Aesthetic labour, cost minimisation and the labour process in the Asia Pacific airline industry
| Date | 01 April 2005 |
| Published date | 01 April 2005 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450510572702 |
| Pages | 193-207 |
| Author | Leslee Spiess,Peter Waring |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
YOUNG RESEARCHER
Aesthetic labour, cost
minimisation and the labour
process in the Asia Pacific airline
industry
Leslee Spiess and Peter Waring
Employment Studies Centre, University of Newcastle,
Callaghan, Australia
Abstract
Purpose – Low cost carriers (LCC) in the Asia Pacific are pursuing a strategy of marketing the
aesthetic qualities of their cabin crew in order to differentiate their “value proposition”. This strategy
concentrates on the physical dispositions of employees, thus mobilising the concepts of aesthetic and
sexualised labour for commercial purposes. This paper aims to investigate some of the practical and
ethical issues of such a strategy. In addition, the paper seeks to explore the boundary between the
theoretical concepts of aesthetic and sexualised labour.
Design/methodology/approach – Presents two vignettes from the emerging LCC industry in the
Asia Pacific. The first vignettes is of Virgin Blue, a LCC operating in the Australian domestic airline
industry; the second vignette is of Air Asia, first established as a domestic LCC in Malaysia, but has
now expanded to international short-haul routes within the region.
Findings – The strategic deployment of aesthetic and sexualised labour in LCCs is ethically
problematic on a number of levels. Concomitantly, this strategy is potentially undermined by the
contradictory focus on cost minimisation, essential for LCC survival. Thus, the use of aesthetic and
sexualised labour as a commercial strategy has the potential to become unstable over time because of
the competitive dynamics and the somewhat paradoxical need to reduce costs while improving service
standards.
Originality/value – The conceptual boundary between aesthetic and sexualised labour is explored
in the new LCC industry in the Asia Pacific. The ethical and practical consequences, and the
sustainability of such a strategy in this new environment are considered.
Keywords Airlines, Competitive advantage, Marketing strategy, Professional ethics
Paper type Viewpoint
Introduction
Competition in the Asia Pacific airline industry has intensified in recent years in
response to the combined effects of the entry of new low cost airlines such as Virgin
Blue, Australian Airlines, Air Asia, JetStar and Freedom Air, and as a result of the
adverse travel environment brought about by fears of terrorism, the Iraq war and
SARS. The entry of low cost competitors, coupled with the adverse operating
environment, has forced the entire industry to adopt cost minimisation strategies in
response. As a result, many airlines are now compelled to restructure their
organisations in order to cut costs. Some of these cost cutting initiatives include
“off-shoring” some jobs to lower cost environments, intensifying capital utilisation,
business decentralisation, franchising, out-sourcing non-core activities, in addition to
The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm
Asia Pacific
airline industry
193
Employee Relations
Vol. 27 No. 2, 2005
pp. 193-207
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/01425450510572702
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