Oman Air Aircraft about Training Provision - Research Proposal Example

An assessment of the drivers of low standards in the maintenance of Oman Air aircraftin relation to training provision Aim of the Study (introdection) Training and development activities are crucial to the success of any business. It is a branch of human resource management and is considered vital as it leads to optimum utilization of the resources (Roberts & Leahy, 2008, p.2-6). The principal aim of any training and development activity is to enhance performance of the employees and to increase overall productivity of the firm (Roberts & Leahy, 2008, p.7-8). The quality of output also increases to a great extent along with the development of team spirit and morale of the employees (Ignatiuk, 2013, p.4). For example, training and development lead to the development of new skills and expertise of employees. However, in some sectors, training and development are necessary for performing the regular activities. Training and development activities present prime opportunities to expand and enhance the knowledge base of the employees. Even so, some employers find the same to be expensive and hence, financial loss of the company. For example, employees often miss out on work timings while attending the training and development sessions and this might delay the completion of project (Kenny & Reedy, 2007, p.121). Despite the potential drawbacks of training and development activities, companies consider these to be a core functional activity (Burke, 2010, p.13). Some of the key benefits of training and development are addressing weaknesses of the employees, improving performance level of the employees, managing consistency in the performance levels of employees and enjoying increased level of employee satisfaction. The significance of training and development cannot be distinguished on the basis of the sector. Hence, irrespective of the nature of business or size of the organization, the significance of training and development is the same all over (Burke, 2010, p.15). This study seeks to investigate the importance of training and development in the aviation sector of Oman. However, the prime thurst will be on the rational behind standard of maintainence. The topic that will be evaluated is: An assessment of the drivers of low standards in the maintenance of Oman Air aircraftin relation to training provision. Therefore, the principal aim of this project is to get an insight into the perception of Aircraft Engineers of Oman, pertaining to inadequate training in aircraft engineering sector, which is responsible for low standards in maintenance of Oman Air aircraft (FICCI, 2012). The objective of the study will be fulfilled by conducting a questionnaire survey among the chosen sample of the study. Apart from that, the study will also review pertinent literature. Objectives The objectives of a research basically act as a guideline to the study and greatly help in devising courses of action. In the section below, objectives of this research paper are detailed: - A. To find out relevance and usefulness of the current skills and training programmes for aircraft engineers and how they influence individual behaviour in the work place. B. To evaluate the impact of inadequate training on engineers’ productivity in the engineering sector. C. To underpin the extent to which training and development activities are necessary for the employees, belonging to the aviation sector. D. To identify the current training and development programs, being initiated by Oman Air, in order to ensure high quality maintenance of Oman Air aircraft and streamline business operation. perception of the chosen sample and draw conclusion on that basis. Recommendation The final piece of work will also consist of several recommendations to the company regarding the way they can resolve issues, which are faced by them currently. The report will focus on providing recommendations about how organizations can reduce the low standard of maintainence and can develop the employees. Apart from that the focus will also be on the evaluation of the various training methods affect engineers’ performance at work. Lastly, evaluation of the the contribution of training in achieving the organization’s short and long-term objectives. Limitations to the Study c) Limitations It is hard to find a research study that has been completed without facing difficulties. There are various types of problems that arise during the course of a research work, such as, interference of third parties or difficulties in selecting respondents of the study. Likewise, this study is obvious to face difficulties during the process of research. Depending on the current situation and assuming that the current state will remain constant, following are the possible risks: - 1. The respondents can be reluctant to participate in the questionnaire survey and focus group interview. 2. Some participants might be biased: - Some of the participants of the study might give biased answer, which will impact quality of the study. 3. There can be problems with timing of the managers/senior executives, who are one of the target respondents of this research process. 4. There can be problems pertaining to the collection of secondary data. This is because most of the online databases need paid access. 5. Lastly, due to stringent deadline, certain research factors need to be compromised and as a result of that, there will be a question of quality. However, to surmount this issue, a timeline will be developed, so as to ensure timely completion (FICCI, 2012). Literature Review Employees are considered as the most important asset of an organization as without employees, a company would not be able to function in the marketplace (Business Monitor International, 2008, p.15). However, qualified employees will not help the company to fulfil its objectives alone, rather it needs to ensure that the employees are efficient and performs their tasks honestly. In the similar way, aviation sector needs to manage qualified and efficient workforce, so as to ensure the smooth flow of operation and high quality maintenance. In general, due to lack of training, companies have not only experienced reduced productivity, but have also dealt with the issue of equipment maintenance (Kenny & Reedy, 2007, p.124). This is largely because of inadequate training to maintenance staff and negligence of upper management. The company also gets impacted financially by various other indirect negative consequences. According to Bilotkach & Hüschelrath (2010) training and development is a necessity to increase global competitiveness of a firm as well as uplift the business performance (p.11-13). Well-planned training and development system leads to higher efficiency (Commission on Growth and Development, 2008, p.3-8). Echoing the concepts, the authors such as, Christensen, Firat & Torp (2008), had articulated that training and development programme should be on top of the agenda list of the companies in order to make sure that they compete at the highest possible level (p.426). Brueckner & Pels (2007) believes that the significance of training and development is more in sectors, which encompasses technical activities (p.6-8). He exemplifies that companies that are involved in services sectors, such as, travel and tourism, require lesser training, but a company involved in sectors, such as, aviation and telecoms, need to provide employees with comprehensive training. One of the key reasons for the same is rapidly changing technology and as a result of that, changes in the patterns of maintenance are becoming evident. According to Gayle (2007) training and development activities are a bit costly for the aviation sector and are one of the reasons why aviation companies give less importance to this domain (p.12). However, this does not mean that the industry can function without training and development activities. Beblawi (2011) observed that due to inadequate training of employees, aviation companies loose hefty revenue every year (p.159-163). With the rapid increase of air travelling across the world, maintenance of aircraft becomes important. Regular inspection and routine maintenance often become a burden for the aircraft companies and this increases the need for licensed and qualified maintenance technicians (Airbus, 2012, p.185). Hence, training and developments is one of the crucial aspects of aviation sector, as it not only ensures efficient functioning of aircrafts, but also plays an essential role in reducing the unnecessary maintenance cost. According to Grace (2014) companies across the world lose huge sums of money due to improper training and development (p.17). A company investing significant sums of money in this domain gets benefitted in numerous ways, such as, increasing the lifeline of an aircraft, ensuring safety of passengers, reducing operational cost and proves to be beneficial for the company in the long run (Crystal, 2007, p.185). The situation in Oman is assessed to be worse as each year companies are losing huge sums of money due to improper maintenance of the aircrafts. Poor maintenance is also reducing longevity of the aircrafts. In the context of Oman, companies are not solely responsible for the poor maintenance of the aircraft, but the poor training infrastructure of the country is also responsible to a certain extent (Grace, 2014). One of the major findings of the literature review was that there are comparatively less training and development opportunities present in Oman (p.19). There is hardly any specialized training institute there, which focuses solely on offering Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering. In addition, there are barely any helicopter training opportunities in Oman, which also negatively impacts the growth of the industry. As a result of that, shortage of aircraft maintenance engineers is evident in Oman (Covingtonaircraft, 2012). Hence, after careful investigation of the macro environment and the issues taking place from both supply and demand side, it has been identified that expansion and development of aviation maintenance training are one of the fundamental requirements of the industry (Ntatt, 2011, p.4). According to Covingtonaircraft (2012), “there is no denying that plane maintenance is one of the most critical aspects of plane ownership”. Since FAA places high importance on the safety of a plane, it forces a company belonging to aviation sector to conduct thorough maintenance and inspection works. This is the reason why aircraft technicians are required to be highly skilled and demonstrate keen attention, while performing maintenance activities. Hence, from the above discussion, it is evident that the significance of aircraft maintenance is paramount and in the similar way, importance of proper training and skills of the employees are enormous. According to Davidson (2009) human error in aviation is a sensitive issue and is directly related with the lack of proper training and development (p.16-19). El-Kharouf, Al-Qudsi & Obeid (2010) emphasize that many causal factors, which are often overlooked initially, later become causes of concern for the airline company (p.14-15). These small issues are mostly human errors and to get rid of these issues, training and development is the only solution El-Kharouf, Al-Qudsi & Obeid (2010) observed that installation and maintenance errors also take place due to human error and in-depth investigation have shown that people with inadequate training commit most of the mistakes (p.15). Therefore, it is again proved that training and development activities are crucial in reducing various types of human errors. In the aviation sector, the maintenance of aircraft is generally carried out manually and therefore, human skills are necessary. FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) is reposnible to for setting up the training and development requirements of the aircraft maintainence engineers. FAA is taking initiatives to standardize the training programmes. According to the estavblishment, the legal training requirements are as follows: - 1. The airline company must ensure that each of the employees are trained properly to ensure safety. 2. Comprehensive traiming should be offered to the employees in order to ensure that employees are able to handle complex situations and carry out hazardous tasks. 