Problem Statement
Airlines continue to mismanage massive flight disruptions,
despite government intervention, impacts on customer
service, and related costs.
Behavioral approach
Research Question:
How can airlines adapt
organization development (OD) interventions
and organization learning (OL) processes
to better manage massive flight disruptions to increase
passenger satisfaction, minimize costs, and mitigate
government intervention?
Methodology
Evidence Based Research (EBR) and Systematic Review
Management research approach adapted from health care industry
A systematic review and analysis of existing research to identify gaps and to produce
new knowledge
Scholarly research, case studies, white papers, dissertations, etc.
Airlines can manage how their operations prepare for, and react
to, reduced airspace system capacity resulting from weather
and congestion
Office of Inspector
General
United Airlines
American Airlines
[A]nything not on-time, even a single flight. But typically it means some amount
of flights or portion of the network that is experiencing non-routine operations
such as ATC, weather, security, labor, or mechanical issues.
Airports Council
International
American
JetBlue
Ice storm at JFK caused 355 canceled flights and 6 divert flights.
10 aircraft were frozen to the ground and passengers were trapped
Alaska
ExpressJet
System
American Eagle
JetBlue, American
10
Airline
Description
System
November 7, 2012
American, Delta,
United, US Airways,
and JetBlue Airways
American Airlines, Snowstorm Euclid disrupted travel in the Midwest and Northeast, and 2,100
Delta Air Lines,
flight cancellations.
United Airlines, and
US Airways
11
12
13
Top Management
CEO/COO/CFO/CMO
Management Science
Approach
Models and Simulation
Programmed Decisions
SVP Operations
Aircraft Dispatch/Flight
Following
Crew Dispatch
Maintenance Coordination
Airport Ramp Control
Airport Staff/Services
Passenger Services
14
48 hours
prior to
Departure
15
ance
Mainten
ffic
ra ol
T
r
tr
Ai on
C
Airc
Repo raft
sition
ed
ance
Mainten
Delayed
Disruption to maintenance
Impact to subsequent flights
d
ew le
Cr edu
h
sc
Re
Pa
s
Aircra
Availa ft
ble
Mark
eting
Mark
eting
g
tin
rk e
Ma
se
ng
er
s
Airline
Flight
Schedules
Disruption
Weather
Natural
Disaster
Airline
Disrupted
Flight
Schedules
nce
Fina
Crew
Airp
orts
s
er
g
l
n
se ave ted
s
r
Pa T rup
s
Di
Lost Revenue;
Increased Costs
Airp
o
Gro rts/
u
Ser nd
vice
s
16
Crew Scheduling
Station
Operations
Control Center
(SOCC)
Passenger and
Payload Flow
17
18
Massive
Flight
Disruption
19
20
COORDINATION/
TECHNO-STRUCTURAL
Crisis Management
Communications
Collaborative structures
OD Intervention
Mainly techno-structural
Networks/Collaboration
PLANNING
Crisis Management
Assess capacity to prepare
Risk Analysis
OD Intervention
Integrate into corporate strategy
Include all stakeholders
LEADERSHIP
Crisis Management
Sensitive to external environment
Rapid decision-making and risk-taking
OD Intervention
Leadership development
Coaching & Training
CRISIS
RESILIENCE
- Individual
- System
CIVIL SOCIETY
Crisis Management
Civic behavior
Role of media
OD Intervention
Community
Development
Risk assessment
Triggers
Developing crisis management plan
Prepare and train personnel
Simulations
Allocate resources
After event assessment
Leadership
Sensitivity to external environment
Adaptive to stages of crisis (pre-,
during, post)
Foster rapid decision making
Courage to take risks
Coordination
Civil Society
Accounting for citizen and government
involvement, impacts, and responses
Recognizing role of media
22
23
P1
PLANNING
COORDINATION/
TECHNO-STRUCTURAL
LEADERSHIP
P3
CIVIL SOCIETY
Organization
Development
P4
Organization
Learning
P6
P5
RESULT
RESILIENCE
24
Propositions
Proposition 1 Planning
From an OD intervention perspective, planning includes the quantification and assessment of
vulnerabilities using probabilities. From an OL perspective, planning includes identifying trigger
events using the review and analysis of previous events.
Proposition 3 Leadership
From an OD intervention perspective, leadership includes training and coaching. From an OL
perspective, leadership includes fostering a culture of innovation, learning, and knowledge
transfer.
25
Propositions 5 & 6
Proposition 5 Resiliency
Adapting OD interventions with OL processes leads to resiliency. Resiliency
for an individual is the ability to leverage his or her expertise by being
innovative and resourceful in addressing the issues that result from a crisis
or unexpected-yet-recurring events. Resiliency for an organization is the
ability to return to normal operations as quickly as possible with the least
impact on operations, customers, and resources. The organization needs to
be responsive to triggers and changes in the environment, to focus on the
situation, and to be open to learning from the event.
26
Assess vulnerabilities
Identify triggers
Collaboration across airline
Double-loop assessment
following massive flight disruption
Leadership
Top management commitment to
fostering collaboration across the
airline and innovation
Crisis cells with multidisciplinary
resources and expertise
Rapid decision-making and risk
taking
Civil Society
Communicate with passengers
Social media, direct text/email,
announcements
Government
27
Identify triggers
FAA System Ops Calls
Historical analysis of weather
patterns
Action plan based on triggers
Risk-taking to preempt heroic
actions
Feedback
Loop
ac
b
ed
e
F
op
o
L
Feedback Loop
29
Collaborative integration of
Operations Center with other
departments
Massive flight disruptions are not just
an operations center problem
Impact entire airline
Finance
- Revenue metrics
- Cost metrics
Marketing Data
- Passenger itinerary and
rebooking
- Passenger satisfaction
- Competitive market position
Operations Center
(OC)
Operations
- Aircraft and crew
positioning
- Crew restrictions
30
31
Civil Society
Passengers
Gain passenger understanding through communication
Leverage technologies for direct passenger communications
Text/email/phone, social media (FaceBook, Twitter)
PLANNING
Summation
RESILIENCE
Individual/Controller
Expertise
Innovative
Resourceful
System/Airline
Responsive
Focused
Learning
Improved
Passenger
Satisfaction
Minimized costs
Mitigated
government
intervention
CIVIL SOCIETY
Passenger understanding
through communication
Communication with media
Operate within 3-Hour
Tarmac Ruler regulatory
constraints
33
Findings
Crisis is a Catalyst for Change
Organization development provides tools to implement change
Organization learning provides culture for sustainable change
Airlines Do Not Address
Massive Flight Disruptions as a Crisis
Massive flight disruptions are isolated to a single department
issue, i.e., operations
Risk-adverse: Operations staffing have deep operations
experience, but no experience across airline departments
Thank you to Tim Antolovic, AA, Jack Keis, Metron Aviation, Tim Jacobs, US,
Stephen G. Smith, US Office of Inspector General, Dr. Darryl Jenkins,
American Aviation Institute, Josh Marks, masFlight, Dr. Carole Lalonde, and
my dissertation advisor, Dr. Michael Evanchik for their invaluable support and
guidance in my research and in developing my framework.
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