Hava Yollarında Ekip Kaynak Yönetimi (CRM) Eğitimleri ve Örgütsel Emniyet İkliminin Kabin Ekibinin Emniyet Tutumu ve Davranışına Etkisi
Özlem Munise KaynakBu çalışma hava yolu sektöründe kabin ekibi üyelerinin Ekip Kaynak Yönetimi-Crew Resource Management (CRM) eğitimlerinin faydalılığı, örgütsel emniyet iklimi, CRM tutumları ve emniyet davranışları arasındaki ilişkilerin istatistiksel olarak belirlenmesini amaçlamaktadır. Çalışma, uçuş emniyeti tutumları ve davranışlarına dönüşüp dönüşmediğini değerlendirmeyi hedeflemekte ve bu surette teorik çabaların insani becerileri geliştirmek yoluyla uçuş emniyeti pratiğine dönüşüp dönüşmediğini ortaya koymayı hedeflemektedir. Ayrıca, CRM eğitimlerinin faydalılığı ve örgütsel emniyet ikliminin emniyet davranışına etkisinde CRM tutumunun aracılık rolü bulunup bulunmadığının istatistiksel olarak tespit edilmesi araştırmanın diğer bir amacını oluşturmaktadır. Bu amaçlar doğrultusunda bir nicel araştırma kapsamında tesadüfi olmayan örnekleme yöntemine dahil olan kolayda örnekleme yöntemine başvurulmuş ve 421 kabin üyesi katılımcılardan anket yoluyla veri elde edilmiştir. Veriler SPSS ve AMOS istatistik paket programlarında çözümlenmiştir. Yapılan istatistiksel analizler sonucunda çalışmanın eriştiği bulgu, kabin ekibi üyelerinin CRM eğitiminin faydalılığına ilişkin algıları ve örgütsel emniyet ikliminin CRM’e (kabin emniyetine) ilişkin tutumları ve emniyet davranışları üzerinde etkili olduğudur. Ayrıca CRM tutumları, örgütsel emniyet iklimi ve CRM eğitiminin faydalılığı ile emniyet davranışı arasında anlamlı bir aracılık rolüne sahiptir.
The Effect of Crew Resource Management (CRM) Trainings and Organizational Safety Climate on the Safety Attitude and Behavior of Cabin Crew in Airlines
Özlem Munise KaynakThis study aims to statistically determine the relationships among the usefulness of Crew Resource Management (CRM) training, organisational safety climate, CRM attitudes, and safety behaviours in the airline industry. The study seeks to evaluate whether these factors can be transformed into flight safety attitudes and behaviours, thus aiming to reveal whether theoretical efforts aimed at improving human skills can be effectively transformed into flight safety practises. Additionally, another research objective is to statistically determine whether CRM attitudes mediate the effect of usefulness of CRM training and the organisational safety climate on safety behaviour. In line with these objectives, a non-probability sampling method, specifically convenience sampling, was employed within the scope of a quantitative study, and data were collected from 421 cabin crew members via surveys. The data were analysed using the SPSS and AMOS statistical software packages. The statistical analyses revealed that cabin crew members’ perceptions of the usefulness of CRM training and the organisational safety climate significantly influenced their CRM-related (cabin safety) attitudes and safety behaviours. CRM attitudes significantly mediate between the organisational safety climate, usefulness of CRM training, and safety behaviour.
Despite all the advancements, the civil aviation sector remains an industry with inherently high risks, and issues related to ensuring flight and ground safety are critical in all its operations. In this context, flight safety is one of the foremost priorities for civil aviation enterprises (Erdem, 2018: 1). Although it is undeniable that the hardware and software of an aircraft play a crucial role in safety, human factors are also indispensable elements of flight safety. However, humans are naturally prone to errors and mistakes because of their limited capabilities. Therefore, fully understanding the dynamics related to human factors and their impact on flight operations makes it possible to ensure full flight safety. On the other hand, the limitations of human capacity and abilities, coupled with the fact that various factors influence human technical and non-technical competencies, have made the role of the human factor in ensuring flight safety more important than ever (Başdemir, 2020: 55-56). Considering human factors as an integral part of safety management, they are necessary for understanding, identifying, and mitigating safety risks, as well as optimising human contributions to safety (ICAO, 2018: 25). In this sense, Crew Resource Management (CRM), which is seen as a vital tool for airline companies, enables them to meet changing demands without compromising the quality of flight services while ensuring the highest level of flight safety (Erdem, 2018: 1).
The scope of this study encompasses Crew Resource Management (CRM) in the airline industry. The main focus of this study is on the human factor, which is a significant element in ensuring safety in flight operations and preventing and reducing accidents and incidents. CRM is defined as a training and management tool aimed at preventing individual errors and risks by efficiently utilising all available resources, including information, equipment (hardware and software), and people, and by developing non-technical (i.e., cognitive, social) skills based on the observable characteristics of teams (Powell and Kimberly Hill, 2006: 179). CRM, which requires significant training and experience, is a vital airline management process, especially in minimising potential problems or serious accident risks during flights. In high-risk and high-stress situations during flight operations, CRM requires the individual or collective effort of the flight crew to deal with or at least overcome damage (Lauber, 1987: 13; İleri, 2020: 36-37).