3. Specialized training to the employees should be provided. Apart from that there are several training guidelines. A company failing to abide by the specifications of FAA might lead to temporary halt of operation (FAA, 2012). Likewise FAA, EASA (European aviation safety agency) is another regulatory body overseeing the European market. The legal requirements are detailed below. Comprehensive and relevanty training to all the staff members. The aim of EASA is to achieve highest level of competency and maintain safety. As a result of that the agency develops curriculam and delivers the same through online as well as class room mode. However, failing to comply with the aforementioned standards might lead to cancelletaion of the license of the concerned authority. In addition, there can be issue related to certification of the engineers (EASA, 2014). Training and development activities come in various forms and employees are trained according to the job role or department in which they are functioning. The most important thing is to provide the most relevant training. On the contrary, irrelevant training will ultimately not help a company to serve the purpose and fulfil the objectives. For example, if an employee of marketing department is provided training on operational management, the employee or the company will hardly gain any benefits out of it, but if employees are provided training on sales skill development or communication skill development, the company along with the employee will be highly benefited. In the similar way, there are various training forms present in the aviation sector and this study principally deals with engineering and maintenance training (Europa Publications, 2011). The engineering and maintenance training is aimed at developing technical skills of the employees, who are involved in aircraft maintenance. The author also emphasize that engineers believe that offering adequate and relevant training is necessary tasks for the organization in order to ensure proper maintenance of the equipments and is applicable for any type of companies, whether construction or mechanical. According to Wensveen (2010), the aviation industry needs to incur three types of cost, namely fuel, labour and maintenance. Moreover, there is a strong correlation between efficiency of the labour and cost of maintenance. It is obvious that highly efficient workforce will reduce the cost of maintenance and vice versa. The typical airline expenses break-down, as shown below, makes it evident that maintenance account for 10.1% of the total cost of operation. Hence, efficient manpower is a major challenge for this industry. Figure 1 – Aviation Operation Expenses (Source: Wensveen, 2010) The figure above illustrates the various operational costs that an aviation firm has to incur; however, after carefully observing the expenses, it has been inferred that there are hardly any expenses pertaining to training and development. A number of scholars such as Davidson (2005), have emphasized on the fact that a company, irrespective of the nature and type of business, should invest at least 2-5% of the overall revenue in training and development activities. Echoing the same, authors such as, Wensveen (2010), stress on the fact that the expenses pertaining to maintenance and overhaul and also to certain extent, expenses related to fuel and oil and passenger services reduces. This is because if a company offer relevant training pertaining to maintenance and engineering of the equipments, it will ensure that equipments are in a better condition. This in turn guarantees to offer the best service by consuming less fuel and providing greater comfort to the passengers. Several surveys related to the significance of maintenance training in aviation sector have been carried out and majority of the studies concluded that the significance is paramount (Roberts & Leahy, 2008, p.7-8; Ignatiuk, 2013, p.4). A survey was carried out by FICCI (2012) about major restriction to the growth of the aviation industry and it was found that high taxation and policy regime are the major obstacles, besides poor infrastructure and funding constraints. However, the study has also shown that shortage of manpower is another major hindrance to the growth of the aviation industry. Due to absence of skilled and trained labour, companies need to incur hefty sums of money annually, in either purchasing new aircrafts or entirely changing some of the spare parts. The study have also confirmed that manpower shortage can be found in areas such as, engineering and technical department, pilot types, ground handling, flight planning, cabin crew and airport management. Hence, the comprehensive review of literature as well as discussion of real life examples clearly make it evident that inadequate training in aircraft engineering sector is one of the main causes of low standards in maintenance of aircrafts. The purpose of a research is to inform target respondents about the actions. So, it is evident that a study should seek to conceptualize findings with a broader research. It is also important to ensure that any research work carried out must be of high quality, so as to produce knowledge which is applicable outside of the research setting and applies beyond the chosen sample for the study. Similarly, this study also aims to come out with knowledge that can be applied to a large set of population, besides its initial objective of answering or evaluating the topic: An assessment of the drivers of low standards in the maintenance of Oman Air aircraftin relation to training provision. In addition, the study also has various other sub-objectives, which are to recognize the relevance and usefulness of the current skills and training programmes for aircraft engineers and how they influence individual behaviour in the work place, evaluate the impact of inadequate training on engineers productivity in the engineering sector, underpin the extent to which training and development activities are necessary for employees belonging to the aviation sector and identify the current training and development programs being initiated by Oman Air in order to ensure high quality maintenance of Oman Air aircraft and streamline business operations. In the subsequent section of the study, the strategies or plans to fulfil the aforementioned objectives will be highlighted. 