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Service delivery in a physically restricted service environment : the case of airline flight attendants

Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.

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Main Author: van Blommestein, Claudia Bernice
Other Authors: Boshoff, Christo
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2022
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access_status_str Open Access
author van Blommestein, Claudia Bernice
author2 Boshoff, Christo
author_browse Boshoff, Christo
van Blommestein, Claudia Bernice
author_facet Boshoff, Christo
van Blommestein, Claudia Bernice
author_sort van Blommestein, Claudia Bernice
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/126036
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:45:28.762Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2022
publishDateRange 2022
publishDateSort 2022
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
record_format dspace
source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/126036 Service delivery in a physically restricted service environment : the case of airline flight attendants van Blommestein, Claudia Bernice Boshoff, Christo Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept of Business Management. Flight attendants -- Employees -- Evaluation Flight attendants -- Fatigue Flight attendants -- Performance UCTD Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. ENGLISH SUMMARY: International flight attendants’ main responsibilities during a commercial flight are safety, security, and service delivery. This study focussed on the service delivery (which included the service-delivery performance and service-recovery performance) of international flight attendants who are or were formerly employed by four- and five-star full-service airlines. The point of departure was the notion that factors influencing international flight attendants’ service-delivery and service-recovery performance are unique compared to the factors that influence other frontline employees’ service-delivery and service-recovery performance, such as hotel front desk staff, frontline banking employees, nurses and/or receptionists. Against this background, two theoretical models are proposed illustrating the unique factors that might influence international flight attendants’ service-delivery and service-recovery performance. The two theoretical models were empirically assessed by collecting data from 228 international flight attendants representing 46 countries and 16 four- and five-star full-service airlines. The data was collected using online surveys and the results indicated that customer service training and teamwork significantly influence the service-delivery and service-recovery performance of international flight attendants. In addition, the role of fatigue was particularly important in this study. Working conditions, (which included company service delivery expectations, limited physical space, and limited time/time pressure) and unreasonably demanding passengers increased the levels of fatigue among flight attendants, whereas job experience reduced their levels of fatigue. In conclusion, four- and five-star full-service airlines can improve the working environment of international flight attendants by providing adequate customer service training, promoting teamwork among the crew, decreasing flying hours, increasing resting times, facilitating support workshops, reducing certain in-flight services, and exerting their best efforts to retain experienced crew members. Finally, by enhancing the overall health and well-being of international flight attendants, airlines can not only increase the crew’s performance but also increase the performance and profitability of the airline itself. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Internasionale lugwaardinne se hoof verantwoordelikhede tydens 'n kommersiele vlug is om om te sien na die veiligheid, sekuriteit, en dienslewering ten opsigte van die passasiers en die bemanning. Hierdie studie het die klem geplaas op die dienslewerings- en diensherstelprestasie van internasionale lugwaardinne wat werknemers is of was van vier- en vyfster-gegradeerde voldiens lugrederye. Die vertrekpunt was dat die faktore wat internasionale lugwaardinne se dienslewerings- en diensherstelprestasie beïnvloed, uniek is vergeleke met die faktore wat ander kontak- of frontliniepersoneel, soos byvoorbeeld hotelwerknemers, bankwerknemers, verpleegsters en/of ontvangsdames se dienslewerings- en diensherstelprestasie beinvloed. Teen hierdie agtergrond is twee teoretiese modelle voorgestel wat die unieke faktore aandui wat internasionale lugwaardinne se dienslewerings- en diensherstelprestasie kan beinvloed. Die modelle is empiries getoets deur data in te samel van 228 internasionale lugwaardinne wat 46 lande en 16 vier- en vyfster voldiens lugrederye verteenwoordig. Die data is ingesamel met behulp van aanlyn vraelyste en die bevindinge het aangetoon dat klientediensopleiding en spanwerk die dienslewerings- en diensherstelprestasie van internasionale lugwaardinne aansienlik verhoog. Daarbenewens was die rol van uitputting veral belangrik in hierdie studie. Daar is bevind dat die werksomstandighede (wat hoe diensleweringsverwagtinge van die lugrederye, beperkte fisiese werksruimte en beperkte tyd/tydsdruk insluit) asook onredelik veeleisende passasiers, die uitputtingsvlakke van lugwaardinne laat toeneem. Terselfdertyd is bevind dat dieselfde faktore die internasionale lugwaardinne met meer werkservaring se vlakke van uitputting verminder. Die studie beveel aan dat vier- en vyfster voldiens lugrederye die werksomstandighede van internasionale lugwaardinne kan verbeter deur voldoende klientediensopleiding te verskaf, spanwerk onder die bemanning te bevorder, vliegure te verminder, rustye te verleng, ondersteuningswerkswinkels te organiseer, sekere dienste aan boord in te kort, en dat die lugrederye alles in hulle vermoe doen om ervare bemanning te behou. Laastens, deur beter om te sien na die algehele gesondheid en welstand van internasionale lugwaardinne, kan lugrederye nie net hulle bemanning se prestasie verbeter nie, maar in die proses ook hulle eie winsgewendheid en prestasie opskerp. Masters 2022-05-30T07:19:20Z 2023-01-16T12:46:51Z 2022-05-30T07:19:20Z 2023-01-16T12:46:51Z 2022-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/126036 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xvii, 205 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Flight attendants -- Employees -- Evaluation
Flight attendants -- Fatigue
Flight attendants -- Performance
UCTD
van Blommestein, Claudia Bernice
Service delivery in a physically restricted service environment : the case of airline flight attendants
title Service delivery in a physically restricted service environment : the case of airline flight attendants
title_full Service delivery in a physically restricted service environment : the case of airline flight attendants
title_fullStr Service delivery in a physically restricted service environment : the case of airline flight attendants
title_full_unstemmed Service delivery in a physically restricted service environment : the case of airline flight attendants
title_short Service delivery in a physically restricted service environment : the case of airline flight attendants
title_sort service delivery in a physically restricted service environment the case of airline flight attendants
topic Flight attendants -- Employees -- Evaluation
Flight attendants -- Fatigue
Flight attendants -- Performance
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/126036
work_keys_str_mv AT vanblommesteinclaudiabernice servicedeliveryinaphysicallyrestrictedserviceenvironmentthecaseofairlineflightattendants