Other courses were developed to maintain the momentum created by ‘Putting people first’ and ‘Managing people first’ and, whileMarketing Research and Data Analysis each was different, they all shared a focus on shaping staff emotions. Twenty years after their launch, training still included a focus on understanding oneself and taking responsibility. In 1995, Bob Ayling, having newly taken over as chief executive, continued this active management of company culture and said of his staff: ‘I want them to feel inspired, I want them to feel optimistic, I want them to feel that this is a good place to be’ (‘Dangerous Company’, BBC2, April 2000).

Such change was certainly impressive, but accounts neglect structural reasons for BA’s success (Anthony, 1994). The emphasis on putting people first and caring for one another had been preceded by a rule of fear. BA’s first response to its problems had been a series of redundancies with staff numbers reduced by 40 per cent between 1981 and 1983. The company also had a large share of slots at Heathrow Airport and faced little competition on many of its routes. While staff numbers were cut, infrastructure was dramatically improved. BA invested in control systems, facilities and aircraft. Between 1980 and 1985 BA replaced over half its fleet (Colling, 1995). Computer reservations were introduced; a series of hub and spoke routes developed, and focused competitive pricing introduced (Blyton and Turnbull, 1996).

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