Abstract
Senior airport executives often face contradictory goals and objectives. They are expected to maintain financial stability, react promptly to environmental changes, while at the same time assuring public accountability and consistency with social goals. As a result, it can be said senior airport executives perform two basic functions: (1) they manage the airport business in a product or service market, and (2) they manage public support in a political market. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a statistically significant association between characteristics of airport senior executives (business or political orientation; internal or external focus) and strategic choices (decisions) made at public airports with respect to: (1) airport goals, (2) airport fees, (3) financial objectives and policies, (4) financial performance evaluation, and (5) strategy over time in cultivating public support. The study also examined if a business or political orientation is associated with airport management experience, formal education, the airport's authority structure, and/or business and strategic planning. A survey was conducted by questionnaire of two hundred and sixty-two (262) airport senior executives of small and non-hub primary airports throughout the continental United States. This study found that the orientation of the airport senior executive (that is, business or political) is associated with airport goals, clarity of financial objectives and policies, and strategy over time in cultivating public support. Orientation is not, however, associated with the senior manager's airport management experience, his/her formal education, the airport's authority structure, or airport business and strategic planning. A very positive outcome of this exploratory study is that management characteristics of airport senior executives along with airport strategic choices can be operationalized, measured and explained. The study's findings support previous theoretical study and research on government owned enterprises and provides a basis for further empirical research on airport management. If airports are to be truly efficient government entities, an understanding of all the variables affecting airport strategy will do much to ensure airports, as government owned enterprises, maximize business opportunities while properly serving the needs of the public.