An exploratory study on interorganizational safety citizenship behavior in the air transport industry from the high reliability theory perspective

The aim of this study is to uncover interorganizational safety citizenship behaviors exhibited by organizations in the Turkish air transport industry, recognized for their high reliability, with the objective of enhancing and ensuring safety at the sectoral level and factors affecting the adoption of these behaviors. Employing a qualitative research design, the study collected data from participants who were involved in administrative and operational processes related to aviation safety and possessed sufficient knowledge and experience on the topic in managerial positions at the middle and senior levels from different stakeholders operating in Turkish air transport industry, using purposive sampling method. The data were analyzed by utilizing NVivo 14, qualitative data analysis software. As a result of the analysis, five themes were identified, namely sector-specific factors, organizational factors, cultural factors, relational factors, and safety citizenship pathways, as the factors leading to interorganizational safety citizenship. Furthermore, the interorganizational safety citizenship behaviors of aviation organizations were categorized into four themes: safety voice, safety altruism, safety civic virtue, and protective approaches. The conclusions of the research provide significant insights for aviation organizations in the air transportation industry, aiming to ensure and enhance aviation safety.