THE BRITISH AIRWA AIRWAYS SWIPE CARD DEBACLE
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The British Airways Swipe Card Debacle In !ly "# $%%&' British Airways intr"d!ced a swipe card syste( #"r e(pl"yees t" electr"nically swipe in and "!t "# w"r) at Heathr"w Airp"rt* British Airways Airways intended #"r this ("derni+ed syste( t" si(pli#y pr"cesses and (a)e w"r)l"ads easier #"r their e(pl"yees* E(pl"yees h"we,er' #elt that it was a prel!de t" a radical sha)e !p in w"r)in- l"n-er h"!rs and w"!ld pree(pt the Airline t" #"rce e(pl"yees t" w"r) split shi#ts* D!rin- the pea) seas"n "# tra,el' $.% chec) in sta## #r"( the b!sy ter(inals 1 and / at Heathr"w Airp"rt wal)ed "!t in what is re#erred t" as a wildcat stri)e* While the stri)e "nly lasted a little ("re than $/ h"!rs' 0% #li-hts were -r"!nded and ",er 1%'%%% passen-ers had their tra,el interr!pted* The airline was #"rced t" cancel ser,ice and call in the p"lice #"r cr"wd c"ntr"l* Key Issues
The )ey iss!es in this case st!dy are #r"( three di##erent perspecti,es' that "# the airline' the e(pl"yees and the tra,elers* The airlines perspecti,e is that it is ("derni+in- and strea(linin- a pr"cess #"r e(pl"yees t" cl"c) in and "!t "# w"r)* British Airlines belie,es that it is ta)in- a de,el"p(ental transiti"n appr"ach* De,el"p(ental transiti"n is re#erred t" a sit!ati"n in which there is c"nstant chan-e as a res!lt "# the "r-ani+ati"n adaptin- itsel# t" e2ternal' en,ir"n(ental chan-es* The pri(ary style "# leadership is c"ns!ltati,e' where the leader acts in the capacity "# a c"ach ai(in- t" -ain ,"l!ntary' shared c"((it(ent #r"( "r-ani+ati"nal (e(bers t" the need #"r c"ntin!al i(pr",e(ent*3 4Pal(er' 4Pal (er' D!n#"rd 5 A)in' A)in' $%%67 The perspecti,e "# the e(pl"yees e(pl"yees is that the airline has ta)en a bac)handed appr"ach in i(ple(entin- this new pr"cess there#"r' they (!st ha,e ne-ati,e ("ti,es and ha,e n" respect #"r the e(pl"yees* The e(pl"yees belie,e that the airline is ta)in- a tas)8#"c!sed transiti"n appr"ach* In tas)8#"c!sed transiti"n the chan-e (ana-er style is directi,e with the
THE BRITISH AIRWAYS SWIPE CARD DEBACLE
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chan-e leader actin- as a captain see)in- the c"(pliance "# "r-ani+ati"nal (e(bers t" rede#ine h"w the "r-ani+ati"n "perates in speci#ic areas*3 4Pal(er' D!n#"rd 5 A)in' $%%67 An"ther e2a(ple "# wh" the e(pl"yees interpreted the chan-e is the c"((andin- chan-e* The c"((andin- chan-e inter,enti"n is "ne where the ti(e peri"d is sh"rt ter(' abr!pt' and rapid* Chan-e is !s!ally i(ple(ented by seni"r e2ec!ti,es wh" de(and c"(pliance #r"( "r-ani+ati"nal (e(bers* Chan-es (ay well incl!de d"wnsi+in-' "!ts"!rcin-' and di,est(ents* 4Pal(er' D!n#"rd 5 A)in $%%67 9inally' the percepti"n "# the tra,elers is that the airline and it:s e(pl"yees d" n"t care ab"!t the wel#are "# the tra,elers* Lessons Emerged
