ECM22EKM: Report on Leadership and People Management in Aviation

This report delves into the critical aspects of leadership and people management within the aviation industry, specifically addressing the challenges of manning the skies in the Asia Pacific region. It begins with an introduction to Human Resource Management (HRM) and its significance in the aviation sector, emphasizing the importance of air traffic controllers and their role in ensuring safety and efficiency. The report then reviews relevant academic literature, exploring the impact of HRM on organizational behavior and the reasons for hiring air traffic controllers. It analyzes the challenges faced by both air traffic controllers and HRM departments, including compliance with laws, recruitment, and training. The discussion section examines how HRM facilitates and manages change and the importance of effective communication. The report also offers recommendations for improving the supply of competent air traffic controllers, addressing recruitment, training, and retention strategies. The report concludes by summarizing key findings and emphasizing the need for robust HRM practices to support the growth and development of the aviation industry. The report is based on the case study provided in the assignment brief.

Running head: LEADERSHIP AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
Leadership and people management
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1LEADERSHIP AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Review of the appropriate academic literature...........................................................................2
Importance of air traffic controllers.......................................................................................2
Importance of HRM in aviation.............................................................................................3
Impact of HRM on Organisational behaviour........................................................................4
Reason of hiring air traffic controllers...................................................................................5
Analysis and discussion.............................................................................................................5
Facilitates and manages change.............................................................................................5
Communication......................................................................................................................6
Challenges faced by air traffic controllers.............................................................................6
Challenges faced by HRM.....................................................................................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8
Reference List..........................................................................................................................10

2LEADERSHIP AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
Introduction
Human resource is a department in the organisation that focuses on the development
of the organisation hiring right people for the job. The employees play a crucial role in the
development of the efficiency of the organisation. According to Sparrow, Brewster and
Chung (2016), the Human resource management will help to development of the
organisational culture and help in building relationship between the management and
employees. The HRM is a necessity of an organisation. It ensure that the employees are
efficient and worthy enough who will be productive and development of the working of the
organisation.
The aviation industry has been witnessing a decrease in the sale of the service from
last few years. Hence, hiring of the right employees will help the organisation to develop its
efficiency and productivity of the organisation (Brewster 2017). For instance, there has a
hiring in the Hong Kong International Airport in order to bring in changes in the human and
physical aviation infrastructure of the organisation. The aviation industry play a crucial role
in the development of the economic condition of the employees. The HRM ensures that there
will be development of the aviation industry with the training and right hiring of the
employees in the aviation industry. Initiatives has been taken by the HRM to bring in women
in the aviation industry that will ensure in the development of the diversity of the
organisation. The paper will focus on the importance of HRM in aviation industry and
analyse the ways HRM have an impact on the training of the employees of aviation.
Review of the appropriate academic literature
Importance of air traffic controllers
Air traffic controller (ATC), is the service that is being provided by the ground based air
traffic controllers. Their service is to provide help or guidance to the aircrafts on the ground

3LEADERSHIP AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
as well as thought airspace. They also have to guide non-controlled aircrafts. The air traffic
controllers is the defensive role or the security that is being operated by the military.
According to Molesworth (2016), the main task of the air traffic controllers to instruct the
flight on air and ensure security that will help in maintenance of safety and security of aircraft
operations. The prime way of observing the flight is through a tower that is being located in
the airport itself. The flights are being controlled with the help of radar. The prime task of air
traffic controllers are to control the flight within the flight data, local control or air control or
clearance delivery and ground control (Singh et al. 2019). The air traffic controller plays a
crucial role in the controlling of the flights and ensures safety and security of the passengers.
The air traffic controller plays a crucial role in the running of an aviation industry. The hiring
of air traffic controllers is difficult as the HRM must ensure that the air traffic controllers hire
are efficient and trained enough to handle their duties significantly. Hence, the air traffic
controllers plays a significant role in the development of the aviation industry.
Importance of HRM in aviation
According to Armstrong and Taylor (2019), the HRM plays an important role in
hiring and training employees that will enable in the development of the working style of the
employees. The HRM ensures that the employees who are being hired are efficient for the
position they have been selected and improve the quality of service provided. The HRM can
be termed as the business partners as well. The can be termed so as the HRM not only hires
or ensures right working but also develops strategies and planning that will enable in meeting
the objectives and management of the organisation (DeCenzo, Robbins and Verhulst 2016).
The HRM is the talent resourcing that ensures that the employees are being employed are
worth the position and fruitful for the organisation. The people are the asset of an
organisation that is being looked after by the HRM. The HRM is an important factor for

