Essay: Maintenance & Safety In Airline Industry - Vital Role

For this project, you will assume the role of a Maintenance Manager for a global commercial airline of your choice. Although the firm is well-established in the industry, the airline recently lost an aircraft due to an improper maintenance procedure. Thankfully employees and passengers aboard were not injured. However, news of the incident traveled fast to all corners of the industry via social media. The integrity and reputation of the firm are now in question. You have been hired to improve the existing maintenance program. Given the recent aircraft mishap experienced by the firm, the internal organizational environment is unstable. Employee morale is low. Employees are fearful that layoffs may incur as a result of financial losses.

You will write a paper. Your paper must address the following questions:

1.How will you enforce the firm’s stated organizational philosophy and values?
2.What leadership methods will you use to improve morale?
3.How will you ensure the compliance of all applicable regulations?
4.How will you ensure maintenance and inspection processes are followed?
5..How will you promote and communicate the importance of safety?
6.How will you monitor and supervise maintenance activities?
7.How will you address employees who fail to comply with stated regulations?
8.How will you overcome cultural and ethical biases in a diverse workplace environment?

Enforcing the Firm’s Organizational Philosophy and Values

The main aim of this report is to discuss the role of maintenance and safety standards in the airline industry. Qantas airline has been taken in the task as an example to identify and measure the significance of maintenance department. Qantas airline is one of the leading and biggest airlines Corporation which provides aircraft services to customers across the world. The paper further explains the significance of core values, employees moral, rules and safety standards that help the firm to uplift profitability and returns in the competitive market. Along with this, significance culture and ethics also have been discussed in detail in the task.

Qantas was incorporated in the Queensland outback in 1920, the company is growing to be an Australia’s biggest and unique domestic international airline in the global market. It is a long distance airline and one of the biggest and leading brands in the global market. The company has developed and improved a reputation and brand image for excellence in operational reliability, safety, customer service, and engineering and maintenance. The main business of the firm is the transportation of various customer using two complimentary Airline brand such as Jetstar and Qantas. Along with this, it operates and manages subsidiary businesses including other airlines and businesses in specialist markets like as Q catering. This airline is based in the Sydney suburb of Mascot with its main hub at Sydney Airport (Qantas, 2018). The main mission of the company is to meet the long-term needs and requirements of the customers by providing excellent transportation experience to them. It has been stated that the firm is concerned about its long-term and desired vision to manage and operate as the biggest premium airline in the global market. The firm focuses on the various key objectives in order to attain vision effectively and efficiently. It is fast growing and unique organization in the aviation industry that is further termed as the second largest and excellent airlines in the global market. Qantas provides ample of travelling services to approx 19.7% passengers from different countries in all over the world (Qantas, 2018).

1.Every company possesses effectively and unique core values to drive the business activities and operations. Qantas focuses on the core values and capabilities to overcome the rivalries and to build a dynamic image in the minds of the customers globally (Malighetti, Meoli, Paleari & Redondi, 2011). The core values also help in overcoming the issues that have been dealt by Qantas due to improper and ineffective maintenance procedure. The main core values of Qantas including together, Genuine, inventive, experienced and optimistic (Greve, Rowley & Shipilov, 2013). The company defines core values as the guiding rules and principles for a business. They are the moral compass within an organization that evaluates and analyze the actions and decision in the competitive market (Crawford & Northey, 2013). Along with this, Qantas enforces core values and reshapes the culture effectively. Core values are considered the essence of the firm’s identity. There are various ways to enforce a company’s philosophy and core values. Some of the ways have been detailed below.

Leadership Methods to Improve Morale

Put values front and center: It may be easy to lose sight of corporation values when focuses on the task and duties at hand. Qantas guides all attributes or aspects of the business to interact and communicate with passengers largely. But they could not be applied if they are not remembered while rendering the services to them. Along with this, the people need to keep Qantas’s morale and code of conduct at the forefront of every person’s mind by making it attractive and unique at the workplace. It will help to enforce or initiate organizational values and philosophy (Grant, Butler, Orr & Murray, 2014).

