The world economic map is changing at a rate faster than ever before in history (Drucker). As it evolves, so does the United States' economy and, by extension, the American workplace - for better and worse (Bernstein). No part of the U.S. economy illustrates the contemporary situation better than the airline industry. Since the late 1970s, the American airline industry has been in the throes of deregulation, a period of intense competition, management-labor strife, and fallen giants such as Pan American Airlines. Those surviving have had to find new definitions of themselves and their industry (Labich, May 2). Among the survivors is United Airlines, whose stockholders agreed to an employee buyout this past July (Annin), becoming America's largest employee-owned company (Labich, August 22). Now comes the difficult part: in the ever-evolving business environment of the '90s, change is necessary - for United Airlines, it is inevitable. The questions this paper will ask all revolve around the issue of change in the United Airlines workplace. Is it desirable? Can it be made a positive? How will it affect management-employee attitudes? Will changing the work environment and internal attitude effect positive changes in United Airlines' industry standing (i.e. productivity)?
The short-term answer to the last question is already a positive. With the first announcement of the union-financed buyout, United's advertising campaign shifted into gear, providing a focal point for a marketing strategy that had been floundering (Kirk). Within days, as reported by Advertising Age, United's 54,000 new "owners" became the stars of airline advertising - "Meet our hands-on managers" touted one slugline under a photograph of mechanics, reservation clerks and pilots - providing a positive ticket-buying momentum in the U.S.-based home market (Lawrence & Teinowitz). This short-term publicity gain was capitalized on by company strategists: a lo...