The effects of performance evaluation practices and working conditions on the safety behaviour of flight crew members

In this study, through the individuals who are actively employed in airlines as flight attendants, cabin supervisors and pursers, it is aimed to establish the performance evaluation perception, the apprehension and the attitude to working conditions, the approaches in the flight safety issues and the dimensions of the distribution of organizational justice, and the factors affecting the flight safety. The universe of the study is consisted of flight attendants, cabin supervisors and pursers employed in airlines whose headquarters are located in Turkey. The sample size of the study has been determined as 500 people. In order to determine these 500 individuals as a result of the calculation of the sample volume, stratified sampling was made in proportion to the total number of the flight personnel (cabin crew, cabin supervisors, pursers) working in the airline companies in the universe of the research, and according to the representation rate of the airline companies in this universe, efforts were made to include staff sampling. The scales used in the research were developed by the researcher by fulfilling the necessary conditions. In the research, the questionnaire method was preferred as a data collection tool within the quantitative research methods. SPSS 20 and AMOS software were used for statistical analysis of the data. The distribution of the characteristics of demographic, working life and performance evaluation processes of the flight crew members participating in the research are shown in percentage and frequency. Reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were utilized in these processes of the scales developed in the study. After applying the validity and reliability of the scales to the participants, Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient and Exploratory Factor Analysis method were used for the validity and the reliability of the collected data. Average and standard deviation values of the data obtained from the scales were indicated in the study. To be able to analyze the differentiation status of the scales and sub-dimensions according to various characteristics and qualifications of the flight crew personnel, parametric tests were applied. According to the variables such as gender, marital status, etc., which are given as two different groups, the differentiation status of the scores obtained from the scales and sub-dimensions were examined through the t-test for independent samples. One-way analysis of variance was used to analyse differentiation status of the scores obtained from the scales and sub-dimensions according to age, monthly income status and similar variables with three and more groups. Structural equation model was used to test the research model. The 95% confidence interval was taken as a reference in the evaluation of the data. As a result, it was seen that the perception of cabin crews performance avaluation practices had an indirect effect on organizational justice distribution dimension on flight safety attitudes. The impact of organizational justice perceptions of cabin crew members on flight safety attitudes was accepted. The effect of performance evaluation and physical working conditions of cabin crew members on flight safety attitudes was rejected. Also, four scales ("Perception Scale for Performance Practices", "Perception Scale for Physical Working Conditions", "Flight Safety Attitude Scale" and "Perception Scale of Organizational Justice Distribution Size") which are valid and reliable were added to the literatüre. Key Words: cabin crew, airline transport, flight safety, performance evaluation.