Silence in the tower: analysing the reasons of air traffic controllers avoiding voluntary reporting
Abstract
Defined in the organizational behavior literature as employee avoidance of expressing their feelings, thoughts and ideas, the concept of organizational silence refers to the failure to submit reports voluntarily in the context of aviation safety. Due to various factors, aviation employees may avoid reporting. However, managers need voluntary reports from their employees to prevent future accidents. The primary purpose of this study is to find out why air traffic controllers, one of the most critical safety components of flight operation, fail to do voluntary reporting. In addition, whether controllers are involved in real-life voluntary reporting and whether the factors that prevent voluntary reporting vary by demographic variables. The data collected from 212 controllers were subjected to Confirmatory Factor Analysis by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 24 program and the reasons for their failure to do voluntary reporting were identified. Furthermore, the study concluded that approximately 27% of controllers did not submit voluntary reporting on unsafe situations or safety-enhancing recommendations they had seen.
Keyword : aviation, voluntary reporting, safety management system, air traffic control, organizational silence, human factors
How to Cite
Under, I., & Gerede, E. (2021). Silence in the tower: analysing the reasons of air traffic controllers avoiding voluntary reporting. Aviation, 25(3), 129-139. https://doi.org/10.3846/aviation.2021.14540
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
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Özdamar, K. (2004). Paket Programlar İle İstatistiksel Veri Analizi (5th ed.). Kaan Kitabevi.
Özgan, H., & Külekēi, E. (2012). Öğretim elemanlarının sessizlik nedenleri ve üniversitelerine etkileri. E-İnternational Journal of Educational Research, 4(3), 33–49.
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Pinder, C. C., & Harlos, K. P. (2001). Employee silence: Quiescence and acquiescence as responses to perceived injustice. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 20, 331–369. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-7301(01)20007-3
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Punch, K. F. (2005). Sosyal Araştırmalara Giriş: Nicel ve Nitel Yaklaşımlar. D. Bayrak, H. B. Arslan, Z. D. Akyüz, H. B. Arslan, & Z. Akyüz (Eds.). Siyasal Kitabevi.
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Wood, R. H. (2003). Aviation safety programs, a management handbook (3rd ed.). Jeppesen.
Alioğulları, Z. D. (2012). Örgütsel sessizlik ve örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışı arasındaki ilişki: Bir uygulama. Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü.
Bayın, G., Yeşilaydın, G., & Esatoğlu, A. E. (2015). Hemşirelerde örgütsel sessizlik nedenlerinin belirlenmesi. İşletme Araştırmaları Dergisi, 7(1), 248–266.
Bienefeld, N., & Grote, G. (2012). Silence that may kill: When aircrew members don’t speak up and why. Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors, 2(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1027/2192-0923/a000021
Bowen, F., & Blackmon, K. (2003). Spirals of silence: The dynamic effects of diversity on organizational voice. Journal of Management Studies, 40(6), 1393–1417. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6486.00385
Brinsfield, C. T. (2013). Employee silence motives: Investigation of dimensionality and development of measures. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 34(5), 671–697. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1829
Çakıcı, A. (2008). Örgütlerde sessiz kalınan konular, sessizliğin nedenleri ve algılanan sonuēları üzerine bir araştırma. Ē.Ü. Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 17(1), 117–134.
Çokluk, Ö., Şekercioğlu, G., & Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2014). Sosyal bilimler iēin ēok değişkenli istatistik: SPSS ve LISREL uygulamaları. Pegem Akademi.
Dekker, S. W., & Breakey, H. (2016). “Just Culture:” Improving safety by achieving substantive, procedural and restorative justice. Safety Science, 85, 187–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2016.01.018
Dyne, L. V., Ang, S., & Botero, I. C. (2003). Conceptualizing employee silence and employee voice as multidimensional constructs. Journal of Management Studies, 40(6), 1359–1392. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6486.00384
EUROCONTROL. (2002). Eurocontrol CARE/ASAS Activity 2: Human Performance. Eurocontrol.
GAIN. (2004). A roadmap to a just culture: Enhancing the safety environment. Airbus.
