The Decision-Making Practices among Air Traffic Controllers during Conflict Resolution in Aviation Industry: A Case Study

Abstract

The study explores decision-making practices among Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) in the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) in Sarawak, Malaysia, using the Cynefin Framework. The study intends to identify related factors that influence decision-making practices, explore how decisions are made during conflict resolution, and describe the coping strategies in decision-making practices by ATCOs. The qualitative phenomenology case study method was used to collect data and one-to-one interviews with the ATCOs. Content analysis is used to analyse the data. The findings showed that ATCOs types and working experiences influence the way they make decisions. Decision-making among ATCOs is like the Administrative Model in which they must follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) as their strategies in decision-making. Findings contribute toward an understanding of current decision-making practices, which would inform relevant policies and professional training development programmes.