NRS-451V: Singapore Airlines Case Study: Management Analysis

This case study examines Singapore Airlines' organizational strategies, focusing on workforce management, marketing campaigns, and systems for measuring service quality. The analysis evaluates the airline's approach to workforce selection and training, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses. The marketing section explores the airline's branding, emphasizing its focus on customer service and Asian cultural values. Furthermore, the study delves into the methods used by Singapore Airlines to measure customer satisfaction, including complaint analysis and external surveys. The case study also critiques certain initiatives, such as the introduction of slot machines, and offers recommendations for improvements in organizational design, diversity, and innovation, while maintaining a strong customer service focus. The paper concludes with an overview of the key management approaches within the company and the implications for future organizational development and change management.

NRS-451V Singapore Airlines Case Study
(Student paper)
Singapore Airlines was created in 1972 following a separation from Malaysian Airlines.
In the wake of reorganization, Singapore Airlines undertook aggressive growth, investing and
trading to maximize profitability and expand market share. Through this change, a new company
philosophy emerged, “Success or failure is largely dictated by the quality of service it provides”
(Wyckoff, 1989). By reinventing the company infrastructure and introducing new initiatives
focused on excellence in customer service, Singapore Airlines became a global leader in the
service industry, elevating existing standards among competitors.
Evaluation of Workforce Management Program
The strategy widely utilized by Singapore Airlines to ensure differentiation in an
increasingly competitive market was its attention to in-flight service. “Good flight service [was]
important in its own right and is a reflection of attention to detail throughout the airline”
(Wyckoff, 1989). This statement perpetuated the belief that excellence in service was directly
tied to the careful selection and individual performance of in-flight crews charged with the
responsibility of fulfilling the needs of individual passengers and exuding the levels of service
demanded by the organization. Applicants destined to work as flight stewards were drawn from a
very young population, typically spanning the ages of 18-25 years of age with high school
equivalency against the English system of education. Selection of applications was competitive
largely due to the degree of skill, poise, and experience required of its candidates. These policies
led to the on-boarding of a highly skilled and youthful workforce with positive attitudes and a
willingness to be trained. Critique of this approach revealed several disadvantages. The most

significant being the potential for greater turnover when hiring a younger population as opposed
to an older, more experienced crew. Experience alone would play some role in the development
of new employees, as greater experience would bring greater poise and confidence. However, in
light of the predominant population Singapore Airlines catered to, a younger in-flight crew
would remedy the awkwardness likely to be encountered by older clients being served by older
crew members. In addition, a younger crew would likely be more accepting of new procedures
and less cynical of the requirements of employment.
In light of the young demographic most desired in this role, recruitment, training and
“conversion” processes were both stringent and comprehensive. All aspects of in-flight service,
including training related to terminology, amenities and food preparation were provided in great
detail, as were training for emergency preparedness and response to every potential scenario
encountered in the air and on the ground. Formalized on-boarding, training and continued
development were the hallmarks of the comprehensive workforce program. Even well into a
crew member’s employment, on-going training and cyclical evaluation provided a mechanism
for employees to be aware of individual performance and gain exposure to methods of
continuous improvement. With an on-going plan of evaluation, communication, and
development, the workforce was well-positioned for high levels of performance and quality
improvements.
Though it would seem that Singapore Airlines’ work management program suited the
organization well, it greatly narrowed the pool of applicants and kept many, well-qualified and
experienced candidates from positions that would create diversity among the largely
homogeneous workforce and place the organization in a better position to serve populations

whose ethnic origins were not of Asian descent. If the organization aims to be the leader in an
increasingly global marketplace, the workforce must mirror the diverse needs and perceptions of
the greater population.
Advertising Campaign
Singapore Airlines is known in the airline industry for its quality of service. This
emphasis on customer service and customer satisfaction is largely reflective of the Asian culture
for which the company embodies. Attention to detail, impeccable presentation, and care for
others are traits synonymous with countries of Asian heritage. Similarly, Asian countries revere
conservatism, organization and hierarchy (Allik, n.d.) so, it would follow that young Asian
individuals demonstrate the same gracious, caring behaviors to others. The expectation of
“gentle, courteous service” is consistent with these norms and with the approaches taken by the
organization. So much are these standards and stereotypes linked to Asian culture and the
epitome of service, that the symbol applied to the airline is that of a young Asian woman. This
image is resoundingly more beguiling and traditional, recognized by nearly 50% of consumers
over typical marketing imparted by competitors, with a marginal recognition of 9.6%. In light of
the positive impact and recognition of the existing marketing campaign, it was considered
advisable to retain the current marketing strategy.
Systems for Measuring Service Quality
Singapore Airlines has two primary components involved in measuring service quality.
The first is a system to measure customer complaints and compliments for every 10,000
passengers. The second measurement is a comparative rating of airline services prepared by the
International Research Associates (INRA).

The first component, customers’ complaints and compliments, stayed relatively the same
despite rapid organizational expansion. This type of analysis has shown a generally high
satisfaction level, but could be skewed due to the vast areas the complaints and compliments
could cover; from ticket sales and baggage areas to in-flight crews. To address this concern the
complaints were split between the areas. However, to get an accurate barometer of customer
satisfaction, it was recommended that the airline conduct routine surveys of customers. Often,
customers submitting comments fell into one of two categories; those having complaints or those
having compliments.
The second component to gauge customer satisfaction involved the INRA surveys. The
airline executives paid particular attention to these scores as they indicated levels of satisfaction
among the general consumer population and identified areas requiring continuous improvement.
In 1973 Singapore Airlines scored 68, in 1974 the company scored 74 and in 1979 they scored
78. The scores of 39 other airlines demonstrated that two other competitors, Cathy Pacific and
Thai International, were improving rapidly. This provided one indicator of competitive
advantage. In order for Singapore Airlines to stay ahead of their competitors they would need to
evaluate their position against industry leaders and determine if changes would be needed to stay
competitive, particularly with respect to customer service and customer satisfaction (Wyckoff,
1989).
Plan to Introduce Slot Machines
Singapore Airlines has responded to many changes in order to differentiate itself within
an increasingly competitive market place. One responsive action was to remove sleepers,
replacing them with a business class section. Reactions from consumers were less than favorable.

The move strayed from what consumers came to expect of elite levels of customer service, which
were in large part, due to the attention paid to the personal needs of its elite customers. Although
intended to be innovative and distinctive, the inclusion of slot machines on transatlantic flights
was another idea met with considerable consumer dissatisfaction. While potentially generating a
new stream of revenue, the idea only worked to incite passengers with a new category of
charges. In addition to generating cost for the consumer, the machines took valuable space away
from seats and posed problems in light of weight restrictions (Time, 1981). These changes only
compounded issues and introduced new problems such as the potential for in-flight injury, rather
than improving in-flight services. While there was some opportunity for revenue, initially, the
gains would last for a season and were not expected to extend out into the long-term.
Conclusion
The Singapore Airlines Case Study highlights both effective as well as ineffective
management approaches within the company. The subsequent analysis and evaluation of
company operations and strategies offer a compelling glimpse of organizational design and
leadership amid change, as well as provide a platform for future discussions of organizational
development and change management. Group evaluation of organizational design, organizational
decision-making, and organizational process at Singapore Airlines yielded some
recommendations for new approaches to address complaints, become more mainstream in an
increasingly diverse market space, and become more innovative without losing sight of the
customer service focus that has made Singapore Airlines so successful.
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