Investigation of Organizational Power Distance Levels of Pilots Working on Airlines in Turkey: Flight Safety and Professional Courtesy Dilemma

Abstract

This study aims to obtain new data that will mediate the development of safety culture by investigating the power distance, which is one of the cultural dimensions of communication, and causes accidents in aviation, through the assertiveness levels of the pilots and their social approval needs. The method of this research is quantitative, data were collected through online questionnaires. The population and the sample of the research are consisted of the civilian pilots in Turkey. The questionnaires were applied to 75 pilots. In male pilots participating in the study; The levels of "Instrumental Use of Power" and "Legitimation of Power", which are sub-dimensions of organizational power distance, are significantly higher than female pilots. In addition, it has been revealed that female pilots pay less attention to the judgments of others than male pilots. These results suggest that male pilots need more organizational power than female pilots. One of the results of the research is the strong positive relationship between the assertiveness level of the participants and "Consent to Power", which is one of the sub-dimensions of power distance; it is thought that this relationship stems from the social adaptation capacity of assertive individuals. The study also showed that the main factor determining the behavior of the employees is the organizational culture. Within this scope, sharing the accident reports of Turkish registered aircraft prepared by Transport Safety Investigation Center with researchers and institutions will contribute significantly to the need for resources.