Investigating structural relations affecting the effectiveness of service management

This paper investigates interpersonal relationships between cockpit and cabin crews affecting the effectiveness of airline service operation. A structural equation model was developed by including seven constructs and tested for their relations among airline crews. A survey was conducted for qualified cockpit crews and cabin crews and collected 365 valid questionnaires. The results indicate that communication, balanced power, and shared values among airline crews were positively related to trust. It was also found that balanced power and shared values were positively related to trust and cooperation, whereas conflict was negatively related to trust and cooperation. Furthermore, trust and cooperation appeared to positively affect the effectiveness of airline service operation. The influence of trust on the effectiveness of airline service was greater than other independent variables. This highlights the importance of trust in considering strategies for boosting organizational performance. The findings suggest that the airline industry makes more efforts to improve the interpersonal relationships between cockpit and cabin crews in order to increase the effectiveness of airline services. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.