CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 108
Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The previous chapter was devoted to the statement of the problem & objectives. This chapter relates to the research methodology used to seek answers to research questions, thus posed. Specifically, an attempt will be made to describe the nature of population and the sample selected from it, the questionnaire, procedure for data collection and statistical techniques used to analyze the data. The research process consists of a set of controlled steps which the researcher follows in order to investigate a certain phenomenon. (De la Rey, 1978) Statistics plays an important part in this process and is an indispensible tool for social sciences research. Statistics is concerned with the collection and analysis of data in order to obtain a better understanding of phenomena. It provides the researcher with useful techniques for evaluating ideas, testing theory and discussing scientific truths. (Healey, 1992) This chapter aims to discuss the relevant methodology & approaches used in the empirical aspects of this study. 109
3.1 The population A population can be described as all persons, animals, or objects that have a determined characteristic and that can be found in a determined place at a determined time. (Wilson, 2005) According to Clarke and Cooke (1992), it is useful to further define population into two categories: The Target Population and the Study Population. The target population is the population about which the researcher wants information. The study population is the population about which the researcher can obtain information. As the present study is concerned with the Indian Aviation Industry, all air carriers that have their registered office in India and operate flights to and fro from India as well as within India, are part of population for this study. Hence, it will be relevant to briefly discuss the commercial air carriers that are currently operational in India. Hence, the target population of this study includes all commercial pilots currently working with Indian air carriers and the HR departments of all these airlines. 1. NACIL: The Air India Limited is a company that was formed as National Aviation Company of India Limited by the government of India to oversee the merger of Air India and Indian. The company was renamed as Air India Limited on October 26, 2010. It is the oldest air carrier in India which is still operational. It commenced its operations in 1932. It was incorporated under the Companies Act 1956 on 30 March 2007 and was owned by the Government of India based at the Air India Building in Nariman Point, Mumbai. The Company was created to facilitate 110
the merger of the two main state-owned airlines in India: Air India, with its subsidiary Air-India Express and Indian, together with its subsidiary Alliance Air (now called Air India Regional). It operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. 2. Jet Airways: It is a major private Indian air carrier based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is India's largest private airline and the market leader in the domestic sector. It operates over 400 flights daily to 67 destinations worldwide. Its main hub is Chhatrapati Shivali International Airport, Mumbai. Jet Airways was incorporated as an air taxi operator on 1 April 1992. It started Indian commercial airline operations on 5 May 1993 with a fleet of four leased Boeing 737-300 aircraft. In January 1994 a change in the law enabled Jet Airways to apply for scheduled airline status, which was granted on 4 January 1995. It began international operations to Sri Lanka in March 2004. On 12 April 2007 Jet Airways agreed to buy out Air Sahara. Air Sahara was renamed JetLite, and was marketed between a low-cost carrier and a full service airline. In August 2008 Jet Airways announced its plans to completely integrate JetLite into Jet Airways. On 8 May 2009 Jet Airways launched its low-cost brand, Jet Konnect. 3. Kingfisher Airlines: Kingfisher Airlines is an airline group based in India. It commenced its operations in May 2005. Its head office is Kingfisher House in Vile Parle (East), Mumbai. Kingfisher Airlines, through its parent company United Breweries Group, has a 50% stake in Low cost carrier, Kingfisher Red. 111
Kingfisher Airlines is one of the seven airlines to be ranked as a 5-star airline by the independent research consultancy firm Skytrax. Kingfisher operates more than 375 daily flights to 71 destinations, with regional and long-haul international services. In May 2009, Kingfisher Airlines carried more than a million passengers, giving it the highest market share among airlines in India. 4. GoAir: GoAir is an Indian low cost airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It operates domestic passenger services to 18 cities with 131 daily flights and approximately 917 weekly flights. Its main base is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai. It was established in 2005. 5. IndiGo: IndiGo is a private domestic low-cost airline based in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. It operates domestic services linking 25 destinations. Its main base is Delhi s Indira Gandhi International Airport. It was awarded the title of Best Domestic Low Cost Carrier in India for 2008. It commenced its operation on August 4, 2006. 6. SpiceJet: SpiceJet is a low cost airline headquartered in Gurgaon, India. It began service in May 2005 and by 2008, it was India's second-largest low-cost airline in terms of market share. SpiceJet was voted as the best low-cost airline in South Asia and Central Asia region by Skytrax in 2007. 112