Hired based on values and philosophy: Developing a workforce that works and lives by the firm moral code and values starts with appointing based upon value and philosophy. A list of questions created to assess a person’s attribute and potential fit.

Reward and promote values: Encourage organizational values and capabilities by rewarding and recognizing behaviors and actions that demonstrate them. This will not only help the employee feel good but it also pushes the rest of the firm to follow it (Zhang, 2015).

Work by values: The excellent way to bring the company’s value to life is to model them. It will help to implement excellent core values and philosophy which are stated by the company. In this way, the company can stable the organizational environment which has been affected due to a poor and improper maintenance procedure.

2.It is stated that leadership methods help in boosting and improving morale and confidence level of the customers. Qantas uses unique and dynamic leadership styles to motivate the workforce and enhance profitability globally. In the given case, employees are feeling low and they are fearful that layoffs might incur as a result of financial losses. Some of the leadership methods that can be used to improve and boost employee morale have been detailed below.

Democratic leadership: One of the vital styles that could be used is democratic leadership that will provide support to handle and manage the improper maintenance system in Qantas. This leadership values collaborate and affirmation of subordinates widely. Democratic leadership is also well known as participative leadership. The democratic leaders encourage collaboration and the free flow of thoughts and ideas. The employees participate in decision-making process to increase and enhance the profitability and outcomes internationally (Latchem, & Hanna, 2013). The main goal of a participative leader is to foster worker investment in the firm by investing employees in their role in the organization. This leadership style creates job satisfaction and promoting innovation and generates solutions to company’s issues and concerns. This leadership works well and effectively for leaders or players who value adaptation and flexibility. This is often useful and dynamic when a leader is working with highly qualified and experienced workers. This leadership style helps in maximizing morale and job satisfaction among the employees in a large extent (Mooney, 2018).

Ensuring Compliance of Regulations

Charismatic leadership: This is another method that can be used by Qantas to boost morale among the workers. The charismatic leadership is a general method of encouraging and improving the specific behavior and action of the subordinates by way of eloquent and unique communication, collaboration and force of personality (Whitaker, Whitaker & Lumpa, 2013). The charismatic leaders encourage employees to get things done and enhance the various ways specific things are done. This leadership method helps in treating workers with respect and joy, so they never feel low or down in difficulties. Employee recognition is one of the significant advantages of this leadership style. Apart from this, regular and open communication is offered to resolve and handle the issues and challenges that are being faced by top management (Antonakis & Day, 2017).

3.Setting effective and unique procedures, rules and policies do not begin and end with rules and legislation. It takes the right and appropriate amount of collaboration, suitable tool to analyze understanding and the right types of distributive mediums. The company has a set of 10 group policies which reflect the non-negotiable business rules and principles and explains the minimum expected standards and policies around a wide range of governance areas where compliance is essential for legal reasons and to make a unique brand image in the minds of the customers (Schmitt & Gollnick, 2016). The ten policies that are being exercised by Qantas have been drawn below.

• Ethics and code of conduct
• Business resilience policy
• Environmental policy
• Contract engagement, execution and review policy
• Cybersecurity policy
• Group finance policy
• Legal matter policy
• Risk management policy
• security policy
• Health and safety policy

All these policies help in ensuring that the company is followed or abide by all the compliance, rules and regulations (Ward, McDonald, Morrison, Gaynor & Nugent, 2010). Along with this, human resource policies also exist in the business entity which also explains the minimum desired standards and rules for people in the context of their job or employment. It would be further checked and analyzed that the company is aware of health and safety standards or not (Barry, Hogan & Torres, 2017). An audit would be done to check the behavior of the employees towards the customers while serving services to them during the journey. Any breach of prevailing business ethics, code of conduct, applicable laws and other requirements that have been set by the company may result in disciplinary action. Such disciplinary action might include a formal warning, depending on the severity of the breach, counseling, and termination of job or employment. Apart from this, each sector of the leaders must be analyzed and identified to ensure the compliance and standards.

