gal challenges by government and consumer opposition.
Because of the financial plight of the airline industry, an assessment of the desirability of retaining the yield management based seat inventory management systems is essential. Research into this issue is required because existing research reported in the literature deals with only the narrow financial aspects of yield management based seat inventory management systems.
The issue with which this study is concerned is not simply the short term financial feasibility of yield management based seat inventory management systems, nor the effectiveness of governmental and consumer opposition to such systems. Rather, the problem addressed by this study is and assessment of the desirability of retaining yield management based seat inventory management systems in the face of governmental and consumer opposition.
The problem is researchable through an analysis of airline executive perceptions of several aspects of the issue. The significant aspects of the issue are (1) the perceived financial effectiveness of yield management based seat inventory management systems, (2) the likely impact on airline operations of governmental challenges to these systems, and (3) the implications for airline profitability of consumer opposition to the systems.
The three facets of the issue are operationalized in terms of airline executive perceptions. In the case of the financial effectiveness of yield management based seat inventory management systems, these perceptions are defined in the context of "highly effective," "somewhat effective," and "somewhat ineffective." With respect to the likely impact on airline operations of governmental challenges to these systems, these perceptions are defined in the context of "severely damaging," "somewhat damaging," and "little damage." Perceptions of the implications for airline profitability of consumer opposition to the systems are defined in the con...