Background: Within 24 hours 100,000 planes take off, over 140,000 tons of air cargo is carried, and goods worth about USD 18.6 billion are transported all around the world. However, the air cargo sector lacks behind in terms of service orientation in the handling organizations which can become a significant factor in regards of competitiveness for companies operating in this industry.

Purpose: The purpose of the thesis on hand is to assess the current organizational culture and status of service orientation of handling organizations in the air cargo industry, to find barriers affecting a service-oriented performance and develop measures on how to move towards a culture and attitude in which employees are aware that every single of their actions can potentially impact the customer.

Method: A literature review of academic references, frameworks, and concepts serves as foundation of the thesis on hand. The research design applied is a mixed approach of both, qualitative in-depth interviews with specialists in air cargo handling as well as a quantitative handling employee survey. The qualitative data enables the researcher to study detailed insights whereas the quantitative data allows to collect a broad base of opinions.

Findings: The findings show a discrepancy between the perceptions of service orientation when comparing the management level’s opinion with the point of view of the handling employees. Moreover, the type of culture most favorably for a service-oriented attitude is analyzed to be a family-type of organization combined with a hierarchical culture. Barriers hindering a service-oriented performance have been assessed and can be overcome by identified cultural change management measures such as special service orientation training.

Conclusion and managerial implications: Service orientation has to be established within the organization on both, the personality traits and organizational facet. Moreover, handling employees have to be considered as internal customers that require attention, appreciation, and positive feedback to stay engaged with the customers. The recommendation for management is to first initiate change towards an adequate culture and then, enhance service orientation within the respective measures.

Paper type: The present research is an exemplary case study of the company Lufthansa Cargo AG (region USA & Canada) operating in the air cargo industry in order to fulfill the purpose of the thesis on hand.