4LEADERSHIP AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
aviation industry as it looks after the entire working process of the aviation industry as well
as recruits employees who will be the asset of the organisation.
According to Lowe (2017), the ability to ensure that, the organisation is being hired
with the right employees and understanding the legislation of the work is the responsibility of
HRM. Aviation is a different kind of industry wherein the employees must be selected based
on their background. It is the responsibility of the HRM to ensure that there is a healthy
working environment and the employees are being managed well. Hence, the HRM plays a
significant role in the development of the employees as well as in the working of the aviation
industry.
Impact of HRM on Organisational behaviour
The HRM not only hires people but also develops policies that will help in meeting
the objectives of an organisation. The HRM has a great impact on the organisational
behaviour of an organisation. According to Armstrong and Taylor (2019), the HR manager is
the one who will ensure that there is proper working and behaviour maintained in the
organisation. It is the duty of the Human resource management to look into the safety and
security of the organisation as well as the employees. The HR manager develops the policies
in an organisation and ensures that the policies are being appropriate that will maintain a
healthy working environment (Bratton and Gold 2017). The HRM of the aviation industry
also develops policies that will help in the improvement of the condition of the employees
bringing in changes in the organisation. Diversity in workplace is a great challenge that has to
be maintained by the HRM of the organisation. There can be people of various regions, race
or caste that has to be maintained by the HR managers. In an organisation, the organisational
behaviour there may be issues due to diversity. Hence, it is the responsibility of the HRM of
the organisation to look into the aspects of healthy organisational behaviour. The Human
resource management develops policies and procedures that has to be followed by the

5LEADERSHIP AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
employees of the aviation industry to help in develop the relationship of the employees. The
responsibility of the HR manager to provide the employees with security and job satisfaction
that will be obtained from the organisational behaviour.
Reason of hiring air traffic controllers
In the past few years, there has been initiatives taken by the aviation industry to grow
and develop bringing in more number of customers. It has a target of doubling the number of
passengers in the next 20 years and there is a large number of traffic controllers required who
will help in the development of the business in the coming years. According to the
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) – the UN’s civil aviation arm, there is a
requirement of 40,000 air traffic controllers required for the upcoming plans of aviation
industry. The Asia pacific needs air traffic controller of 1000 every year (Cascio 2015). The
air traffic controllers will help in the development of the business in the next coming years.
There will be a great growth in the number of customers as it has been planned by the HRM
of the aviation industry. Hence, it is the reason of hiring a large number of employees in the
air traffic control.
In fact, from the research of ELLIS (2018), it has been evident that the air traffic
controller is an invisible part of the air transport value chain that will help in the development
of the organisational financial strategies. In order to keep up the demand of the customers
there is a need of 200 trainees who will support the 1700 controllers of aircraft in UK air
space. The air traffic controller plays a significant role in the development of the working of
the aviation industry ensuring that there will be growth of the business in the coming years.

6LEADERSHIP AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
Analysis and discussion
Facilitates and manages change
Innovation is an important factor that helps in the growth of the organisation. As
mentioned by Chelladurai and Kerwin (2018), HR manager helps in the development of the
facilities in the organisation and enable in the development of the management style of the
organisation. It looks after the facilities that are being provided to the employees and ensure
that the employees are safe and secure. The HRM is also an organisational leader that looks
after the wellbeing of the employees of the organisation. The HR not only appoints
employees but also ensures that the employee talents are being managed well. The HRM
looks into the changes in an organisation that will enable in the development of the
employees and working style in an organisation (Estival et al. 2019). Hence, the Human
resource play a major role in bringing changes in the working of an organisation that has an
impact on the organisational behaviour.
Communication
Communication is an important factor that will enable in the development of the
relationship with the employees. Communication help in building a bond with the employees
changing in the management style of the employees (Hofstetter and Rosenblatt 2017). It helps
in hiring people and communication with new people making them comfortable about the
organisation that they are looking into. It has been analysed from the section above that
communication is the key factor that will help in the development of the relationship among
the employees and help in the improvement of the working style of the employees in the
organisation. It has been understood from the above section that there will be development of
the organisational values that is an important factor that must be developed by the HRM to
improve communication with the employees.

7LEADERSHIP AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
Challenges faced by air traffic controllers
People those who are trained in the field of air traffic controller knows the ways of
controlling the aircraft or the technology used. However, as Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, and
Wright (2017) mentioned that the entire responsibility of the flight is in the hands of the air
traffic controllers. Hence, they are the one who are responsible for the flight and the
challenge faced is that they have to be very skilful and active while working. Oster and
Strong (2017) mentioned that air traffic controlling is a difficult and complex task that has to
be performed by efficient employees. They must be very particular and have a good memory
that will help to understand the capacity or the operation of the flight that will be executed by
the air traffic controllers. Another issue that they face while working is to understand the
environment around based on which decision will be made (Singh, Budhwar, Mellahi and
Pereira 2018). The job of air traffic controllers is difficult and complex itself hence, analysis
is difficult for common people.
Challenges faced by HRM
According to Mahlamäki, Rintamäki and Rajah (2019), the HRM looks into every
aspect of the organisation and due to that reason; there are problems that are being faced by
the HRM. The major issues that are being faced by HRM in an aviation industry are as
follows:
 Compliance with laws and regulations: Keeping a track of the changes in the laws
of employees and aviation is a difficult job (Mondy and Martocchio 2016). The HRM
must be keen and have a continuous check on the laws that are being implemented for
the aviation and bring in changes in the policies and ensure that it will be
implemented as early as possible.
 Management change: There will be issues or downfall in a business it is the
responsibility of the HRM to keep a check on the working progress of the employees,

