THE ROLE OF LEADERSHIP AS A KEY ELEMENT IN ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE AIRLINE OPERATIONS
Date
2012-01-20
Authors
Naidoo, Reggie
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Abstract
The airline industry is a dynamic, yet complex business (Doganis, 2006). Since
leadership is crucial in ensuring that airlines are both sustainable and profitable, no
matter how good and effective a leader may be, leaders are faced with the constant
reality of addressing these internal and external challenges (Chappelow, 2004). The
research paper therefore contextualizes the complexity of the external and internal
issues which affects an airline’s mode of operation and which leaders have to take into
consideration. The purpose of the research paper was to address the role of leadership
as a key element in achieving the sustainability of an airline’s operation.
The review of the existing academic literature and theoretical frameworks of leadership
provides the understanding of the varying leadership styles and behaviours as these
were crucial to assessing the behaviours and leadership styles that were practiced in
the case study, viz. Airline X. An emphasis on the frameworks and behaviours of
leadership was necessary since leaders are instrumental in driving their vision of the
company and ensuring its long term profitability and growth within any industry. This
study also uses the examples of successful airlines such as Virgin Airways, Southwest
Airlines, etc. to showcase that to be a successful leader in this dynamic industry, one
must be innovative, visionary and strategic. The research findings recommend that
leadership styles and behaviours are indeed instrumental in ensuring long term
sustainability, particularly within this highly complex and competitive industry. To
achieve profitability and sustainability in the airline industry, a leader must be able to
adopt a leadership approach which is participative and takes on board the relevant
inputs from all stakeholders. The research findings also suggest that a leader must
have the ability to adapt and tailor his/her leadership style according to the situation and
should not restrict and box themselves into adopting one leadership style. Leaders can
and should use a combination of leadership styles to instil and build trust with the
internal and external stakeholders within the business. These leaderships skills are
important as they empower employees, encourage innovation and creativity amongst
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them. This is vital if a business wishes to remain competitive and retain its competitive
advantage.
Description
MM thesis - P&DM
Keywords
Leadership, Airline companies