Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Advisor: Dr. Steve Blumsack, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Mathemtics. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Mar. 3, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

In this dissertation, I investigate hub carriers' competitive advantage in directional markets within their hub and spoke networks. In the first chapter, I examine whether the competitive advantage of hub carriers in attracting hub-to-spoke passengers relative to spoke-to-hub passengers affects rivals' entry decisions in a symmetric way. The hub carrier advantage in attracting passengers at its concentrated hub airport creates an environment in which variation in the composition of demand in hub-to-spoke markets affects entry in a profoundly different way than demand variation in spoke-to-hub markets. In the second chapter, I examine hub carrier fares and price-cost margins in hub and spoke airport pairs. Exploiting variation across airport-pairs, I find that an increase in the proportion of business travelers in hub-to-spoke markets increases fares in these markets, while an increase in the proportion of business travelers in spoke-to-hub markets decreases fares. This result is consistent with the structural asymmetries found in the first chapter. However, the source of these concentration advantages remains ambiguous. These advantages could be due to cost benefits, demand effects, or market power. Exploiting the variation between hub-to-spoke and spoke-to-hub markets within airport pairs isolates the market power effect on fares. I find that difference in hub carrier airport shares explains most of the variation in its hub-to-spoke and spoke-to-hub price-cost margins. Unobserved quality and cost heterogeneity do not bias the result. In the final chapter we look at the relationship between market power and price discrimination. In the presence of price discrimination, at least one price does not equal marginal cost. Therefore, if price discrimination exists, there must be market power. While this logic is sound, it has led many policymakers to believe that price discrimination and market power are positively correlated. We present a model where measured price-discrimination can be low while market power is high and price discrimination can be high while market power is low, thus demonstrating that there is no theoretical connection between the strength of price discrimination and that of market power. We then present new evidence that price discrimination is negatively correlated with market power in the US airlines industry. / text

This research is a comparative field study of the influence of societal culture on organization structure and process. Past empirical studies were used to dérive a framework incorporating four fundamental dimensions of cultural values: power, authority distance, group orientation, and cognitive orientation- From thèse dimensions, five configurations were identified which accounted for most of the organizations reviewed in previous field studies: the Autocracy, the Political Entourage, the Traditional Bureaucracy, the Modem Bureaucracy and the Consensus configuration.[...] / Cette recherche est une étude comparative de l’Influence de la culture sociale sur les structures et processus d’organisation. Un cadre Incluant quatre dimensions fondamentales des systèmes de valeurs culturels, soit le pouvoir, la distance d’autorité, l’orientation de groupe et l’orientation cognitive, fut dérivé d’études empiriques passées. Cinq configurations furent Identifiées à partir de ces dimensions et expliquèrent la plupart des organisations étudiées dans des ouvrages antérieurs: l’Autocratie. l’Entourage Politique, la Bureaucratie Traditionnelle, la Bureaucratie Moderne et la configuration du Consensus.[...]

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The primary intention of this thesis is to examine open skies policy and its far-reaching impact on the Asia-Pacific region. / In order to achieve this, we will describe the historic evolution of economic regulation in civil air transport, which laid the foundation for an open skies regime. Moreover, the scope of an open skies regime on a global scale is addressed. Then, a detailed study of the essential elements of bilateral open skies agreements is undertaken. / Afterwards, an analysis of the current economic air transport regulation in Asia-Pacific is conducted. With the emergence of the open skies trend, most Asia-Pacific nations began to liberalize their air transport industries. Yet, bilateral agreements remain the primary means to attain this goal. / More necessarily, several Asia-Pacific countries' air transport policies will be comprehensively examined. This examination includes Japan, China, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines and Australia. / Finally, a perspective for liberalization via a hybrid of bilateral and sub-regional open skies arrangements in the Asia-Pacific region is presented.

At present, international attention is focused on an emerging draft treaty concerning security interests in mobile goods. Highly valued mobile assets (such as aircraft) by nature move from one jurisdiction to another, and therefore, an international convention dealing the creation and recognition of property rights in such goods is necessary. This thesis will concentrate on the laws governing the taking of aircraft as security. / The draft UNIDROIT Convention, once approved and implemented by states, would introduce a vast degree of economic benefits to airlines and their respective governments, ranging from lower banking interest rates to more credit being generated, all of which will benefit national economies and the traveling public at large. / Given the strong attitude shown by a majority of states that reflects their unwillingness to surrender some basic legal principles relating to property rights, the author considers it proper to undertake this work, which will concentrate on important legal problems relating to international aircraft financing.