Gao, Y., Bruce, P. J., Newman, D. G., & Zhang, C. B. (2013). Safety climate of commercial pilots: The effect of pilot ranks and employment experiences. Journal of Air Transport Management, 30, 17–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2013.04.001
Gerede, E. (2015a). A qualitative study on the exploration of challenges to the implementation of the safety management system in aircraft maintenance organizations in Turkey. Journal of Air Transport Management, 47, 230–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2015.06.006
Gerede, E. (2015b). A study of challenges to the success of the safety management system in aircraft maintenance organizations in Turkey. Safety Science, 73, 106–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2014.11.013
Gerede, E. (2018). Havacılıkta emniyet yönetimi: Teoriden uygulamaya geleneksel ve yeni nesil yaklaşımlar (1st ed.). Pegem Akademi. https://doi.org/10.14527/9786052412244
German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation. (2004). Investigation Report, AX001-1-2/02. BFU.
International Air Transport Association. (2018). IATA forecast predicts 8.2 billion air travelers in 2037. https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2018-10-24-02/
International Civil Aviation Organization. (2013). Safety management manual, 9859 AN/474 (3rd ed.). ICAO.
International Civil Aviation Organization. (2016). Air traffic services, Annex 11 (4th ed.). ICAO.
International Civil Aviation Organization. (2018). Safety report. ICAO.
Kline, R. B. (2016). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (4th ed.). The Guilford Press.
Liao, M.-Y. (2015). Safety culture in commercial aviation: Differences in perspective between Chinese and Western pilots. Safety Science, 79, 193–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2015.05.011
Meydan, C. H., & Şeşen, H. (2001). Yapısal eşitlik modellemesi AMOS Uygulamaları (1st ed.). Detay.
Milliken, F. J., Morrison, E. W., & Hewlin, P. F. (2003). An exploratory study of employee silence: issues that employees don’t communicate upward and why. Journal of Management Studies, 40(6), 1453–1476. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6486.00387
Moon, W.-C., Yoo, K.-E., & Choi, Y.-C. (2011). Air traffic volume and air traffic control human errors. Journal of Transportation Technologies, 1(3), 47–53. https://doi.org/10.4236/jtts.2011.13007
Morrison, E. W., & Milliken, F. J. (2000). Organizational silence: A barrier to change and development in a pluralistic world. Academy of Management Review, 25(4), 706–725. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2000.3707697
Netemeyer, R. G., Bearden, W. O., & Sharma, S. (2003). Scaling procedures: issue and applications. Sage Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412985772
O’Leary, M. J., & Chappell, S. L. (1996). Confidential incident reporting systems create vital awareness of safety problems. Journal of the International Civil Aviation Organization, 57(1), 1–6.
Özdamar, K. (2004). Paket Programlar İle İstatistiksel Veri Analizi (5th ed.). Kaan Kitabevi.
Özgan, H., & Külekēi, E. (2012). Öğretim elemanlarının sessizlik nedenleri ve üniversitelerine etkileri. E-İnternational Journal of Educational Research, 4(3), 33–49.
Perlow, L., & Williams, S. (2003). Is silence killing your company? Harvard Business Review, 52–59.
Pinder, C. C., & Harlos, K. P. (2001). Employee silence: Quiescence and acquiescence as responses to perceived injustice. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 20, 331–369. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-7301(01)20007-3
Premeaux, S. F. (2001). Breaking the silence: Toward an understanding of speaking up in the workplace. Louisiana State University.
Punch, K. F. (2005). Sosyal Araştırmalara Giriş: Nicel ve Nitel Yaklaşımlar. D. Bayrak, H. B. Arslan, Z. D. Akyüz, H. B. Arslan, & Z. Akyüz (Eds.). Siyasal Kitabevi.
Reason, J. T. (1997). Managing the risks of organizational accidents. Ashgate.
Reason, J. T. (1998). Achieving a safe culture: Theory and practice. Work and Stress, 12(3), 293–306. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678379808256868
Reason, J. T. (2008). The human contribution: Unsafe acts, accident and heroic recoveries. Ashgate.
Skybrary. (2019). Pilot-Controller Communications (OGHFA BN). https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Pilot-Controller_Communications_(OGHFA_BN)
Tunē, İ. (2018). Emniyet yönetim sistemi uygulamalarının hava trafik kontrol hizmetlerine katkılarının analizi. Anadolu Üniversitesi.
UK Civil Aviation Authority. (2002). An introduction to aircraft maintenance engineering human factors for JAR 66. The Stationery Office.
Uslu, S., & Dönmez, K. (2017). Hava trafik kontrol kaynaklı uēak kazalarının incelenmesi. Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 9, 271–287.
Ünder, İ. (2016). Havacılıkta örgütsel sessizlik: Havaaracı bakım personelinin raporlamada bulunmamalarının nedenleri üzerine bir araştırma. Anadolu Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü.
Wood, R. H. (2003). Aviation safety programs, a management handbook (3rd ed.). Jeppesen.