COMMITMENT OF THAI CABIN CREW TO THE BRAND IMAGE OF THAI AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED A MASTERS PROJECT BY MULLIKA KOOSMITHI Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Business English for International Communication at Srinakharinwirot University May 2011 COMMITMENT OF THAI CABIN CREW TO THE BRAND IMAGE OF THAI AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED A MASTERS PROJECT BY MULLIKA KOOSMITHI Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Business English for International Communication at Srinakharinwirot University May 2011 Copyritght 2011 by Srinakharinwirot University COMMITMENT OF THAI CABIN CREW TO THE BRAND IMAGE OF THAI AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED AN ABSTRACT BY MULLIKA KOOSMITHI Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Business English for International Communication at Srinakharinwirot University May 2011 Mullika Koosmithi. (2011). Commitment of Thai Cabin Crew to the Brand Image of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited. Master2s Project, M.A. (Business English for International Communication). Bangkok: Graduate School, Srinakharinwirot University. Project Advisor: Mr. Leroy Alan Quick The purposes of this study were to determine the views of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited2s (TG) Thai cabin crew with regard to their levels of agreement with TG2s brand image, and their willingness and ability to project that image to customers. Data were collected by means of a specially designed questionnaire focused on TG2s declared brand image and that image as seen from the perspective of Keller2s (2008) seven dimensions of customer perceived quality. The questionnaire was distributed to 100 cabin crew members who were Thai citizens and had at least five years experience working as cabin crew with TG. The findings showed that the respondents agreed with the firm2s declared brand image at the <Strongly= level. Over 95% of the responses to the survey indicated that the respondents believed they could influence customers vis-à-vis TG2s brand image. With regard to the respondents2 willingness to project TG2s brand image to customers, 76.13% of the responses were at the <Willing= and <Very Willing= levels. Concerning the respondents2 ability to project TG2s brand image to customers, 71.40% of the responses were at the <Able= and <Very Able= levels. There was a high correlation between the respondents2 willingness and ability. HIJKKLMNKOPQRQSJTUVTWKVTXJNYJZ[OS\]^_TW\O`SJT_WQa`bcdJSOe (KfJgQ) hiNZQOSNJQjXiQTO__QUHTkPiN_WQgJIa`b _`HOebMi hiN KO[[WSJ HlVKW`mW UVQijMi_O]nWjIW`bJ[Ob KfJIW`bJ[OboTpQHTWQ`TIWqTr UZkPiUstQVMIQfQuPNhiNSJTouS\JjJK f[OSVljTsTWvvJoW[soJVjTKfJ_O]nWj VJhJIWgJYJ\JiONSw\mLTSWcUZkPiSJTVkPiVJTQJQJgJjW 2554 KO[[WSJ HlVKW`mW. (2554). !"# $%&'&()*+), +)-#./0$(123. VJTQWZQm^ oo.K. (YJ\JiONSw\mLTSWcUZkPiSJTVkPiVJTQJQJgJjW). STLNU`Zx: _O]nWjIW`bJ[Ob KfJIW`bJ[OboTpQHTWQ`TIWqTr. iJcJTb^`pPsTuS\JVJTQWZQm^: iJcJTb^ [pTib i[OQ HIWS. SJTIWcObHTOyNQpyKpIOjzLsT{VNH^UZkPiouS\J T{eO_HIJKUf|QZXiNSO_YJZ[OS\]^_TW\O`SJT- _WQa`b cdJSOe (KfJgQ) hiNZQOSNJQjXiQTO__QUHTkPiN_WQgJIa`b }[{T{eO_HIJKUj|KRc TIK`OyNT{eO_HIJKVJKJTzRQ`OoQ{hiNZQOSNJQjXiQTO__QUHTkPiN_WQgJIa`bRQSJTUVTWKVTXJN YJZ[OS\]^_TW\O`SJT_WQa`b cdJSOe (KfJgQ) }SM~lXqebVJT UHTkPiNKki`pPRgXRQSJTUS|_TI_TIKhXiKl[Hki}__Vi_zJK`pPiiS}__KJUstQZWUo\ KLMNUQXQ`pP YJZ[OS\]^hiN_TW\O`SJT_WQa`b cdJSOe (KfJgQ) }[{KLKKiNjMiYJZ[OS\]^QOyQjJK }QIHIJKHWeUTkPiNSJTTO_TlXhiN[lSHXJRQUgWNHL]YJZ 7 KWjW hiN Keller (2008) S[LMKjOIibMJN`pPRgXRQSJTouS\JHkiZQOSNJQjXiQTO__QUHTkPiN_WQgJIa`b~lXKpsT{V_SJT]^ RQSJT`dJNJQUstQZQOSNJQjXiQTO__QUHTkPiN_WQhiN_TW\O`SJT_WQa`b cdJSOe (KfJgQ) jOyN}jM 5 shuyQas cdJQIQ`OyNVWyQ 100 HQ ~[SJTIWcObZ_IMJ ~lXji_}__Vi_zJKUf|QZXiNSO_YJZ[OS\]^hiN_TW\O`SJT_WQa`b cdJSOe (KfJgQ) RQT{eO_ <Uf|QeXIbKJS=, S[LMKjOIibMJNcdJQIQKJSSIMJ 95% UgkPiIMJVJKJTzclNRc ~lXqebVJTRfXUf|QzuNYJZ[OS\]^hiN_TW\O`SJT_WQa`b cdJSOe (KfJgQ) aeX, S[LMKjOIibMJNcdJQIQ 76.13% KpHIJKUj|KRcRQSJTUVTWKVTXJNYJZ[OS\]^hiN_TW\O`SJT_WQa`bcdJSOe (KfJgQ) }SM- ~lXqebVJTiblMRQT{eO_Uj|KRczuNUj|KRcKJS, S[LMKjOIibMJNcdJQIQ 71.40% T{_LIMJKpHIJKVJKJTzRQ SJTUVTWKVTXJNYJZ[OS\]^hiNiNH^STiblMRQT{eO_VJKJTzsW_OjWaeXzuNVJKJTzsW_OjWaeXKJS }[{ HMJVfVOKZOQm^T{fIMJNHIJKUj|KRc}[{HIJKVJKJTzRQSJTUVTWKVTXJNYJZ[OS\]^hiNiNH^ST}SM ~lXqebVJThiN~lXji_}__Vi_zJK Z_IMJKpHIJKVOKZOQm^SOQVlN The Masters Project Advisor, Chair of the Business English for International Communication Program and the Oral Defense Committee have approved this Masters Project as partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts Degree in Business English for International Communication at Srinakharinwirot University. Masters Project Advisor: 7777777777777777777777. (Mr. Leroy A. Quick) Chair of the Business English for International Communication Program: 777777777777..7777777777. (Dr. Saiwaroon Chumpavan) Oral Defense Committee: 7777777777777777777777.. Chair (Mr. Leroy A. Quick) .7777777777777777777777. Committee Member (Dr. Prapaipan Aimchoo) 7777777777777777777777.. Committee Member (Assistant Professor Sirinna Boonyasaquan) This Masters Project has been approved as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Business English for International Communication at Srinakharinwirot University. 