Two studies, based on the prototype approach to emotions, examined individual level (appraisals, expressions/action readiness and coping) and interpersonal components (provider response to consumer emotions) of consumer anger and anxiety during air travel, and the impact of these components on service evaluation. It is proposed that the nature of provider response to the overall emotion experience determines consumer evaluation of the service. / A survey of recalled experiences of these emotions (Study 1) found that, consistent with the hypotheses, anger experiences comprised appraisals of provider blame for the negative event, problem focused coping (e.g., confronting the provider), and support withholding provider response (i.e., not assisting the consumer through the negative experience). Anxiety experiences, as hypothesized, had greater appraisals of uncontrollable circumstances, but emotion-focused coping (i.e., attempts to manage the affective reaction) was only marginally more than problem-focused coping, and there was no difference in support providing (i.e., assisting the consumer though the negative event) and support withholding provider responses. The survey could not elicit details of the physical expressions accompanying either emotion. Analysis of structured questions show that while support withholding responses decrease evaluations, support providing responses can increase evaluations despite the negativity of the emotions. / Study 2 sequentially manipulated emotions (anger, anxiety) and provider response---emotion support (reassuring consumers), instrumental support (attempting to resolve the problem), mixed support (doing both), and no support. Structured questions that followed the emotion manipulation measured coping and action readiness underlying expressions. Coping patterns replicated the results of Study 1. Expressions of anger conveyed action readiness modes of approach and antagonism while anxiety expressions conveyed approach and helplessness. Measures of consumer evaluation followed the provider response manipulation and confirmed that support providing responses lead to higher evaluations. The social support literature indicates that support strategies closely aligned with the components of consumer emotions will be the most effective. Results confirm, that this occurs at high levels of emotion intensity. Instrumental support that matched the well-defined problem oriented components of anger experiences tended to be more effective than emotion support. Instrumental support was also effective for anxious consumers, but a mixed support strategy that matched the occurrence of both emotion-focused and problem-focused coping in anxiety, tended to be more efficacious. Results are discussed in terms of the context specific nature of the components of emotion experience, and of the need to be cognizant of these components when designing provider response strategies.

Crew planning is a complex optimization problem that usually is divided into two separate parts, pairing and rostering. In the rostering process crewmembers are assigned a personal roster, a schedule, for the next coming time period. In order for the crew to have an influence on their roster, SAS have implemented a Preferential Bidding System (PBS) where the crew has the ability to express their wishes regarding their roster, formulated as bids. Generally there is an outspoken dissatisfaction among the crew about PBS and how it works and therefore the questions were raised of how the system could be more transparent and how the bid fulfillment could be communicated both internally and externally. The performed analysis was made with regard to bidding pattern and bid fulfillment and was both quantitative and qualitative. The quantitative part consisted of a thorough review of historic data (delimited to only four months) and a questionnaire, targeting the whole crew collective, was set up as a complementary qualitative analysis. In this thesis the work and result is presented. The result of the analysis shows that satisfaction felt by the crew cannot be directly compared to bid fulfillment as it is measured today. The major aspects of improving the PBS should include a simplification regarding mainly bid types, but also actions in order to increase the transparency of the system and awareness. The recommendation to SAS is to present statistics to crew for each bid type regarding number of placed bids, number of possible fulfillments and how much that is fulfilled thus visualizing the possibility to get a bid fulfilled. A revised range of bid types have also been recommended along with a few minor changes.

This thesis was conducted to assess how the privatization of Iran Air process managed in last efforts and how should it be in right way. It increases the knowledge about privatization in Iran and the need for it. Iran air as our case study is a flag-carrier airline company that is protected by government regulations and subsidies. We try to find the reasons for failure of privatization in Iran Air and their attempt on privatization. The method used to collect data was a qualitative methodology, consisting of semi-structured interviews with relevant managers, and knowledgeable professors and the official sites and press. In conclusion, we find that privatization is an important need for Iran Air Company and the main problems that are against Iran Air can be categorized to political, financial, and social. The effects of political connections are most pronounced in countries with high levels of corruption. Iran’s level of corruption and law enforcement environment are lower than those are in developed countries. The root of financial problems of government and the company is the deficiency of liquidity to compensate the debts, but the share did not sell. The social problem arises from the uncertainty of the future of employees of going private company. Decreasing the level of corruption and increasing law enforcement in country are general solution for political problem. Preparing transparent financial statements and fair evaluation of share base price are our suggestion to Iran Air. The staff must be sure of their future. Social Security Organization and employment laws of country or any other response organization must protect them