Modern business strategies are considering the effects of internal processes on stakeholders as a strategy to create and maintain health business relationships.
Business stakeholders include shareholders, customers, governments, and internal customers; their needs and expectations are paramount when developing business processes (Weiss, 2008). Heathrow airport is a London based international airport that connects over180 destinations in more than 90 countries; it offers departure services, arrival services and inter-fright connection services, the airport is managed by BAA.
Stakeholder theory is management tool that looks into how ethical businesses are conducted in a certain industry or company; the theory advocates for mutual benefit of an organization and stakeholders through the impact that business processes have on social, economic and environmental attributes of life (Sassower,1988). This report analyzes how travelers, as stakeholders, are affected by Heathrow airport; it will use stakeholder’s theory for the analysis.
Heathrow airport
Heathrow airport is operated by BAA, according to 2010, airports review, the airport was ranked as the fourth busiest airport in the world and the busiest in United Kingdom in terms of passage and cargo volume. On average, the airports received 67 million passengers, with 11% traveling to UK destinations, 46% are long-haul and the rest are in short-haul international travelling (Heathrow airport Official Website, 2011).
Discussion
BAA is committed to understand and look into all spheres of customers that use the airports, they have facilities that enable the old, the disabled and other passengers to have a pleasant environment or stay in the airport. The airports policies respect Disability Discrimination Act (DDA); it has enacted appropriate measures to ensure that its services are continually improved to meet the needs of such people with special needs. The information is contained in it accessibility report and the management aims at improving the approach further.
When a customer is in the airport, there are some guiding posts and signs that are aimed at guiding the customer to the destination; this happens at the time of departure and when arriving. The airport management has adopted the spirit of freelance organizational culture that ensures that every employee within the compound can be trusted to guide a passenger effectively. The company has five terminals each named effectively to direct a customer effectively.
Under the stakeholders theory a firm addresses investors, employees, suppliers, and customers needs, the airport in recognition of the theory has enacted environmental conservational measures that facilitate good cooperation with stakeholders. As far as travelers are concerned, in the efforts of offering adequate and reliable information for decision making, the company has 24hou online chatting and checking system which travelers can use; incase there is a change in-flight schedules, then efforts are taken to advise customers effectively.
Under the stakeholder’s theory, customer’s interest should be the forefront phenomenon; customers experience should be improved consistently; in this effort, the airport embarks on various rebranding, and compound conservations.
Within the airport, the management has allowed some hospitality industry players to establish high quality and standards businesses, these businesses are allowed to fetch business form passengers; however, they should maintain high quality and efficiency.
The establishments include five and four star hotels, massage setups, salons and barber shops, fast food joints, duty free shops, entertainment sites and shopping establishments. The reason to encourage such establishment is to ensure that travelers experience when using the airport is improved. In between flights and departure, or when a customer jets in the airport, the airport has invested in that time to offer a memorable experience.
Taxi operators from companies with high reputation, and which maintain high standard vehicles operate the transport networks in the airport. The taxi operation and their safety is guaranteed by the management of the airport and incase of any misfortune the management takes up the issue. At periodical bases, there are some publics means of road and railway transport that are given access the airport, they include passenger busses, trains, bicycles and motor cycles. The flow of traffic is well regulated with the assistance of computer networks.
Within the airport, a number of forex bureaus that are regulated by the airport management and expected to adhere to UK banking rules and regulations. The system is meant to offer foreign currency to travelers at the prevailing rates (Heathrow airport Official Website, 2011).
Issues that passengers might face
Although the airports performance is commendable, new users are likely to face culture shocks and language barriers. The airport receives passenger from different part of the world that have people with different cultures, experiences and expectations; the challenge offered by the cultural difference is that people might be stranded in the airport.
Another challenge that might face travelers is lack of understanding of signs and language used; the adoption of the airports culture is more skewed to English setting thus non-English people might face difficulties understanding some of the signs and symbols.
Remedy
Heathrow airport should implements culture intelligence programs in its operations such that airport operators, whether dealing with travelers directly or indirectly, can guide travelers effectively. Secondly, at different points, the management should have language-translating machines that are user friendly that travelers from different parts of the world can use; this will boost communication within the airport.
References
Heathrow airport Official Website, 2011. Heathrow airport. Web.
Sassower, R., 1988. The Business of Ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, (7)4,PP. 279-282.
Weiss, J., 2008. Business Ethics: A Stakeholder and Issues Management Approach: New York: Cengage Learning.