THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEADERSHIP STYLES AND AVIATION SAFETY: A STUDY OF AVIATION INDUSTRY

Abstract

The role of leadership in aviation safety is the subject of great interest. Aviation safety is related foremost to passenger safety, and ultimately to the economy. A single aviation accident can lead to organizational failures due to financial burden and loss of life. Therefore, the role of aviation leader in safety issues needs to be examined. In this article, 300 aviators, both managers and employees, have participated in the survey which utilized the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), and the Nordic Network of Occupational Safety Questionnaire (NOSACQ-50). Three separate organizations were chosen for the study. A quantitative research methodology was used to analyze the research findings. The research results show that the safety level of most of the airlines under the investigation was below the desired level. Likewise, transformational leadership has a higher safety score than any other leadership styles; however, only a few aviation leaders are practising this style. It implies that aviation leaders can adopt a transformational style to reduce air accidents. This research also identified a few core competencies of the aviation leader within the transformational style of leadership. Intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration can contribute to higher aviation safety than any other factors of transformational leadership.