The post pandemic air transport competitive advantages: new normal challenges of strategic human resource management (the case study of Bangkok Airways)

College of Hospitality Industry Management, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, 1 U Thong Nok rd., Dusit, Bangkok, Thailand, 10300Bangkok, Thailand

^* Corresponding author: kanittha.ch@ssru.ac.th

Abstract

The epidemic clearly proven that every industry of the economy should never undervalue external environment. Every business needs to be flexible and adaptable without losing sight of their primary objective of profitability. Whereas, internal organizational management needs to be strategically focused. In consequent, an effective management of human resources is essential to enhancing business operations. The air transport industry is particularly sensitive to environmental fluctuations. Therefore, this study emphasizes strategic human resource management to strengthen Thailand's aviation industry's competitive advantage characteristics in the modern period of the new normal culture. The data were collected by using a number of sample questionnaires, which collected from a ground staff employee of Bangkok Airways. In order to evaluate Bangkok Airways' level of human resource management and level of competitive advantage, the sample group of employees was divided into two groups. There are 585 persons in total between the first group of 310 employees as officer level and the second group of 275 supervisors and manager’s level. According to the research findings, in terms of factors influencing competitive advantage in strategic human resource management, Strategic Alignment (SA) is the most crucial element to be implemented.