Market Share of these airlines in Domestic Indian Aviation Market as on April 11, 2012 Figure 3.1:Market Share of Indian Air Carriers in Indian Aviation Market Source: DGCA 3.2 The Sample: According to Malhotra (1996), the basic principle of sampling is that by selecting some of the elements in a population, a researcher may draw conclusions about the entire population. Sampling is thus appropriate when the population size is large and if the cost and time associated with obtaining information from the population is high. The research described in this study was solely aimed at commercial pilots currently working with Indian Air Carriers and the HR departments of their employers. The term current implies that the pilots asked to respond had to hold a valid pilot s license in India at the time of study & that they were also engaged in services at any 113
of the Indian air carriers. The HR departments of various Indian air carriers were also the part of sample. 3.3 Sample Size: The study was conducted in the airlines headquartered in India. In 2010, when the data was collected by the researcher for the purpose of this study, total number of pilots working in India was 4084. (www.indianaviationnews.net) However, all these pilots were not working with commercial airlines having their headquarters in India. Besides, the sample for the purpose of this study involved only the pilots who were based in Mumbai as it was extremely difficult to study the pilots based outside Mumbai. The number of commercial pilots working with various air carriers in Mumbai was approximately 2400. Out of these pilots, 261 pilots were interviewed for the purpose of this study. The sample of the population was taken into two parts, i.e. 261 commercial pilots working with six organizations & the HR executives of the three leading air carriers in India. The method for sampling of commercial pilots was random sampling & for HR executives, non probability purposive sampling was used. 114
Demographics of the Sample: Table 3.1- Gender Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Male 233 89.3 89.3 89.3 Female 28 10.7 10.7 100.0 Total 261 100.0 100.0 Out of 261 commercial pilots surveyed for the purpose of this thesis, 233 were males that formed 89.3% of the sample and only 28 were females as even today the number of female pilots in Indian aviation industry is very low. Table 3.2 Age Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 20-30 years 119 45.6 45.6 45.6 30-40 years 94 36.0 36.0 81.6 40-50 years 35 13.4 13.4 95.0 50+ years 13 5.0 5.0 100.0 Total 261 100.0 100.0 The pilots were categorized into four age groups, i.e. Majority of the respondents was in the age group of 20 30 years. This formed 45.6 % of the total sample. Another 36% of the sample was in the age group of 30 40 years, while the age categories of 40 50 years and 50 + years were represented by 13.4% and 5% respondents respectively. 115
Table 3.3 Experience Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 0-5 years 110 42.1 42.1 42.1 5-10 years 67 25.7 25.7 67.8 10-15 years 33 12.6 12.6 80.5 15+ years 51 19.5 19.5 100.0 Total 261 100.0 100.0 Majority of the pilots studied for the purpose of this research, i.e. 42.1% had less than five years of work experience. 25.7% of the respondents had 25.7% of work experience. 12.6% of the respondents were working as commercial pilots for ten to fifteen years whereas the pilots who were working for more than fifteen years formed 19.5% of the total sample. Table 3.4 Organization Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 123 47.1 47.1 34.9 2 138 52.9 52.9 100.0 Total 261 100.0 100.0 Organizations were categorized into Public Sector Organization and Private sector Organization for the purpose of this study. Public Sector Organization was represented by 47. 1% of the pilots and 52.9% of the pilots represented various Private Sector Airlines. 116
3.4 Methodology of Data Collection: The nature of research can be either qualitative or quantitative or both. According to Malhotra (1996:164), qualitative research is an unstructured, exploratory research method based on small samples intended to provide insight and understanding about the problem statement. Quantitative research involves the collection of primary data from a large number of individuals, frequently with the intention of projecting the results onto the larger population. (Martins et al, 1996:125) 3.4.1 Collection of Primary Data There are various methods of collecting primary research data, namely mail-based self administered questionnaire, telephone interviews, personal interviews and focus groups. This study relied heavily on personal interviews and telephone interviews. For purpose of this study, different air carriers that have their registered office in India were studied. It included both public sector as well as private sector airlines operating in India that have domestic flights in India as well as international flights to & from India. For the purpose of this study, data was collected in two parts, i.e. a) the Executives from the Human Resource Departments of these air carriers were personally interviewed by the researcher along with the questionnaire that was administered to them. b) The commercial pilots working with these airlines were either met personally and the questionnaire was administered to them or a phone call was made to them & then they were sent questionnaires. This was done after obtaining necessary permissions from all respective airlines. 117