Maintenance and Inspection Processes

Various departments entail ample of schedules, penalties and daily experiences. To ensure standards and compliance with the procedures, rules and regulations, make sure that the company delivers them through vessels they are happy and comfortable with. Aside from this, policies and procedures must be easily accessible by the workers at the workplace. Deadlines can be set for each and every policy to measure the compliance and standards. Moreover, top management needs to determine and analyze the understanding the workers have of approaches, procedures and policies (Convergepoint, 2018).

4.It has been analyzed that the maintenance and inspection process are needed to prevent incidents, illnesses, and injuries at the workplace. Through a brief and critical examination and evaluation of the workplace, inspections help to measure and recognize the hazard for dynamic and effective action. Health and safety committees may further help plan, report, analyze, conduct and monitor inspections at the workplace. Regular inspection and maintenance are a significant part of the overall occupational health and safety program and management system which is presented in Qantas.  Each and every inspection should examine who, when, what, when and how. The specific attention would be given to develop and build into unsafe or unhealthy situations just because of the wear, impact, stress, heat, chemical reaction, corrosion and misuse (Qantas, 2018).

Along with this, various areas such as parking lots, storage areas, rest areas, and locker areas would be examined by the auditors within the organization. It is stated that Qantas engineering and maintenance department is strong and effective to conduct business activities and operations in a hassle-free manner (Narayan, 2012). With experience attained in maintaining own fleet of over 200 aircraft, Qantas could respond to customer needs, wants and requirements with reliability and flexibility and an understanding of operators constraints and issues. The company is at the growing and leading edge of advanced technological development, enhance products, systems, and procedures. Qantas needs to focus on the improvement and enhancement to ensure dynamic maintenance and inspection at the workplace. In today’s era, the firm is providing 24*7 hours services to its customers to be a leader in the airline industry (Qantas, 2018). Transit check inspections can be conducted as per individual maintenance requirements. The engineers are further qualified and skilled in a broad range of aircraft including A330, B747, A380 and B737 (Qantas, 2018). All Qantas line maintenance stations might communicate and cooperate with inbound aircraft for advice on incoming defects and variations in the competitive market.

Promoting Safety

5.Qantas is committed to rendering a safe and injury free workplace through excellent safety practices, strategies, and integrating operational safety in the business. Safety and security is everything for everyone at Qantas (Quinlan, Hampson & Gregson, 2013). The company uses the effective and unique approach that would help in preventing injury in the workplace. The firm is working hard to ensure the safety standards of their employees and clients at all times. Apart from this, a variety of programs and sessions must be held by the company support the health and wellbeing of workers and customers as well. Furthermore, top management and managers need to provide assurance that safety is being maintained and initiated. Apart from this, training and development coaching sessions must be held by the company to improve and enhance the safety standards and policies in the workplace. In addition, employees further responsible for ensuring the safety and success of Qantas (Qingfeng, Wenbin, Xin, Jianfeng & Qingbin, 2011).

They must continue to be flexible, dedicated, effective, efficient and knowledgeable while exercising good judgment and assessment. Meanwhile, the company continues to a huge amount in training equipment and systems that have long-term and effective implications at the workplace. Improving and enhancing human performance would help the company reduce and eliminate the commercial aviation accident rate within the organization. In this way, safety standards and principles can be promoted by the top management and managers at Qantas. Moreover, navigation, communication, and surveillance air traffic management interface should be used by the company to reduce and eliminate safety issues and challenges. The significance of health and safety shall be explained by the top management at the workplace. In this way, top management can promote and communicate the significance of health and safety in the workplace among the workers. Aside from this, workplace risk assessment can be conducted by the company to maintain a favorable culture and promote health and safety. Encouraging and promoting the employees to report safety and health concern are one of the significant ways to promote safety within the organization (Qingfeng, Wenbin, Xin, Jianfeng & Qingbin, 2011).

6.Qantas engineering support and assistance is available at all Australian international and domestic terminals and some other overseas parts. An effective and qualified team would be appointed to monitor and supervise maintenance activities and operations. The company further should provide engineering services to the employees effectively. Qantas engineering line maintenance would provide world-class guidance and assistance to reduce and ignore the service disruptions to operators and professional experiencing technical difficulties. All Qantas line maintenance stations can communicate and collaborate with inbound aircraft for supervising and monitoring the maintenance activities and operations. Along with this, the company’s line maintenance can perform complementary measure and analyze the maintenance compliance and rules (Manuele, 2013).