77777.7777777777.77, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities (Dr. Wanee Aujsatid) May 7.., 2011 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to Mr. Leroy A. Quick, my Masters Project Advisor, for his valuable guidance, constructive comments and encouragement throughout this study. I also would like to thank Assistant Professor Dr. Nitaya Suksaeresup, Dr. Prapaipan Aimchoo, and Assistant Professor Sirinna Boonyasaquan, my defense committee members for their valuable guidance and useful comments. I would also like to express my gratitude to all the instructors in the Business English for International Communication Program for their dedication. My sincere thanks extend to many others, but especially: my boss and colleagues at Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, and my classmates at Srinakharinwirot University for their support, cooperation and assistance. Finally, I am grateful to my family for their love, care, great inspiration and encouragement throughout my study. Without all of those wonderful people, this study would never have been possible. Mullika Koosmithi TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page 1 INTRODUCTION77777777777777777777777777.. 1 Background7777777777777777777777777777 1 Research Questions777777777777777777777777. 13 Significance of the Study777777777777777777777.7 14 Scope of the Study777777777777777777777777... 14 Participants7777777777777777777777777777. 15 Method of the Study777777777777777777777777. 15 Definition of Terms7777777777777777777777777 16 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE777777777777777.77 17 Brand777777777777777777777777777777... 17 Brand Image777777777777777777777777777.. 21 Perceived Quality7777777777777777777777777.. 24 Brief History of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited777. 35 Related Research7777777777777777777777777. 38 3 METHODOLOGY7777777777777777777777777..... 42 Participants 7777777777777777777777777777 42 Research Instrument77777777777777777777777.... 43 Data Collection7777777777777777777777777.7.. 53 Data Analysis77777777777777777777777777..... 54 4 FINDINGS77777777777777777777777777777.. 55 Part 1: Status and Professional Experience77777777777777. 56 Part 2: Agreement with Thai Airways International Public Company Limiteds brand image77777777777777777777. 57 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Chapter Page Part 3: Projection of Thai Airways International Public Company Limiteds brand image77777777777777777777. 69 5 CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION7777777777777777.7.. 96 Conclusions7777777777777777777777777777 96 Discussion7777777777777777777777777777.. 100 Limitations of the Study7777777777777777777777... 104 Recommendations for Further Study77777777777777777. 105 REFERENCES777777777777777777777777777777 107 APPENDIX77777777777777777777777777777777 112 Appendix 1: Table and Figures7777777777777777777.77. 112 Appendix 2: Questionnaire7777777777777777777777....... 117 Appendix 3: Approval Letter7777777777777777777777..... 122 VITAE7777777777777777777777777777777........... 124 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Summary of TGs operating results for fiscal year 200877777777Appendix 1 2 Status and Professional Experience7777777777777777777 56 3 The Levels of Agreement with Thai Airways International Public Company Limiteds Brand Image77777777777777777777777.... 58 4 The Levels of Agreement with Thai Airways International Public Company Limiteds Declared Brand Image7777777777777777777... 60 5 The Levels of Agreement with Thai Airways International Public Company Limiteds Brand Image as seen through Kellers Performance Dimension7... 61 6 The Levels of Agreement with Thai Airways International Public Company Limiteds Brand Image as seen through Kellers Features Dimension77.7. 62 7 The Levels of Agreement with Thai Airways International Public Company Limiteds Brand Image as seen through Kellers Conformance Quality Dimension77. 63 8 The Levels of Agreement with Thai Airways International Public Company Limiteds Brand Image as seen through Kellers Reliability Dimension777 64 9 The Levels of Agreement with Thai Airways International Public Company Limiteds Brand Image as Seen through Kellers Durability Dimension777 65 10 The Levels of Agreement with Thai Airways International Public Company Limiteds Brand Image as Seen through