Readings assigned for each week will be posted here. For most of the reading assignments (exceptions will be noted in that particular week), you can use the following questions to guide your review:
- Research question(s): What is (are) the research question(s) that author(s) want to address in the study?
- Data: What are the data used by the study to address the research question(s)? Are the data primary (collected by authors themselves), or secondary (collected by someone else)?
- Data collection: What method did the author(s) use to collect data? Is it through an experiment, simulation, survey, or interview? If sampling is involved, what is the sampling technique, sample size and how do they come up with the sample size? Is any potential bias being introduced by the sample or the sampling method?
- Data analysis: What analysis did the authors(s) do to treat the data? How do they present analysis results? Can you present their findings in a better approach?
- Findings: What are the findings of the study? Are findings supported by the analysis?
- Conclusions and discussions: What is the primary conclusion of the study? Did the author(s) address the research question(s) successfully? What is the potential impact of the study? What else can be done in future studies?
Airline Operation Business Plan
Research related to case studies provides important insight into a problem and measures taken to address them in business settings. Researchers collect various types of data, primary and secondary, to understand the case study. One such study is by Rothstein (1985), which used secondary data to explore the no-show problem in the airline sector and solutions developed over the years, such as intentional overbooking.
Research question(s)
The author addresses the issues of deliberate overbooking, which has been prevalent in the airline industry, to address the no-show problem and its related economic consequences. The research questions that the author seeks to answer include what happened in the industry relating to the no-show problem and overbooking as the solution, how the CAB realized the problem but later accepted it, how the public became aware and how the industry mitigated the negative publicity.
Data
The author uses data available since 1961 relating to efforts to address the no-show problem in the airline industry and its related impact on affected companies. The study uses secondary data to answer the research questions, which is data which others have collected and analyzed (Goodwin et al, 4). Rothstein (1985) reviews operations research conducted over the years related to the research question. The first study reviewed by Civil Aeronautics Board conducted in 1961 led to the penalty plan for the no show that airline companies later declined to implement and chose to maintain the overbooking program.
Data Collection
The researcher did not collect primary research to collect data from the study. The study does not involve any primary research approach, such as experimental, simulation, survey, or interview (Rabianski 43). Instead, Rothstein uses secondary data from other operations research to answer the research questions.
Data Analysis
Similarly, the study does not involve any primary data analysis since it uses secondary data. Secondary data involves a review of what others have done relating to the topic of study. However, Rothstein systematically reviewed and systematically presented available research on the no-show problem and overbooking as a solution conducted since the 1860s.
Findings
The author established that the airline industry has been overbooking customers for decades and that the Civil Aeronautics Board became aware of the practice and later came to accept it. The industry has used numerous models to support the practice, such as the Thompson model to implement the overbooking solution (Rothstein 240). The study also includes the chronology of events, beginning from the secretive use of overbooking, the realization by CAB, and implementation of alternative solutions such as penalties for no show, CAB acceptance, and public awareness. The study also reveals that the overbooking problem remains in the industry due to the financial implications of no show.
Conclusions and Discussions
The article does not include a section on conclusions and discussions since it is a secondary research review. However, the primary conclusion is that overbooking remains in force in the airline industry to address the no-show problem and its economic effects. The authors addressed the research questions and developed comprehensive conclusions, including the pending issue of overbooking. The study is helpful in the airline industry to address the intentional overbooking practice as a solution to no show problem. However, it indicates the need for further research to understand the current practice to solve the problem and the efficacy in dealing with the controversy associated with the current practice.
Works Cited
CAB. Economics Regulations Docket 11683, Washington DC, 1961
Goodwin, John, ed. SAGE secondary data analysis. Sage, 2012.
Rabianski, Joseph S. “Primary and secondary data: Concepts, concerns, errors, and issues.” The Appraisal Journal 71.1 (2003): 43.
Rothstein, Marvin. “OR Forum—OR and the airline overbooking problem.” Operations Research vol. 33, no..2, 1985, pp. 237-248.