Green Information Technology in Airline Companies: A Case Study

Özet

Purpose – The aviation industry, and especially airline companies, are some of the critical culprits in terms of green IT due to the negative environmental outcomes resulting from the technology and applications they use. It is crucial for the aviation industry to acknowledge this obligation and for airline businesses to operate in accordance with it. In this study, a case study was conducted to reveal green IT practices in airline companies and the employee's approach to green processes. Design/Methodology/Approach – In order to examine the current conditions, the "Case Study" method, one of the qualitative research methods, was employed in this study. Purposive and snowball sampling methods, which are non-probability sampling techniques, were used, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants, including managers and employees from a low-cost airline company. The interview forms were prepared considering the units and positions within the organization. The interview data were evaluated through content analysis. Findings – Based on the results obtained, green IT practices in the airline company were identified in terms of knowledge, awareness, policies, investments, human resources practices, and promotional activities. It was determined that the airline company has adopted national and international policies to support green IT and made investments in this direction. However, despite the presence of training programs related to sustainability, it is noteworthy that green IT knowledge and awareness have not been widely disseminated. Discussion – According to the study findings, it is seen that the airline company has many applications that can be associated with green IT and the activities carried out by departments vary. However, employees believe that the company implements these practices to reduce costs and make profits rather than green IT and sustainability. According to the study's findings, the airline company has several practices that can be linked to green IT, and the activities conducted by different departments vary. However, employees perceive these practices as primarily aimed at cost reduction and profit generation, rather than green IT and sustainability. Additionally, the green IT initiatives within the company are primarily categorized under sustainability and evaluated in a broader context. While this is understandable, to capture the attention of employees, green IT activities could be carried out separately through training sessions and campaigns. It is thought that the results obtained from the study are guiding airline companies and other stakeholders of the aviation industry.