Altogether 261 commercial pilots working with six air carriers from India were surveyed ranging from First Officer to Check Pilot from age group of 21 years to 50+. The survey was conducted using two separate questionnaires specially designed for this purpose. One questionnaire was designed for the HR departments of the Indian air carriers where the Executives working with these airlines shared their current recruitment & retention practices with the researcher and the second questionnaire was designed for the commercial pilots working with these airlines where these pilots shared how they perceive their employers in terms of recruitment & retention practices. Both the executives and the pilots were briefed on the purpose for data collection. They were also given an assurance that the data collected would be kept confidential & would be used for research purpose only. 3.4.2 Secondary Data Secondary data was collected through various journals, e-journals, magazines & books available on this subject. The articles & research papers published were also the part of the study. The HRD policies of the concerned organizations were also significant to the study. 3.4.3 Variables under Study A variable is any stimulus factor or behavior that can change on some dimension and that can be observed, sometimes controlled and measures. In scientific research, variables that can be quantified with precision are preferred. (Walsh, 2002:1) 118
The operational definition denotes a variable in terms of the operations or techniques used to obtain or measure it. When quantitative researchers describe the variables in their study, they specify what they mean by demonstrating how they measured a variable. Demographic variables are usually defined by asking respondents to choose an appropriate category from a list, while abstract concepts need to be defined operationally by defining in detail how they were measured in a particular study. (Morgan, Griego, 1998:1) Independent Variable: An independent variable in an experiment is the variable under the control of the scientist/investigator and which is believed to have the potential to alter or influence the dependent variable. (Walsh, 2002:1) The independent variable used in this study is recruitment of commercial pilots by Indian air carriers. Dependent Variable: Walsh (2002:1) defines dependent variable as the response or behavior in an experiment that is being studied in order to determine if it has been influenced by or altered by the independent variable. It is therefore, the presumed outcome or criterion. The dependent variable in this study is retention of commercial pilots by Indian air carriers. 3.4.4 Methodology of Quantitative Analysis 1. An initial understanding of data was obtained using Descriptive Statistics. Mean, Median, Standard Deviation & correlation were used for subsequent predictions of the data. 119
2. Factor Analysis was carried out to understand the variables that can be grouped together to find out the relation between independent variable (Recruitment) and dependent variable (Retention). 3. Reliability Study was carried out using Cronbach s alpha that matched the results of pilot study. 4. Regression Analysis & ANOVA were carried out to find the direction of the relationship between the independent & dependent variable. 5. Reverse coding was done on all items with a negative sign to change the direction of the scoring, so that high scores indicate a positive statement, while low scores point to negative statements about recruitment and retention. Standard Statistical package, SPSS 16 was used to carry out this analysis. For conducting surveys, suitable questionnaires were prepared. 3.4.5 The Instruments The design of a questionnaire is one of the most challenging elements for both students and professionals in research. Ambrose and Anstey (2001:1) believe that while there is a vast array of literature on the correct wording and sequencing of questions, the informational content of questions has been virtually ignored. The current level of research entails the use of very precise tools of analysis, but very illdefined processes of research. According to Kinnear and Taylor, as quoted by Ambrose and Anstey (2001:1), questionnaire design is more an art form than a scientific undertaking. No steps, principles, or guidelines can guarantee an effective and efficient questionnaire. 120
Gendall (1998:3) argues that the fundamental principle of a questionnaire design is that the respondent defines what the researcher can accomplish. In other words, the target respondent will determine the type of questions a researcher can ask, the types of words the researcher can reasonable use, the concepts that may be explored, and the methodology that can be employed. For this reasons, a survey aimed at aviators will be quite different from the one aimed at the general public. Many questionnaires give the impression that the creator of the questionnaire imagined every conceivable question that might be asked in respect of the topic in question. Alternatively, a committee may have incorporated all the questions generated by its members. Fray (2000) is of the opinion that such approaches should be avoided, as they tend to yield very long questionnaires, often with many questions relevant only to small proportion of the sample, resulting mostly in annoyance on part of many respondents. The added time it takes to complete the questionnaire, as well as the belief that responses are unimportant, if many of the questions are inapplicable, will result in incomplete and/or inaccurate responses. These difficulties can yield largely useless results. The questionnaire used for the purpose of this research includes some questions that are repetitive in nature as they try to assess different dimensions of recruitment and retention at different places. The respondents were clearly made aware of this element of the questionnaire while administering it by the researcher. Recruitment & Retention Questionnaire: Using the framework of Recruitment & Selection Questionnaire developed by Das (1992) for engineering industry, an 121
