Exploring Airport Employee Commuting and Transportation Needs (2024)
Chapter: 2 Synthesis Methodology
CHAPTER 2
Synthesis Methodology
The methodology selected for this synthesis is comprehensive. It draws upon numerous sources to present a well-rounded report on the topic of airport employee commuting and transportation needs.
Literature Review
Prior to collecting data from airports on the topic of employee commuting and transportation methods, a comprehensive review of the literature was conducted. Due to the lack of literature specifically related to airports on this topic, literature highlighting studies in other professions was also reviewed as appropriate. Additionally, the general management/human resources (HR) literature related to employee commuting was included. Sources were discovered through numerous platforms, including Google; Google Scholar; OneSearch (powered by EBSCO); TRID, TRB’s database of worldwide transportation research; and the websites of AAAE, including the association’s Accreditation Papers library; and FAA.
Recipients and Participants
The population defined for this synthesis reflects the general idea that all airport employees (including employees of the airport operator, airlines, concessionaires, FAA, TSA, etc.) commute to and from work. Further, employee commuting impacts all airports (both large and small). This synthesis does not target a specific type of employee or type of airport. Every effort was made to cast a wide net so that each U.S. airport and employee had the opportunity to participate. With such a large population, a streamlined approach to survey distribution was necessary. Based on topic panel feedback, the survey was posted on social media, posted on the AAAE member hub, emailed to a random sampling of AAAE members, and emailed to senior leadership of several airports requesting that they distribute the survey to all airport employees. After email reminders, a total of 51 individuals responded. A response rate could not be determined because the total population of employees receiving the survey could not be accurately determined. Even though a response rate could not be calculated, participants reflect a representative number of airports (by state) and size of airports (by hub size). Thus, the number of responses was deemed sufficient to enlighten the report as to airport employee commuting practices. See Table 1 and Figure 3.
Survey and Interview Methodology
One unique questionnaire was designed for this synthesis. The “Airport Employee Survey of Transportation and Commuting Activities” consisted of 19 closed-ended items and 11 open-ended items. (The complete survey can be found in Appendix B.) It was anticipated that an online survey
Table 1. Survey participants by airport size.
| Airport Size | Number of Participants |
|---|---|
| Large hub | 22 |
| Medium hub | 3 |
| Small hub | 7 |
| Nonhub | 9 |
| Nonprimary | 1 |
| Reliever | 6 |
| General aviation (GA) | 3 |
protocol would result in a greater response rate than mailed surveys, garner faster response, and be more economical than telephone interviews. The questionnaire was created using the web-based SurveyMonkey platform. Following a project panel pretest, the survey instrument was further refined. The survey was opened and distributed via various channels in November and December 2023. Once the survey closed, no further responses were possible.
Based on panel suggestions and survey responses, transportation management staff at eight airports were contacted via phone. Telephone interviews were conducted during January and February 2024. The intent of the phone calls was to better understand employee commuting needs and challenges, as well as airport initiatives to accommodate employee commuting and transportation needs for the purpose of developing case examples for the report. Chapter 5 presents case examples for each of the airports listed in Table 2.
Table 2. Case example airports.
| Case Example | Airport ID | Airport |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ATL | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport |
| 2 | BOS | General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport |
| 3 | DCA | Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport |
| 4 | DEN | Denver International Airport |
| 5 | LAX | Los Angeles International Airport |
| 6 | PDX | Portland International Airport |
| 7 | SEA | Seattle-Tacoma International Airport |
| 8 | SFO | San Francisco International Airport |
The methods for analyzing survey data depended on the type of data collected. Quantitative data, mostly collected from closed-ended items, was analyzed using basic Microsoft Excel statistical analysis tools, as well as the SurveyMonkey data analysis tool. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Charts were created using Microsoft Excel. Qualitative data, collected from responses to open-ended items, was manually tabulated and analyzed using content analysis. Themes were uncovered from the verbatim responses and presented to better understand common perspectives among participating airports. Various verbatim responses from participants are included in Chapter 4.
