Participatory management approach in aviation: General Directorate of Civil Aviation adaptation

The major purpose of the public sector in Turkey civil aviation organizations, especially civil aviation tackle participative management approach in nature to support positive safety culture on the system which is to design a model proposal by this research is done by using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. In the first four sections of the study, the concepts of "safety management" carried out in accordance with the ICAO regulations, the "positive safety culture" representing the last point in the evolution of safety thought, and the "participatory management" understanding that emerged as a result of its reflection on the post-modern age management conceptions were examined at a theoretical level. In the research; the model, scales and hypotheses of the research were determined according to the qualitative findings acquired as a result of the literature survey on the aforementioned basic research notions. Finally, the quantitative data collected through a survey application conducted with the participation of 105 people in the research universe formed by the employees of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure General Directorate of Civil Aviation, were subjected to various analyzes in the SPSS 26.0 program and the research hypotheses were analyzed. As a result of the research, it has been monitored that both positive safety culture and participatory management understanding in public sector aviation organizations have a direct and positive effect on safety and risk management processes, organizational structure, employee behavior and the entire safety management system. In result of the research, it has been determined that both positive safety culture and participatory management understanding have the strongest positive effects on "employee behaviors" among the sub-dimensions of the safety and risk management system. Besides, as a result of the research, it was understood that participative management understanding and practices contributed positively to the development of positive safety culture in the regulatory and supervisory structure of aviation. As a result of the research, it has been interpreted that when participatory management practices are not frequently included in the organization, the effect of "blame culture", which can also be described as negative safety culture instead of positive safety culture, will begin to increase. As a result of the research, it is understood that events such as the polarization between employees and managers, the institutional safety reporting system becoming inoperable immediately, and the efforts to immediately cover up the situations that endanger the safety with nepotist attitudes, especially in cases of breach of safety, are often seen in organizations where participative management understanding is not predominant. Eventually; a new model has been suggested that prioritizes positive safety culture and participatory management approach. According to the findings of the research, the methods and methods to be followed for the establishment and sustainability of the proposed new model were explained in detail, and advices were given for future studies on the same subject.