Submitting Campus

Prescott

Student Status

Graduate

Class

College of Aviation

Advisor Name

Javad Gorjidooz

Abstract/Description

Commercial air carrier performance is a multivariable function, uniquely and substantially impacted by passenger's perception of negative employee behavior. High industry visibility, coupled with exponential social media growth, has provided the incredible potential to either widen or narrow the perception-performance gap. The present research conducts a rare longitudinal evaluation of objective airline performance quality in contrast with consumer perceptions of perceived airline performance and the dynamic changes occurring therein. Additionally, the implications regarding air carriers facing both objective and perceived performance challenges, as well as implications for the industry as a whole, are discussed. Utilizing nearly 30 years of objective airline performance data gathered by the annual Airline Quality Rating, integrated with a decade of passenger perception and behavioral research from the Airline Passenger Survey, a longitudinal model of disparity is created analyzing performance perceptions versus reality through the identification of relational patterns in the data sets. The change in the degree of disparity, between actual and perceived performance, as it relates to the dissemination of highly visible performance events (both positive and negative) are assessed. The objective and perceived performance gap has the potential to widen over time and is likely to continue to expand in the near future. The development of this longitudinal model provides an improved understanding of passenger perceptions and behaviors relating to negative employee behavior, which, previously a micro-level experience, now has the ability to be disseminated to a global consumer audience, potentially resulting in far-reaching consequences.

Document Type

Presentation without Video

Publication/Presentation Date

7-2-2019

Location

Amsterdam, Netherlands

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