3-A plan a) Methods Hence, from the research objectives, it is evident that the study requires consultation of both secondary data as well as collection of raw data. The study will follow a mix approach in both collection and analysis of the data. The study will encompass collection of both qualitative as well as quantitative data, so that in-depth insights on the subject of concern can be drawn out of it. The data collection instrument for this study will be focus group interview and questionnaire survey. The focus group interview session will be meant for the chosen sample amoing senior management, whereas the questionnaire survey will be meant for selected Oman Air engineers. The reason behind choosing focus group interview for the managers or senior executives of Oman is that it will allow in-depth exploration to gain insights into the subject matter. In addition, focus group interviews are generally used to evaluate the current situation of action/activity and to simultaneously make efforts to develop the same. The less number of respondents is another reason to opt for a focus group survey. As this study also seeks to evaluate and improve the training and development system of the firm, the application of focus group interview is justified (Kenny & Reedy, 2007, p.139). The respondents will be asked about the current training and development practices of the organization. The collected data will be analyses qualitatively and if necessary quantitative techniques will be also used. As a result of that the study will collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Apart from that, the underlying principles behind scheduling and developing the programs will also be asked. The questionnaire survey will be conducted in any one of the branch offices of the company and at a convenient time. Consent will be taken from the HR department of Oman Air before inviting the managers to participate in the study. Another research instrument will be the questionnaire survey, which will be applied to the employees of Oman Air. One of the major reasons behind usage of questionnaire survey is the large number of sample (Christensen, Firat & Torp, 2008, p.448). It has been proposed that the study will consider the entire human resource strength of the company as the sample, which is approximately 150 and thus, questionnaire survey will be appropriate. Apart from that, the factors, that made the researcher consider using this research instrument, is the ability to collect data at a faster pace and remain cost effective. The questionnaire survey will also allow the researcher to collect bulk information. The respondents will be asked about their opinions on whether lack of training is the major reason behind poor maintenance of aircraft. In addition, current training practices of the organization, along with the extent to which they believe the current training and development programs are inadequate or insufficient for ensuring better maintenance of the aircrafts will be evaluated (Roberts & Leahy, 2008, p.17-18). The questionnaire will be designed and distributed online. It will be sent to the respective e-mail ids of the respondents, which will be collected fromn the HR department and they will be asked to revert with their choices within a certain time frame. In this context, prior consent of the HR department will be taken. Based on the aims and objectives of the study, the respondents will, therefore, be the senior managers of the firm, where the sample size would be 5 and employees of the firm, where the sample size would be 150. On the other hand, stratified sampling will be used to select the managers. The aim will be to select 5 senior managers from the training and development department, operations department and maintenance department. The research methods chosen above are as per the requirement and objective of the study. It is hoped that the chosen methodology would serve the purpose of this study. According to theories, a focus group session is most suitable with 5-15 respondents and people are similar in terms of socioeconomic factors. In addition, in a study carried out by Aguinis & Kraiger (2009) about “Benefits of Training and Development for Individuals and Teams, Organizations, and Society”, had used focus group interview as one of the vital techniques (p.19). Interestingly, their study did not consider the use of any statistical analysis, rather they focused only on the qualitative aspect of the study. In the similar way, the study carried out by Ignatiuk about human resource management in the global civil aviation industry have focused on collection and analysis through qualitative method. Likewise, various other research papers have been identified to exhibit similar research objectives, which have used focus group survey as one of important data collection instrument. According to theory, questionnaire survey is appropriate for research studies which involve large number of respondents and generally more than 25. In addition, according to authors, such as, Aguinis & Kraiger (2009), questionnaire survey is best when demographic information is required for a study (p.15). Echoing the same, eminent authors, Roberts & Leahy (2008) have emphasized on the fact that questionnaire surveys play pivotal role while dealing with a large sample and at the same time, require in-depth information (p.19-24). The study carried out by ICAO (2012), titled, “Report on Environmental Management System (EMS) Practices in the Aviation Sector”, has used questionnaire survey. Hence, literature pertaining to the methodology of research proves that the chosen methodology is appropriate and justified. The proposed time line for this project is detailed below: - Table 1 – Proposed Timeline Preparation of Research Proposal Approval of the Topic Designing the Research Taking Approval and consent of the respondents and other concerned authorities Secondary Survey Primary Survey Data Analysis and Report Generation Report Submission (Source: Author’s Creation) b) References Aguinis, H. & Kraiger, K. (2009). Benefits of Training and Development for Individuals and Teams, Organizations, and Society. Annual Review of Psychology. 60, 451-474. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.psych.60.110707.163505. Airbus. (2012). Global Market Forecast 2011–2030: Pocket Guide. Blagnac Cedex: Airbus Industries. Beblawi, H. E. (2011). 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