Naval Aviation Culture Workshops
Abstract
This thesis contends that Culture Workshops are beneficial in preventing and/or reducing aviation mishaps. Organizational culture impacts a unit's performance -- for better or for worse. This research defines organizational culture and describes the dynamic relationships among individuals, groups, and leaders. Two case studies (NASA and U.S. Airways) provide supplementary analysis to support the research. Organizational culture is relevant in the military services, especially in the Naval aviation community. Naval aviation is inherently a risky occupation. Each fiscal year aviation mishaps cause loss of life, materiel, and investment. A strong organizational culture in aviation is necessary to prevent unnecessary mishaps. As a result, Naval Aviation Culture Workshops (CWs) were established to help commanders identify organizational issues and hazards that may cause aviation mishaps. CWs also identify command strengths and "best practices." The Naval Safety Center (NSC) provided raw data on 288 Naval aviation units over a 7-year period (FY 2001-2008). The raw data included completion of CWs and Class "A" Flight Mishaps. The research is intended to validate the effectiveness of the Navy's CWs by determining if there is a correlation between the execution of a CW and the likelihood of a mishap. The author concludes that the CW program is effective in reducing and preventing Class "A" Flight Mishaps when conducted every two years for nondeploying units and when made mandatory for units that are deploying. The Marine Corps should consider instituting requirements similar to the Navy's instead of allowing CWs to be an optional requirement.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA490843
Entities
People
- Robert V. Rubio
Organizations
- Marine Corps University