On the other hand, the concept of safety climate, which includes organisational values, norms, beliefs, practises, and procedures related to safety (Schein, 1992; Guldenmund, 2000), is another essential factor in ensuring safety that is used to describe employees’ shared perceptions of how safety management is operationalised in a workplace (Zohar, 1980). The safety climate within an organisation influences an employee’s perception of safety. For example, when management is firmly committed to safety, it is assumed that employees are more likely to demonstrate safety commitment. Therefore, researchers and practitioners need to recognise the importance of the organisational safety climate because it may influence employee safety behaviour and help better understand incidents preceding accidents and injuries (Lu and Yang, 2011: 329-330).
Based on the relevant literature and the developed hypotheses, this study aims to identify the reactions of cabin crew members to CRM training and to evaluate whether CRM training influences flight safety attitudes and whether these attitudes turn into behaviours. The research model considers the perceived usefulness of CRM training, organisational safety climate, attitudes towards CRM, and safety behaviour as variables. The independent variables were the perceived usefulness of CRM training and organisational safety climate, while the dependent variables were the cabin crew’s attitudes towards CRM and their safety behaviours. This study examines the relationships between these variables after the provision of CRM training. Another research objective is to determine whether attitudes towards CRM mediate the effect of CRM training and organisational safety climate on safety behaviour. In line with these objectives, statistical analyses were conducted based on the data obtained from the cabin crew members through a quantitative research approach, and the findings were presented and evaluated.
Primary data for this study were collected from cabin crew members working in the airline industry who had participated in CRM training, using the “online survey method,” one of the survey methods. Psychometric measurement tools based on the Likert scale included the CRM Training Approach (Usefulness of CRM Training) Scale developed by Bennett (2018), the Organizational Safety Climate Scale developed by Neal and Griffin (2006), the CRM Attitude Scale adapted from Şekerli’s (2006) study and developed by Birgören (2015), and the Safety Behavior Scale developed by Chen and Chen (2014). A convenience sampling method, which is a non-probability sampling method, was used to reach cabin crew members who had participated in CRM training (basic, recurrent, or purser), and data were obtained from 421 participants. The obtained data were coded, classified, and analysed using SPSS and AMOS statistical software. Structural equation modelling was used to determine the relationships between variables and their mediating role, and the hypotheses proposed in the research were tested within the framework of the pathways established between variables.
The findings obtained in this study indicate that factors such as organisational safety climate and the perceived usefulness of CRM training impact employees’ attitudes towards safety and safety behaviours. The organisation’s approach to safety and employees’ attitudes towards CRM training are crucial in forming the necessary attitudes and behaviours for establishing cabin safety. The findings from the analyses, which identified the mediating effect, also showed that attitudes towards CRM mediate the relationship between safety behaviour and CRM. Organisational safety climate indirectly impacts safety behaviour through attitudes towards CRM. Additionally, the perceived usefulness of CRM training has a higher indirect effect than the organisational safety climate. In other words, a specific attitude towards safety is formed, leading to safety behaviours. Therefore, improving the organisational safety climate, increasing CRM training efficiency, and encouraging positive attitudes towards CRM can enhance safety behaviours. These results emphasise the importance of CRM practises in the civil aviation industry.
CRM training plays a significant role in forming specific attitudes and behaviours related to safety. From this perspective, these findings reinforce the importance of CRM training and yield positive outcomes. These results highlight the importance of airline companies investing in organisational safety climate and CRM training to enhance employees’ safety behaviours.
Since the structural research model examined in this study is original, there is a certain limitation in discussing the findings related to the relationships; however, these findings are in line with studies in the literature that emphasise the importance of similar CRM trainings (e.g., Yamamori and Mito, 1993; Simpson and Wiggins, 1995; Morey et al., 1997; Helmreich et al., 1999; Salas et al., 2006; Ricci and Brumsted, 2012; Birgören, 2015; Jimenez et al., 2015). These findings highlight the significance of factors such as organizational safety climate and CRM training to enhance positive attitudes and behaviours related to safety in the aviation industry.
Based on these findings, it can be recommended that airline companies focus on improving employees’ attitudes towards CRM and, consequently, enhance their safety behaviours. It would also be beneficial for training developers to consider the findings and evaluations from this study to make practical contributions. Drawing from this study, it is essential to emphasise that airline companies should regularly review their policies related to CRM training and organisational safety climate, placing greater emphasis on these issues and fostering continuous safety awareness among employees. By investing more in CRM training, airlines can improve employees’ attitudes towards CRM and enhance safety behaviours. Improving the organisational safety climate can also enhance safety perception and support safety behaviours.
In addition to these points, it is necessary to note that this study is based on quantitative data obtained from a specific sample. Therefore, its generalizability is limited to the research sample framework. Furthermore, all data were collected through surveys, subject to the inherent limitations of the survey responses, assuming that the participants' answers were accurate and honest. Additionally, the data were collected from only one specific sector, further limiting the generalizability of the findings. The data were gathered at a single time and cross-sectional, meaning that there was no longitudinal information on whether changes occurred over time. Taking these limitations into consideration is essential for the design of future studies.