attempt was made to design two separate instruments for the purpose of this study: one for the commercial pilots working with Indian Air Carriers and another one for the HR department of the airlines in India. The instruments were modified to suit the recruitment process in Indian Aviation Industry. During the process, the guidance was sought from the experts in aviation field to include the various dimensions of recruitment process that are specific the aviation industry, especially in Indian context. The retention part of the questionnaire was developed with the help of many retention questionnaires that are available online. Again the guidance was sought from the experts in aviation field to find out the relevance & suitability of these questions in aviation industry. The five point Likert scale was utilized in this study in order to determine respondents opinions on a variety of items. The Likert Scale is the most frequently used variation of the summated rating scale and the most popular choice for surveys. The Likert scale is a scale consisting of a number of evaluative statements. (Dillon et al, 1993:292) Summated scaled consist of statements that express either favorable or an unfavorable attitude towards the item in question. The respondent is required to agree or disagree with each statement. Each response is given a numerical score to reflect its degree of attitudinal approval. Likert scales aid researchers in comparing individuals scores with the distribution of scores from a well-defined group. The questionnaire for the commercial pilots was designed using five point scale and was divided into three parts: scale ranging from a) Totally Agree = 1 to Totally 122
Disagree = 5, b) Always = 1 to Never = 5, and c) two Multi-choice questions. The attempt to understand the process of recruitment & retention of commercial pilots in India using the factorial approach resulted in five components of recruitment & four components of retention.. The questionnaire had altogether 67 items. The recruitment factors are: 1) Encouraging & Employee Friendly Recruitment Policy: This factor had six items with the individual loading in the range of.50 to.72. 2) Impact of External Forces: This factor contains four items with the individual loading in the range of.40 to.80. 3) Organizational Internal Factors: This factor consisted of three items with the individual loading in the range of.48 to.69. 4) Employment Brand: This factor consisted of two items with the individual loading in the range of.42 to.46. 5) Organizational Growth and Self Advancement Opportunities: This factor includes two items with the individual loading in the range of.49 to.56. Four retention factors include: 1) Positive Work Culture: This first factor comprises of twenty six items with individual loading in the range of.40 to.85 and is called Positive Work Culture. 2) Opportunities for Individual Growth & Development: This second retention factor that comprises of eight items with individual loading in the range of.41 to.74 is called Opportunities for Individual Growth & Development. 123
3) Salary-Benefit Package: The third factor of retention that comprises of two items with individual loading in the range of.41 to.57 is called Salary-Benefit Package. 4) Opportunity for Self-Achievement: This fourth factor of retention that comprises of three items with individual loading in the range of.60 to.76 is called Opportunity for Self Achievement. This questionnaire was divided into three parts. Part 1 of this questionnaire was designed in such a way that all the responses could be rated on a five point rating scale ranging from Totally Agree = 1 to Totally Disagree = 5. This part was further divided into two sections: Section A that dealt with recruitment and Section B that dealt with retention. Part 2 of this questionnaire consisted of statements that could be rated using five point rating scale ranging from Always = 1 to Never = 5. Part 3 of the questionnaire consisted of multiple choice questions and included statements both pertaining to recruitment and retention. The questionnaire designed to survey the HR departments of Indian air carriers was also developed using the theoretical framework by R.P. Das (1992). The questionnaire was divided into three major parts and then each part was subdivided into Section A and Section B where Section A consisted of the items related to Recruitment & Section B consisted of items related to Retention. First part of this questionnaire consisted of five point rating scale ranging for Totally Agree = 1 to Totally Disagree = 5. The second part consisted of five point rating scale ranging from Always = 1 to Never = 5. The third part consisted of multiple choice statements. Quantitative analysis was done using 124
descriptive statistics as the sample size was very small. Part three of the questionnaire was also analyzed qualitatively. Altogether 81 queries (statements) were raised regarding different aspects of recruitment & retention practices currently used by the HR departments of the Indian air carriers. As the sample size of HR executives was very small, i.e., three HR executives from three Indian air carriers were surveyed, frequency distribution was carried out to analyze their HR practices regarding recruitment and retention of commercial pilots working with them. 125