Asking AI to
produce an MBA research theme and proposal: on airline business (information
from perplexity.ai)
My question
1: "Please propose an MBA research
theme, via the pragmatism lens, based on the following key words: retrench
strategies employed in the Hong Kong airline sector, business decline, talent
management."
The reply:
"A pragmatism lens in MBA
research emphasizes practical consequences, real-world applicability, and
actionable outcomes over abstract theorizing, focusing on what
"works" to solve problems in dynamic contexts like business decline.
Proposed Theme
Pragmatic
Evaluation of Retrenchment Strategies' Impact on Talent Retention in Hong
Kong's Declining Airline Sector.
This theme
examines how airlines like Hong Kong Airlines have pragmatically balanced
cost-cutting retrenchments (e.g., job cuts of 400 staff in 2020 amid COVID-19
and over 100 via attrition in 2019) with talent management during business
decline, prioritizing strategies that sustain operational recovery.
Pragmatism Framing
Pragmatism views
knowledge as tools for problem-solving; here, it assesses retrenchment not as
theoretical HR policy but by its practical effects on workforce stability, such
as high turnover from poor motivation and leadership at Hong Kong Airlines,
contrasted with retention tactics like engagement programs and recruitment
drives. Research would test "what works" via mixed methods—surveys of
airline employees and case analysis—measuring outcomes like reduced attrition
rates and service quality post-retrenchment.
Key Research Questions
·
How have retrenchment
strategies (e.g., unpaid leave, natural attrition) pragmatically influenced
talent retention amid Hong Kong airline decline?
·
What talent management
interventions (e.g., motivation, leadership) yield measurable recovery in
workforce capacity?
·
To what extent do these
strategies' practical consequences support long-term viability in a
post-pandemic sector facing pilot shortages?
Practical Implications
Findings could
guide HK airlines toward hybrid models—e.g., outsourcing non-core roles
alongside upskilling—to minimize talent loss, offering MBA-level insights for
crisis management in cyclical industries."
My question
2: "Based on the research theme
suggest above, please offer a part-time 4-month MBA dissertation proposal with
the following information:
1. Dissertation report title
2. 3 research issues (including research gaps) and 3 Hong Kong public media
reported issues. (with a reference list in Harvard reference format) 3. 4
research objectives and 3 research questions 4. 2 primary research methods and
1 secondary research method. 5. 4 academic theories related to retrenchment
strategy, talent management, business decline (with a reference list in Harvard
reference format) 6. A brief justification of the dissertation proposal in
terms of academic, practical and originality value.".
The reply:
"
1. Dissertation
Report Title
Pragmatic
Evaluation of Retrenchment Strategies' Impact on Talent Retention in Hong
Kong's Declining Airline Sector: A Mixed-Methods Study.
2. Research Issues and HK Media Reports
Research Issues (with Gaps)
·
Limited empirical evidence on
the long-term pragmatic effectiveness of retrenchment timing (e.g., early vs.
delayed layoffs) in talent retention for Asian airlines amid cyclical declines,
with most studies focused on US/European firms.
·
Insufficient integration of
institutional pressures (e.g., HK labor laws) with talent management during
downturns, creating a gap in context-specific HR strategies for recovery.
·
Under-explored psychological
and resilience impacts of repeated retrenchments on surviving talent, lacking
longitudinal data from post-COVID HK aviation.
HK Public Media Reported Issues
·
Hong Kong Airlines' 700 job
cuts and 36% senior pay slashes in 2024-2025, exacerbating talent shortages
amid ongoing financial woes.
·
Cathay Pacific's 5,300 HK job
losses and Cathay Dragon closure in 2020, highlighting massive scale of
pandemic-induced retrenchments.
·
HK Airlines' 250 flight
attendant redundancies in 2020 and voluntary long-pay leave schemes in 2021,
signaling repeated workforce reductions.
