Assignment Instructions
Complete the following:
- Read the article by Welch (2014) linked in this unit’s Studies and in Resources. Evaluate the context, setting, and rationale of the author’s business problem. Your composition must construct an understanding of the author’s research purpose based on the stated business problem.
- Compose a formal, APA-formatted paper of no more than 700 words (word count excluding title and reference pages) that includes the following:
- Assesses the source by providing justification for regarding it as peer reviewed.
- Argues how the source is an example of applied business research by presenting the context for the underlying study as described by the author.
- Justifies—based on the author’s reasoning—the setting for the applied business problem, that is, how the author defended using a specific research method and design.
- Critiques—using other peer-reviewed sources for support—the author’s rationale for the worth or value of researching the business problem.
- Interprets the rationale of the author’s academic foundation for the study. Upon whose research did the author seek to build or expand upon by researching the business problem?
- Constructs an understanding of the author’s research purpose based on the stated business problem. Include an APA-formatted figure, in addition to the written synthesis, to demonstrate fully your ability to synthesize ideas. Incorporate the figure into the body of the composition, not presented as an attachment or appendix document.
Refer to the Business Problems and Research Purposes Scoring Guide to ensure you meet the grading criteria. Refer to the Literature Review Source Organization [DOC] and add the Welch article to the Scholarly Research Log [XLS], linked in Resources.
Additional Requirements
To achieve a successful experience and outcome, you are expected to meet the following requirements:
- Written communication:Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message, follows standard academic English usage, and uses language appropriate for the intended business and scholarly doctoral audiences.
- Formatting:Paper, references, and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting guidelines in the APA Manual.
- Length:700 words, double-spaced.
- Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.
- Due date:\
- Submission instructions:Attach document in Microsoft Word format and upload to this assignment area. In the Submission text box, enter any brief questions or comments related to your completed assignment.
Article Review
Abstract
The research conducted by Welch (2014), Exploring the impact of communication technologies on business air travel, focuses on the impact of communication technologies on business air travel. The research is an example of applied business research by addressing the impact of emerging communication technologies on the need of business people to use airlines. In this context, the research offers insights that are instrumental in the airline industry, hospitality, and tourism sectors. The research was achieved through phenomenology research, which involves investigating the lived experiences of individuals traveling for business and using emerging communication technologies. The research is in line with insights from other studies that show a decrease in airline travel with the development of effective and cheap communication technologies. Nevertheless, there is a need for mobility of expertise, which implies that business travel will largely remain sustainable, but requires the integration of effective communication technologies in travel companies as well as in the hospitality sector.
Keywords: Communication technologies, Airline Industry, Phenomenology, Business Travel.
Article review
Welch (2014) conducted a study focused on exploring the impact of communication technologies on business air travel. This offered an opportunity to understand the influence of recent advancement in information technologies have affected the outcome of businesses operating in the aviation, tourism, and hospitality. The proof that the research is peer-reviewed lies in its publication in the Journal of Organizational Culture, Communications, and Conflict. This journal focuses on studies centered on organizational culture, which highlights its relevance in understanding the air travel businesses. It also incorporates communications, which is relevant for understanding the implication of communication technologies.
The research by Welch (2014) is an example of applied business research premised on the notion that since 2001, there have been substantial changes in business travel that have been influenced by acts of terrorism. In this context, Welch (2014) highlights that the airline industry has been experiencing challenges, including the bankruptcy of some companies in the sector due to alternative strategies of conducting business. Among the alternative solutions used by businesses is video conferencing that entails taking advantage of the advancements in information and communication technologies in the recent past. In this light, features of applied business research are evident in the tailoring of the insights gathered to inform stakeholders in the airline industry in the context of improving customer communication capabilities when traveling as well as informing how management in the tourism and hospitality industries can engage in positive social change to attract traveling business professionals through the implementation of effective business centers.
Welch’s (2014) research is centered on the need for companies to be innovative in the use of technology to meet customer needs. To develop adequate insights on the problem and subsequent solutions that should be adopted by businesses, Welch (2014) needed to understand the customer’s needs. Subsequently, the researcher conducted phenomenology research. This involved gathering data about the lived experiences of customers who use the services offered by the businesses. Welch (2014) engaged business travelers who used commercial airlines, and those used computer-mediated technologies. The research setting was Atlanta-Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, which facilitated investigations in a real-life context. This case study design offered an opportunity to gather the relevant data that is instrumental in understanding the lived experiences as they are experienced firsthand by the target research participants. The subjective approach facilitated by phenomenology research and case study enabled the research to also identify the underlying influences from the environment where the businesses and the customers interact, leading to an in-depth approach of data collection and a comprehensive account of the findings made.
Welch (2014) stated that the purpose of the research was to explore the perceptions and experiences among businesspeople using commercial airlines and those using the different communication technologies for business. The purpose of the study is in line with the insights presented by Julsrud, Denstadli, and Hjorthol (2014), which shows that the globalization phenomenon has increased business travel with the liberalization of markets across the globe, but communication technologies have offered a cheap and effective approach in meeting business objectives. Further insights from Julsrud et al. (2014) show that there has been a growing trend in the use of different online platforms that are designed to facilitate collaboration among businesses and different stakeholders in different geographic locations. This has led to reduced travel and increased adoption of information systems in organizations. Additionally, Julsrud et al. (2014) argue that the high costs of business travel have influenced the increased adoption of alternatives such as video conferencing that substantially cut the costs, especially in tough economic times. Sentiments from Strengers (2015) show that although there has been increased teleworking across borders limiting the need for travel in many industries, there is also the need for business travel, especially among sectors that require mobility of expertise. Suggestively, there are businesses and organizational operations that require the physical presence of individuals to meet the business objectives. These insights from Julsrud et al. (2014) and Strengers (2015) show that there is a need for both business travel and the adoption of communication technologies, justifying the problem addressed by Welch (2014) in the study.
The research by Welch (2014) is premised on the study by Pearlman and Gates (2010). Welch (2014) builds on this research in the context of a growing need for businesses to innovate in the use of technology in business meetings with the advancement of virtual technologies that facilitate the interaction of people across the globe. The study by Welch adds to the research by Pearlman and Gates (2010) with a specific focus on the airline industry. The insights emerging in the study are also instrumental in the operations of the hospitality and tourism sectors. This is reflected in figure 1 below:
Figure 1. Interaction between traveling and video conferencing for business
Figure 1 shows that a combination of traveling and video conferencing is more effective, according to Welch (2014), in meeting the needs of business travelers. In this light, the customers who need to travel can use video conferencing to engage with different stakeholders and reduce the physical meetings necessary in a particular destination. Additionally, it facilitates the mobility of expertise while improving customer experience.
References
Julsrud, T. E., Denstadli, J. M., & Hjorthol, R. J. (2014). Business networking, travel tiredness, and the emergent use of video conferences. International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 8(4), 262-280.
Strengers, Y. (2015). Meeting in the global workplace: Air travel, telepresence, and the body. Mobilities, 10(4), 592-608.
Welch, M. (2014). Exploring the impact of communication technologies on business air travel. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communications, and Conflict, 18(1), 187.