Monitoring and Supervising Maintenance Activities

Engineering training shall be conducted to analyze and identify the needs and requirements of maintenance at the workplace. Material logistics and systems must be used to control over the maintenance activities. Regular maintenance and supervising activities are needed to promote maintenance activities. Apart from this, strong and open communication shall be maintained with the engineering team in the workplace thus, it will help to promote maintenance activities and actions within the organization. Beside this, highly skilled and experienced technicians shall be hired by the company to provide superior quality of services at minimum cost. Although, the company has a modern and dynamic evacuation system maintenance facility in Melbourne but the company needs to improve this system and various changes shall be done in this system to handle and manage the maintenance system effectively. In addition, the firm needs to focus on the Qantas sign craft team to render ample of solutions for the maintenance and manufacture. With significant and unique training in sign graphic and writing, the company could able to be a leader in the decal, aircraft graphic, and livery applications within the organization. In this way, the company could able to supervise and evaluate the maintenance activities in the competitive market (Manuele, 2013).

7.In today’s globalization world, Qantas has a wide array of issues and challenges in the international market that may hamper its image and financial position in the global market. Financial success and growth are some other consequences that can affect the profitability and revenue of the firm. It has been analyzed that effective policies, code of conducts and standards would be set Qantas to boost profitability and maintain a good corporate culture at the workplace (Vinodkumar & Bhasi, 2010).

Apart from this, international standards, policies and recommended practices shall be adopted to prevent issues influencing the safety and effectiveness of air navigation within the organization. If any employee is failed to follow these rules and regulations then strict action would be taken by the company at the workplace. Firstly, verbal warning can be given in case of any violation and breach of the code of conducts. This will help to reduce and prevent violation and misbehavior at the workplace. Apart from this, a formal notification in writing to the workers could be given if she/he has violated regulations, code of conducts and rules. Moreover, notice of suspension can be provided to the workers in writing if any misconduct is going on at the workplace. In this way, the employers and top management can address employees who fail to comply with stated rules, policies and regulations (Vinodkumar & Bhasi, 2010).

Addressing Non-compliance by Employees

8.After the various studies, it is evident that ethical and cultural biases in a diverse workplace could affect the performance and effectiveness of the workers adversely. Thus, strict actions can be taken and innovative policies shall be made by Qantas to promote diversity in the workplace. Encouraging and promoting human resources personnel to reduce and eliminate the cultural and ethical biases at the workplace (Ardichvili, Jondle, Kowske, Cornachione & Thakadipuram, 2012). Along with this, top management and managers need to identify and analyze the biases at the front door while rendering services to the passengers within the organization. The performance evaluation shall be done to prevent various types of cultural biases in the workplace (Sue & Sue, 2012).

By rendering management team with innovative and effective diversity awareness training, employers at Qantas can equip them to provide support for creating an innovative workplace. Open communication shall be exercised to resolve and handle the communicating problems and concerns at the workplace (Luthans, Luthans & Luthans, 2015). Generating and setting corporate guidelines that define the nature recruitment, culture, ethics, benefits and compensation to the employees is one of the significant ways to eliminate the cultural and ethical biases. Code of conducts, business ethics and principles must be set to overcome on these issues and challenges in a large extent. Training and development further help in enhancing and increasing the scope of minimizing cultural and ethical issues and concerns (Trevino & Nelson, 2016).

Conclusion 

From the above discussion, it is concluded that an exclusive and significant audit help in dealing and handling the worst situation in the airline industry. The above analysis shows that Qantas uses innovative strategies, guidelines, and policies to overcome the maintenance and health issues within the organization. Along with this, the company has been able to create a dynamic image in the minds of the customers by exercising innovative health and safety standards and regulations. The attractive and talented engineering team is appointed by the company to take care of its engineering and maintenance activities.

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