Human Resource Management in British Airways: A Comprehensive Analysis

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HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
FOR SERVICE INDUSTRIES
1

Table of Contents
LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................4
TASK 1...................................................................................................................................... 5
AC 1.1 ANALYSIS OF ROLE AND PURPOSE OF HRM IN BRITISH AIRWAYS.............................5
AC 1.2 CREATING HR PLAN BASED ON SUPPLY AND DEMAND REQUIRED TO DELIVER THE
NEW FLIGHT SERVICE TO MADEIRA......................................................................................8
TASK 2.................................................................................................................................... 11
AC 2.1 ASSESSING CURRENT STATE OF EMPLOYMENT RELATION IN BRITISH AIRWAYS....11
AC 2.2 DISCUSSING EMPLOYMENT LAW THAT AFFECTS THE MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN
RESOURCE IN BRITISH AIRWAYS.........................................................................................13
TASK 3.................................................................................................................................... 14
AC 3.1 DISCUSSING THE JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSONAL SPECIFICATION FOR CABIN
CREW IN BRITISH AIRWAYS................................................................................................14
AC 3.2 COMPARISON OF SELECTION PROCESS OF TRANSPORT FOR LONDON AND BRITISH
AIRWAYS............................................................................................................................ 17
TASK 4.................................................................................................................................... 19
AC 4.1 ASSESSING THE CONTRIBUTION OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES FOR
OPERATIONS OF BRITISH AIRWAYS....................................................................................19
CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................... 22
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................... 23
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Harvard Framework Model........................................................................................5
Figure 2 Human Resource Planning..........................................................................................8
Figure 3 Job Analysis.............................................................................................................. 15
Figure 4 Training and Development.......................................................................................19
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INTRODUCTION
This report will discuss human resource management in reference to British Airways. A
British Airway is the 2nd largest airline in the UK and was founded on 31st March 1974 after
the establishment of British Airways boards by the government of British (Airways, 2017). It
is largest in terms of international flights, fleet size and the large numbers of passengers for
international destinations. Its headquartered is in Waterside, Harmondsworth, UK and the
chairman of the airline service industry is Alex Cruz (Airways, 2017).
Human resource management is a very essential part of the service airline industry and this
report includes the understanding of HRM present at British Airways. It will show the
employment law effect on British Airways and explain the relation of employees within the
airline industry. This report will also show the selection process by highlighting the job
specification and personal specification of the candidate for the selection process and will
also discuss training and development in British Airways.
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TASK 1
As a trainee Human Resource Officer at British Airways, this report has been arranged for
understanding the role and purpose of human resource management in British Airways.
There has also been prepared a plan based on demand and supply by showing the roles of
staff, vacant numbers, and working hours which will be needed by the personals for the new
service fight to Madeira.
AC 1.1 ANALYSIS OF ROLE AND PURPOSE OF HRM IN BRITISH AIRWAYS
Human resource at British Airways is concerned with the performance of the workers for
gaining the strategic objectives by focusing on the rules and policies of the airline industry.
According to Noe (2017), HRM is the strategic tactic used for managing the employees for
the organization effectively for attaining the competitive advantage (Cascio, 2015).
HARVARD FRAMEWORK MODEL
According to this framework model, the HR of British Airways practised the problem solving
related to historical personal management (Antikainen and Valkokari, 2016). This framework
is used by the managers of British Airways as they develop a plan or idea and want to know
the employees that they are aware of the HRM policies and practices and they also wanted
to see the participation of the employees for achieving the objectives of British Airways
(Antikainen and Valkokari, 2016).
Figure 1 Harvard Framework Model
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(Source Antikainen and Valkokari, 2016)
The challenges that British Airways is facing can be solved by the participation of the
employees and the managers by following the components like proper selection, growth,
reward and performance appraisal of the employees on their participation (Cascio, 2015).
British Airways used the HRM strategies policies of hard and soft (Antikainen and Valkokari,
2016). Hard HRM strategy focuses on the task of the employees and treats them as a
resource. It is a traditional approach of HRM and its function are controlling cost,
performance management and hiring and firing employees for British Airways (Armstrong et
al., 2016). Soft HRM strategy focuses on people and treats employees as their main resource
for British Airways and a source for gaining a competitive advantage. These include the
development, training, participation and motivation etc. of an employee at British Airways
(Antikainen and Valkokari, 2016).
Purpose and role of human resource:
Selection and recruitment: This is the process of the hiring the best employees for the
British Airways and the purpose of HR for hiring the knowledgeable, skilful and hardworking
candidate for the vacant place for achieving the objectives. Selection is the process of
selecting a capable candidate and recruitment is the process of hiring that candidate
(Armstrong et al., 2016).
Employees’ relationships: The relation of employees plays a major role in British Airways as
they are the main resource for the airline industry and helps in gaining a competitive
advantage. The role of HR is to maintain the relation of the employees within British Airways
for their benefit as well as for increasing the productivity of the airline industry (Armstrong
et al., 2016).
Training and development: The role of the human resource manager at British Airways is to
provide proper training to the employees for their as well as for the benefit of the airline
industry (Cohen, 2017). Training helps in developing the skills and capabilities of the
employees for future growth. It includes 2 types of training on-the-job and off-the-job which
helps employees in gaining more knowledge and improve in the skills (Cohen, 2017).
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Performance management: The human resource managers at British Airways keep focusing
on giving performance appraisals to the employees which result in motivation and helps in
achieving the strategic objectives of the airline industry. The performance of the employees
gets managed by the managers of human resource by delegating the tasks to them on the
basis of their capabilities (Buckingham and Goodall, 2015).
