Adaptation and Validation of the Employer Attractiveness Scale for the Air Transport Industry: Attracting Future Employees

Introduction

The air transport industry involves a wide range of companies which are airlines, airports, air cargo carriers, ground handling companies, and other facilitating organizations such as air traffic management organizations, maintenance, and repair organizations (MROs), and catering companies (Schmitt & Gollnick, 2016; Tabares & Mora-Camino, 2017). The primary goal of this extensive and complex system is to provide air transport service, which requires the cooperation of organizations specialized in various businesses. In addition to specialization in operations, human capital is one of the primary pillars in achieving a sustainable competitive advantage for companies in the air transport industry (Berthon et al., 2005; Harvey & Turnbull, 2020). Due to the service-intensive nature of the air transport industry, employees play a crucial role in the success of companies. In this context, it is evident that the specialization of air transport companies in operations directly depends on the competencies of the employees.

On the other hand, service quality has a significant effect on business performance in service businesses (Ramayah et al., 2011). As in all service businesses, it is the same for air transport companies. The ultimate goal of companies in the air transport industry is to provide a service that meets the passengers' needs and expectations. Many studies in this field have presented that providing the service that best meets passenger needs and expectations will positively affect service quality and, subsequently, customer satisfaction (Farooq et al., 2018; F. T. Shah et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2011). Because the service delivery process involves simultaneous production and consumption, employees have critical importance in ensuring service quality. As a result, the air transport industry needs to employ qualified employees to fulfill the expectations of passengers.

Recent studies reveal the importance of internal marketing for service businesses (Gounaris, 2008). The internal marketing concept acknowledges that the initial market of a company is its employees (George, 1990). When the situation is considered from this perspective, the internal products that companies offer to their employees are jobs (Berthon et al., 2005). This also makes employees the initial customers. Therefore, when jobs are ensured to motivate employees and meet their wants and needs, the level of service quality offered by the company will also improve. In addition, the efforts to be carried out in the context of internal marketing will ensure that the company is preferable by qualified personnel. On the other hand, the sum of communication efforts aiming at current and potential employees that the company is a desirable place to work is defined as employer brand, which is closely associated with the internal marketing concept (Lloyd, 2002). As Slåtten, Lien and Svenkerud stated (2019), internal market-oriented culture and organizational attractiveness are associated with turnover intentions, employee engagement, and service quality provision. In this context, companies place high importance on efforts to build strong employer brands to gain advantages, such as lower employee acquisition costs, improved employee relations, increased employee retention, and the ability to offer lower salaries for employees at the same level than companies with weaker employer brands (Berthon et al., 2005; Leekha Chhabra & Sharma, 2014).