ABSTRACT
In the wake of events that have occurred over recent months, the airlines have found themselves facing increased organizational tensions and greater competitive chaIlenges than they have seen in the last several decades. Even before September 11,2001 , however, airlines recognized that passengers and those responsible for making their travel decisions were being offered a wider array of flying choices than ever before. For example, when Southwest was successful by offering lowcost fares with no-frill services, Uni ted Airlines followed suit by offering their own versions of this strategy caIled 'Shuttle by United. ' On a more personal level, airlines have also been trying to devise strategies to draw customers away from their competitors. Redeerning the frequent flyer miles customers have with other airlines is one such method. Another factor that can either improve or reduce the competitiveness of an airline is the ability of organizational members from various groups within the organization to work together productively. Unlike many industries, in most airlines several different unions represent various employee groups (i.e., flight attendants, pilots, maintenance technicians, customer service agents) . As a resuIt, the ways in which organizational members view the actions of these different groups within the organization, or subcultures as they wiII be referred to in this article, are often filtered or Iimited by their affiliations within their own subculture. Individuals fail to recognize the impact that they have on other groups' members or the ways they are impacted upon. This leads members of different subcuItures to feel and even act antagonistically toward each other rather than working toward their shared overall organizational goals.
