Planning for Organization Development in Operations Control Centers

Abstract

The first step in a proposed program of organization development (OD) was to assess organizational processes within the Technical Operations Services (TechOps) Operations Control Centers (OCCs). The aim of the OD program was to improve effectiveness of OCC operations and increase satisfaction of OCC personnel. The assessment was based on an understanding of current and future OCC concepts of operations, a review of organizational practices within the OCCs, and the research literature on developing organizations. TechOps is the agency within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Traffic Organization that manages and maintains the National Airspace System facilities, systems, and equipment. The OCCs are part of the maintenance management infrastructure at the regional level with an OCC located within the Eastern, Central, and Western Service Areas. The OCCs were established in 2001 as part of an effort to centralize remote monitoring and coordination of maintenance operations for the FAA. To understand current organizational processes, we interviewed 54 specialists and 12 team leads working at an OCC in one of the Service Areas. We asked the participants questions about their technical background; their jobs within the OCCs to include the interdependencies required for task performance; structure, complexity, and workload inherent in the job; cohesion and trust among specialists and team leads; and outcomes, including perceived operational effectiveness and job satisfaction. Results of these discussions are summarized in the report by topical area. Issues raised by the participants as having a negative effect on their perceptions of effectiveness of the OCCs and their individual satisfaction with the job were classified into three groups. The first grouping was workload. Shift work, staffing, and breaks influenced workload. Participants saw workload at all three OCCs as high, especially during the day shift. The second group, resources, included issues related

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2012
Accession Number
ADA566820

Entities

People

  • Clara A. Williams
  • Cristina L. Byrne
  • Darendia Mccauley
  • Linda G. Pierce

Organizations

  • Federal Aviation Administration

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accidents
  • Air Traffic Controllers
  • Applied Psychology
  • Behavioral Sciences
  • Cognitive Workload
  • Group Dynamics
  • Human Factors Engineering
  • Information Exchange
  • National Security
  • Navigational Aids
  • Organizational Structure
  • Psychological Phenomena And Processes
  • Psychology
  • Radar
  • Situational Awareness
  • Social Psychology
  • Teamwork

Readers

  • Aviation Safety and Air Traffic Management
  • Materials Science.
  • Organizational Process Management (OPM).

Technology Areas

  • Space