Evaluating the cargo department at Air Malta : a GAP analysis

Abstract

Corporations and businesses are operating in a highly competitive world. The work environment has become dynamic and ever changing. Human Resource is regarded as being one of the assets to help a company retain a competitive advantage over it competitors. In general, due to a competitive working environment the need for an organisation to be efficient and effective is of paramount importance. The way work is done will have an impact on the quality of service that is offered. The airline industry is not an exception to this. Airlines and aviation companies both national and internationally compete with each other so as to keep their fair share in the market. Thus the performance of the Cargo Department was evaluated through the theories of Job Design, JCM and P-E fit. In order to evaluate the performance of the workforce within this department, an analysis on the behaviour of the employees in following the SOPs and the physical environment in which they operate was conducted. From this study it emerged that the behaviours which had to be adopted by the employees while performing their jobs were not being adequately demonstrated and that the physical workplace provided to be a hindrance both for the workflow processes as well for the employees’ performance. Recommendations to address these findings were proposed. To this means, suggestions to enhance the current HR and Managerial practices as well as to redesign the workplace were submitted and discussed.