As a c"ns!ltant' it i(p"rtant t" !tili+e a principle intr"d!ced by "nes' A-!irre 5 Clalder"ne in an article called 1% principles "# chan-e (ana-e(ent* In this article the a!th"rs #eel that it is critical t" address the h!(an side syste(atically* Any si-ni#icant trans#"r(ati"n creates pe"ple iss!es* ;ew leaders will be as)ed t" step !p' <"bs will be chan-ed' new s)ills and capabilities (!st be de,el"ped' and e(pl"yees will be !ncertain and resistant*3 4"nes' A-!irre 5 Clalder"ne' $%%/7 When dealin- with chan-e iss!es a #"r(al appr"ach #"r (ana-in- the chan-e can alle,iate pr"ble(s and (ini(i+e ris)* 9r"( the be-innin- the chan-e needs t" en-a-e n"t "nly sta)eh"lders b!t als" leaders within the en,ir"n(ent that is t" be chan-ed* It is i(perati,e t" c"llect and analyse data' plan and create a strate-ic i(ple(entati"n* In this case' -r"!p leaders #r"( ran)s3 s" t" spea) w"!ld be incl!ded in the pr"
THE BRITISH AIRWAYS SWIPE CARD DEBACLE
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The ne2t step w"!ld be t" incl!de e,ery layer in the "r-ani+ati"n* Ad(inistrati"n needs t" rec"-ni+e that chan-e a##ects (any le,els "# an "r-ani+ati"n and sh"!ld incl!de pe"ple #r"( th"se le,els in i(ple(entin- chan-e* Leaders at each layer in the "r-ani+ati"n wh" are identi#ied and trained (!st be ali-ned t" the c"(pany:s ,isi"n' e=!ipped t" e2ec!te their speci#ic (issi"n' and ("ti,ated t" (a)e chan-e happen*3 4"nes' A-!irre 5 Clalder"ne' $%%/7 This all"ws the leaders t" bec"(e the p"siti,e (ar)etin- #"r the chan-e* Change Management
Chan-e (ana-e(ent re#ers t" a set "# basic t""ls "r str!ct!res that is intended t" )eep chan-e e##"rt !nder c"ntr"l* The -"al is "#ten t" (ini(i+e the distracti"ns and i(pacts "# the chan-e*3 4>"tter' $%117 The chan-e (ana-e(ent appr"ach w"r)s #r"( the pre(ise that chan-e can be c""rdinated and planned t" achie,e its intended "!tc"(es thr"!-h #"ll"win- a ,ariety "# steps* The new swipe card syste( was intr"d!ced t" British Airways e(pl"yees in a #"rcible way by (ana-e(ent* ?ne interpretati"n is that British Airlines (ana-e(ent #ailed t" intr"d!ce the chan-e by #"ll"win- a n!(ber "# planned chan-e steps* By s)ippin- th"se steps they did n"t address a ran-e "# rele,ant chan-e iss!es s!ch as ,isi"n' participati"n and sp"ns"rship "# the chan-e* Conclusion
This is a sit!ati"n that c"!ld ha,e been a,"ided by !sin- critical thin)in- s)ills and s"(e ,ery basic strate-ic plannin-* By incl!din- e(pl"yees #r"( all le,els "# the airline this chan-e c"!ld ha,e been appr"ached #r"( a c"hesi,e tea( that were all interested in (a)in p"siti,e chan-es #"r the airline* Als" by incl!din- th"se e(pl"yees it w"!ld ha,e been apparent that the ti(e ch"sen t" i(ple(ent the chan-e was less than ideal*
THE BRITISH AIRWAYS SWIPE CARD DEBACLE
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Re#erences
"nes' ' A-!irre' D 5 Clalder"ne' @* 4$%%/7 1% principles "# chan-e (ana-e(ent* Strate-y and B!siness* Retrie,ed #r"( http://www.strategy-business.com/article/rr00006? gko=643d0
>"tter' I 4$%117 Chan-e (ana-e(ent ,s* chan-e leadership* 9"rbes* Retrie,ed #r"( httpwww*#"rbes*c"(sites<"hn)"tter$%11%1$chan-e8(ana-e(ent8,s8chan-e8 leadership8whats8the8di##erence
Pal(er' Ian D!n#"rd' Richard A)in' ib 4$%%67* @ana-in- ?r-ani+ati"nal Chan-e A @!ltiple Perspecti,es Appr"ach* @craw8Hill Ed!cati"n* >indle Editi"n*