Reference List (Harvard Format)
Marketing
Interactive (2025) Hong Kong Airlines senior management pay slashed by
36% amidst 700 job cuts. Available at: https://www.marketing-interactive.com/hong-kong-airlines-senior-management-pay-slashed-by-36-amidst-700-job-cuts (Accessed:
14 February 2026).
South China
Morning Post (2020a) Coronavirus: Hong Kong Airlines to cut 250 flight
attendants. Available at: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3113497 (Accessed:
14 February 2026).
South China
Morning Post (2020b) Cathay Pacific to axe 5,300 Hong Kong jobs.
Available at: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3106365 (Accessed:
14 February 2026).
South China
Morning Post (2021) Hong Kong Airlines launches wide restructuring.
Available at: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3136666 (Accessed:
14 February 2026).
3. Research Objectives and Questions
Objectives
·
To critically evaluate
retrenchment strategies employed by HK airlines during business decline through
a pragmatism lens.
·
To analyze the interplay
between retrenchment and talent management practices in retaining key skills
post-downturn.
·
To identify pragmatic
interventions that enhance workforce resilience and organizational recovery in
the HK aviation sector.
·
To provide actionable
recommendations for airlines balancing cost-control with talent sustainability
amid economic shocks.
Questions
·
How do timing and type of
retrenchment strategies pragmatically affect talent retention in HK airlines?
·
What institutional and
psychological factors mediate the impact of business decline on talent
management?
·
Which talent retention
practices yield the most practical outcomes for long-term sectoral recovery?
4. Research Methods
·
Primary Method 1: Semi-structured interviews with 15-20 HR managers
and surviving employees from HK airlines (e.g., Cathay Pacific, HK Airlines) to
capture pragmatic experiences of retrenchment impacts.
·
Primary Method 2: Online questionnaire survey (n=100+) targeting HK
aviation professionals via LinkedIn/Google Forms, measuring retention outcomes
using Likert scales on motivation and resilience.
·
Secondary Method: Thematic analysis of HK airline annual reports (2020-2025)
and media archives for retrenchment patterns and talent metrics.
5. Academic Theories
·
Two-Stage Turnaround Model: Frames retrenchment (retrenchment stage) as
initial cost-cutting before recovery, emphasizing early asset divestment over
mass layoffs for pragmatic success in decline.
·
Institutional Theory in HRM: Explains how national labor institutions
constrain retrenchment choices, requiring adaptive talent strategies for
turnaround in regulated contexts like HK.
·
Psychological Contract Theory: Highlights breach from downsizing eroding trust
and motivation, necessitating talent management to rebuild resilience
post-retrenchment.
·
Organizational Decline and Downsizing
Theory: Links business decline
triggers (e.g., external shocks) to retrenchment waves, advocating strategies
that preserve human capital for recovery.
Reference List (Harvard Format)
Drucker, P.F.
(1980) Managing in turbulent times. New York: Harper & Row.
[Note: Classic for two-stage model context.]
Ehnes, D. (2025)
'Labour-cost retrenchment strategies in times of crisis', International
Journal, doi:10.1016/j.ibusrev.2025.
Gómez-MejÃa, L.R.
and Shaver, J.M. (2011) 'A temporal approach to retrenchment and successful
turnaround', Journal of Management Studies, 48(6), pp. 1209-1231.
Pérez, et al.
(2017) 'How national institutions limit turnaround strategies', European
Management Review, doi:10.1111/emre.12177.
6. Justification
Academic Value: Addresses gaps in pragmatism-applied studies on
Asian aviation decline, integrating multi-theory framework for robust,
context-specific insights.
Practical Value: Offers HK airlines evidence-based tools for
humane retrenchment, reducing turnover costs (e.g., from 5,300+ Cathay cuts)
and aiding recovery in talent-scarce sector.
Originality
Value: First pragmatism-lens
analysis of HK-specific retrenchments post-2020/2025 waves, using primary data
for actionable, locally relevant contributions beyond Western models."
