El Al improves service quality without turbulence from employees: Involvement and ownership smooth the way for changes

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to trace the process by which the new management of airline El Al sought to implement a premium service strategy and to assimilate this strategy into its organizational culture. It aims to focus on the human resources aspects of the changes.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on interviews with senior executives and employees of the airline, and reports documents that relate to the change process.

Findings

The paper reveals that, among the service improvements El Al has achieved are: providing passengers with a telephone number and web address where they can find details about their flight before arriving at the airport; keeping passengers informed about the reasons for, and likely duration of, any delay; mitigating the effects of delays by issuing magazines and games to passengers and refreshments, where necessary; and being as attentive as possible to passengers' individual needs. Seat occupancy, which in 2003 stood at 76 percent, rose to 81 percent in 2006. The El Al management attributes a significant part of this increase to the company's new service policies.

Practical implications

The paper suggests that airlines attempting to reach high‐quality standards should draw on the knowledge and experience of employees regarding customers' needs and concerns.

Originality/value

The paper depicts the process of creating high‐quality airline service, before, during and after the flight.

Citation

(2009), "El Al improves service quality without turbulence from employees: Involvement and ownership smooth the way for changes", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 30-32. https://doi.org/10.1108/09670730910940276