Conflict management: The purpose of managing the conflicts is to make the relationship
stronger in between the employer and employees for their enhancement and the benefit of
British Airways (Rahim, 2017). The role of the manager is to reduce the conflict and develop
prosperity within the airline industry (Clark and Myers, 2018).
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AC 1.2 CREATING HR PLAN BASED ON SUPPLY AND DEMAND REQUIRED TO
DELIVER THE NEW FLIGHT SERVICE TO MADEIRA
The employees' selection and recruitment within British Airways can be done on the basis of
the employee's requirement or demand (Cascio, 2015). HR planning is based on assessing
the external labour market trends as well as the present employees and the requirement of
employees in the future at British Airways. HR planning starts with forecasting the demand
which relies on internal and external supply (Cascio, 2015). Next step is the comparison
between demand and supply and at last the future needs of labours get predicted and
excess staffing will be taken into deliberation (Baron, 2016).
Figure 2 Human Resource Planning
(Source Baron, 2016)
Forecasting demand: The demand will be forecasted on the basis of estimated
requirements of the manpower by analysing the number of staff members left and the
vacant seats in the British Airways (Cascio, 2015). The forecasting of demand can be
impacted by internal and external factors which include laws, technology, economic
conditions, employee separation etc. (Baron, 2016).
Forecasting supply: The supply will be delivering to the Madeira on the basis of the created
and forecasted demand for the manpower and the resources (Baron, 2016). It covers the
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policies of HR and the source of supply internal and external within British Airways. Supply is
totally based on the demand for a particular product or service and planning for the supply
is difficult without knowing the demand (Baron, 2016).
HR programming: HR programming is the process of planning for balancing and filling the
vacant places of the job-based on demand and supply. The HR at British Airways needs to
take a step for balancing the vacant place by filling it on the behalf of employees who have
left the job (Baron, 2016).
Job Roles Existing
staff
Man
turnover
(estimate
d)
Number
of staffs
left
Created
vacancy
(demand)
for
delivering
service to
Madeira
New
Hires
Hours of work
At
su
mmer
time
Rest of
the year
Manager 6 1 3 4 4 14 hours 7
hours
Customer
service
manager
3 1 2 3 3 24 hours 12
hours
Cabin
crew
20 3 10 20 18 Based
on the
journey
Based
on the
journe
y
Pilot 5 1 1 4 4 8 hours 6
hours
Ground
staff
20 2 9 14 11 12 hours 8
hours
Implementation of the plan: Above all are the planning process of demand and supply and
the implementation the plan is the step of action for British Airways where the process of
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following the plan starts by hiring, retention and placement within the airline industry of the
employees (Baron, 2016).
Evaluation and control: This is the last and final stage which is important for the HR plan
where it involves the evaluation of the storage and workforce surplus in British Airways
(Baron, 2016).
HR plan as discussed above for British Airways was prepared incorrect estimation of demand
and supply of employees for new flights service to Madeira.
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TASK 2
This task will assess the employment relation as well as the impact of employment law on
the management of HRM resources in British Airways.
AC 2.1 ASSESSING CURRENT STATE OF EMPLOYMENT RELATION IN BRITISH
AIRWAYS
Employee involvement
The HR managers at British Airways allow the employees for participating in the decision-
making process. The employees work hard as they are highly motivated towards their tasks
and put their efforts for increasing the profitability of British Airways by taking part in the
activities (Wood, 2016). The employees take part in the process of decision-making by
scheduling the time of the flights and the managers allow them to do so for making them
capable so that they can take decision by their own for the British Airways (Wood, 2016).
Employee relation
The employee relation is essential for British Airways for the achievement of the strategic
objectives. This is the study for understanding the relationships of employees with the trade
unions, employer and other members of the airline industry (Wood, 2016). Employee
relation gets stronger by participating in the activities of the airways. Training and
development help in maintaining the relationships within the airline industry by organizing
the activities for the employees where they perform together (Wood, 2016).
Employee participation
Employee participation means their involvement in the programs and the process of
decision-making. It includes the participation of the employees in the activities of British
Airways by utilizing the resources properly and results in achieving the objectives of the
airline industry. It also identifies the needs of the employees for boosting their morale by
fulfilling it so as to work actively with motivation within British Airways (Wood, 2016).
Employee engagement
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The employees of British Airways are highly motivated and enhanced for giving suggestions
for making the change in the cabin crew and for providing better customer services (Cascio,
2015). It is the role and responsibility of the manager that the employee should work
properly by giving his best in obtaining the results. BA gives responsibility to the employees
for managing the roles of job and set of the job according to the organizational decision-
making (Rahim, 2017).
DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING THE GRIEVANCES
Discipline is the complaints of management against the workers and the grievance is the
complaint of workers against the management (Wood et al., 2017). British Airways faces
problems related to the conflicts and grievances among the employees as sometimes their
views could not match or the conflict for the authority to take decision-making etc. The aim
of discipline is for assisting the employees in changing their behaviour which is not good for
the airline industry (Wood et al., 2017).
BA follows their own procedures and policies for handling the employees and concerns of
staff within the airline industry and to radical the standard, ethics and responsibility (Wood
et al., 2017). It took the disciplinary actions included the verbal counselling, written warning,
termination and suspension. British Airways has settled their personal grievance handling
mechanism for providing an efficient solution for managing the conflict in the airline
industry (Wood et al., 2017).
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