항공사 객실승무원의 미적이미지가 브랜드 가치와 만족도에 미치는 영향 연구 - 지각된 역량의 조절효과

Impact of Aesthetic Image of Cabin Crew on Airline Brand Value and Customer Satisfaction : Moderating Effect of Perceived Competency

국내 항공 산업 발전과 신규 항공사가 증가함에 따라 항공사 간의 경쟁이 전례 없이 치열해지고 있다. 객실승무원의 이미지가 중요한 요소임에도 불구하고, 관련 연구는 여전히 미비한 실정이다. 본 연구는 항공사 객실승무원의 미적 이미지와 고객 만족도의 관계에서 항공사 브랜드 가치의 매개 효과를 확인하고자 한다. 연구 결과, 항공사 객실승무원의 미적 이미지와 역량 관리의 필요성이 강조되었으며, 이는 미적 노동 이론을 지지하는 근거로 활용될 수 있다. 즉, 기업의이익을 위해 직원의 외형을 구체적이고 명확하게 재구성하고 발전시켜 미학적경쟁력으로 전환시키는 것이다. 본 연구는 미학과 관광학이라는 서로 다른 두 학문을 융합함으로써 학제 간연구의 가능성을 열었으며, 이론적 고찰에 그치지 않고, 실무적인 측면에서 항공사의 이미지 브랜딩과 고객 재구매를 연결할 수 있는 전략적 시사점을 도출하였다.

With the evolution of the domestic aviation industry and the increase in the number of new airlines, competition is becoming increasingly fiercer. Airlines strive to imprint their brands on customers, and cabin crew, who are in direct contact with customers, play a decisive role in this process. The image of the cabin crew significantly affects the perceptions and preferences of customers, particularly the first impression, which can quickly become a strong standard for brand judgment. Despite the importance of the image of cabin crew, research on this topic remains insufficient. The main results are as follows. The elements that comprise the aesthetic image of the cabin crew include grooming, posture, hospitality, attitude, manners, and speaking style. This aesthetic image significantly impacts airline brand value. The perceived competency of cabin crew was composed of coping ability and expertise as subfactors. Among them, the moderating effect of expertise significantly impacted the relationship between airline brand value and customer satisfaction. The result emphasized the need to manage the aesthetic image and competency of airline cabin crew, which supports aesthetic labor theory. Specifically, this theory suggests that the appearance of employees should be specifically and clearly organized and developed to transform appearance into aesthetic competitiveness for the benefit of the company. This study presents the possibility of interdisciplinary research by combining aesthetics and tourism and exceeded theoretical considerations to derive strategic implications that link airline image branding with customer repurchase from the practical perspective. However, it study has a limitation, i.e., the subjects under investigation are limited. Thus, future research should expand the target to include customers from diverse cultural backgrounds and conduct in-depth comparative analyses between full-service and low-cost carriers.