runway capacity management–an empirical
study with application to Doha International Airport. Transportation Research Part E:
Logistics and Transportation Review, 68, 53-63.
Forbes, S. J., & Lederman, M. (2010). Does vertical integration affect firm performance? Evidence
from the airline industry. The RAND Journal of Economics, 41(4), 765-790.
Furlan, R., & Faggion, L. (2015). The Development of Vital Precincts in Doha: Urban Regeneration
and Socio-Cultural Factors. American Journal of Environmental Engineering, 5(4), 120-129.
Gibson, P. (2012). Cruise operations management: Hospitality perspectives. Routledge.
Gunasekaran, A. and Ngai, E.W. (2004). "Information systems in supply chain integration and
management." European Journal of Operational Research(159): 269–295.
Harris, L. R., & Brown, G. T. (2010). Mixing interview and questionnaire methods: Practical
problems in aligning data.
Henderson, J. C. (2014). Global Gulf cities and tourism: A review of Abu Dhabi, Doha and
Dubai. Tourism Recreation Research, 39(1), 107-114.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/06/qatar-diplomatic-crisis-latest-updates-
170605105550769.html
http://www.examiner.com/article/qatar-has-world-s-fastest-growing-economy-and-highest-gross-
income-per-capita

34LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
http://www.industryweek.com/supplier-relationships/how-sharing-data-drives-supply-chain-
innovation
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/5157363/UK-airport-traffic-tumbles-as-
recession-hits.html
https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/Documents/economics/profitability-and-the-air-transport-value
%20chain.pdf
Im, E. O., & Chee, W. (2011). Quota sampling in internet research: practical issues. CIN:
Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 29(7), 381-385.
Ingre, M., Van Leeuwen, W., Klemets, T., Ullvetter, C., Hough, S., Kecklund, G., ... & Åkerstedt, T.
(2014). Validating and extending the three process model of alertness in airline
operations. PloS one, 9(10), e108679.
Koufteros XA, Edwin Cheng TC, Lai KH (2007) Black-box and graybox supplier integration in
product development: antecedents, consequences and the moderating role of firm size. J
OperManag 25(4):847–870
Leahy, R. B., Popescu, L., Dedmon, C., & Monismith, C. L. (2008). Materials and Pavement
Evaluation for the New Doha International Airport Using Mechanistic-Empirical
Technology. In Airfield and Highway Pavements: Efficient Pavements Supporting
Transportation's Future (pp. 301-321).
Mahadevan, B. (2015). Operations management: Theory and practice. Pearson Education India.
Marafia, A. H., & Ashour, H. A. (2003). Economics of off-shore/on-shore wind energy systems in
Qatar. Renewable Energy, 28(12), 1953-1963.

35LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
McDaniel, C., & Gates, R. (2013). Marketing research. Singapore.
Mertens, D. M. (2014). Research and evaluation in education and psychology: Integrating diversity
with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. Sage publications.
Morrison, S., & Winston, C. (2010). The evolution of the airline industry. Brookings Institution
Press.
Muja, S. (2012). Qatar has world's fastest growing economy and highest gross income per capita.
Retrieved:
Murel, M., & O'Connell, J. F. (2011). Potential for Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai Airports to reach
their traffic objectives. Research in Transportation Business & Management, 1(1), 36-46.
Narasimhan R, Swink M., Viswanathan S., (2010) On decisions for integration implementation: an
examination of complementarities between product-process technology integration and
supply chain integration. DecisSci 41(2):355–372
Nassaji, H. (2015). Qualitative and descriptive research: Data type versus data analysis.
Pearce, B. (2013). PROFITABILITY AND THE AIR TRANSPORT VALUE CHAIN. Retrieved:
Phellas, C. N., Bloch, A., & Seale, C. (2011). Structured methods: interviews, questionnaires and
observation. Researching society and culture, 3.
Ramadhan, R. H., & Wahhab, H. I. A. A. (1997). Temperature variation of flexible and rigid
pavements in Eastern Saudi Arabia. Building and environment, 32(4), 367-373.
Rizzo, A. (2013). Metro Doha. Cities, 31, 533-543.

36LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Robinson, O. C. (2014). Sampling in interview-based qualitative research: A theoretical and
practical guide. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 11(1), 25-41.
Robinson, O. C. (2014). Sampling in interview-based qualitative research: A theoretical and
practical guide. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 11(1), 25-41.
Sedgwick, P. (2012). Proportional quota sampling. BMJ: British Medical Journal (Online), 345.
Shaaban, K., & Radwan, E. (2014). Rebuilding the transportation system in the city of
Doha. Journal of Traffic and Logistics Engineering Vol, 2(3).
Sigler, T. J. (2013). Relational cities: Doha, Panama City, and Dubai as 21st century
entrepôts. Urban Geography, 34(5), 612-633.
Smith, J. A. (Ed.). (2015). Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. Sage.
Suri, H. (2011). Purposeful sampling in qualitative research synthesis. Qualitative Research
Journal, 11(2), 63-75.
Szolnoki, G., & Hoffmann, D. (2013). Online, face-to-face and telephone surveys—Comparing
different sampling methods in wine consumer research. Wine Economics and Policy, 2(2),
57-66.
Teodorovic, D. (2017). Airline operations research (Vol. 3). Routledge.
Vaismoradi, M., Turunen, H., & Bondas, T. (2013). Content analysis and thematic analysis:
Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study. Nursing & health sciences, 15(3),
398-405.

37LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Villena V.H., Gomez-Mejia L. R. and Revilla E. (2009). The decision of the supply chain executive
to support or impede supply chain integration: a multidisciplinary behavioural agency
perspective. DecisSci 40(4):635–665
Waller, M. (2013). How Sharing Data Drives Supply Chain Innovation. A look back at when
Walmart was little and Big Data was small. Retrieved:
Weiszer, M., Chen, J., & Locatelli, G. (2015). An integrated optimisation approach to airport ground
operations to foster sustainability in the aviation sector. Applied Energy, 157, 567-582.
Wiedmann, F., Salama, A. M., & Mirincheva, V. (2014). Sustainable urban qualities in the emerging
city of Doha. Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban
Sustainability, 7(1), 62-84.
Williams, C. (2011). Research methods. Journal of Business & Economics Research (JBER), 5(3).
Wilson, A. (2009). UK airport traffic tumbles as recession hits. Retrieved from:
Wu, C. L. (2016). Airline operations and delay management: insights from airline economics,
networks and strategic schedule planning. Routledge.
Yang, K., & Banamah, A. (2014). Quota sampling as an alternative to probability sampling? An
experimental study. Sociological Research Online, 19(1), 1-11.
Zohrabi, M. (2013). Mixed method research: Instruments, validity, reliability and reporting
findings. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3(2), 254.