8LEADERSHIP AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
as it will be beneficial for the organisation. There may be changes in the
organisational culture and system. Bringing in changes in the organisational culture is
a difficult task that has to be performed by the HRM (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart and
Wright 2015).
 Leadership development: Leadership is an important factor that will help in the
growth of the organisational values and cultures ensuring development of a healthy
working environment. The HRM also ensures that the employees are being satisfied
and the leaders of the organisation are fulfilling their needs.
 Development and Training: It has been identified as one of the important as well as
significant aspect that will help in the development of the working in an organisation
(nats.aero 2020). The HR manager must ensure that the employees those who are
being selected are appropriate and will help in the development of the overall working
of the employees.
 Adaption of innovation: In aviation, innovation is an important factor. According to
Sparrow, Brewster and Chung (2016), the HR manager must firstly have a knowledge
of the existing innovation in the industry as well as know the limitation and benefits
of the innovation in the industry. This will help in the development of innovations
brining in changes in the organisation. The HRM must also know the ways of
implementation of the innovation that will help in the development of the
organisation.
 Recruiting employees: Recruiting employees is another important factor that will
help in the development of the organisation. As it has been discussed in Vallesi
(2017) paper that recruiting is an easy task; however, recruiting of able employees in
difficult. Channelizing the talents of the employees that will help in the development
of the organisation is another challenge that is being faced by the HRM.

9LEADERSHIP AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
Conclusion
Hence, it can be concluded that the HRM is an important department of an
organisation. It is the responsibility of the HRM to look into the working of organisation and
ensue that the employees are satisfied. They not only work for the organisation but also for
the safety and security of the employees. They have to ensure that the needs of the
organisation is being fulfilled along with the needs of the employees. Aviation is an industry
that has been witnessing development in the past few years. According to the strategies of the
aviation industry, there will be a growth of aviation in the next 20 years and hence, there is a
requirement of a large number of skilful and efficient employees who will help in managing
of the working in the organisation. The Human resource of the aviation industry has to face
various challenges in meeting the needs of the organisation. However, it is the responsibility
of the HR manager to keep a check on the organisation and the employees, who will initiate
development of the aviation industry.
The Human resource is a difficult task that is being performed in an organisation.
They are the integral part of an organisation that helps in bringing changes in the working
environment with changes management whenever necessary. They also ensures that aviation
industry that there will be a hiring of a large number of air traffic controller, who will being a
dynamic change in the organisation. Hence, the HRM is an important factor that will help in
the development of the management, leadership, organisational values and cultures ensuring
financial growth of the organisation.

10LEADERSHIP AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
Reference List
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2019. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Bratton, J. and Gold, J., 2017. Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave.
Brewster, C., 2017. Policy and practice in european human resource management: The Price
Waterhouse Cranfield survey. Taylor & Francis.
Cascio, W.F., 2015. Managing human resources. McGraw-Hill.
Chelladurai, P. and Kerwin, S., 2018. Human resource management in sport and recreation.
Human Kinetics.
DeCenzo, D.A., Robbins, S.P. and Verhulst, S.L., 2016. Fundamentals of Human Resource
Management, Binder Ready Version. John Wiley & Sons.
ELLIS, P., 2018. Recruitment: the role of the manager. Wounds UK, 14(5).
Estival, D. Budhwar, P., Pereira, V., Mellahi, K. and Singh, S.K., 2019. The state of HRM in
the Middle East: Challenges and future research agenda. Asia Pacific Journal of
Management, 36(4), pp.905-933.
Hofstetter, H. and Rosenblatt, Z., 2017. Predicting protean and physical boundaryless career
attitudes by work importance and work alternatives: regulatory focus mediation effects. The
International Journal of Human Resource Management, 28(15), pp.2136-2158.
Lowe, E., 2017. The Role of the Manager in Stress Management. In Rail Human Factors (pp.
451-461). Routledge.
Mahlamäki, T., Rintamäki, T. and Rajah, E., 2019. The role of personality and motivation on
key account manager job performance. Industrial Marketing Management, 83, pp.174-184.
Molesworth, B., 2016. Aviation English: A lingua franca for pilots and air traffic controllers.
Routledge.

11LEADERSHIP AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
Mondy, R. and Martocchio, J.J., 2016. Human resource management. Pearson.
nats.aero/blog 2020. Challenges of manning the skies in the Asia Pacific - NATS Blog.
[online] NATS Blog. Available at: https://nats.aero/blog/2018/12/challenges-manning-skies-
asia-pacific/ [Accessed 28 Feb. 2020].
Noe, R.A., Hollenbeck, J.R., Gerhart, B. and Wright, P.M., 2015. Human resources
management. Instructor, 2015.
Noe, R.A., Hollenbeck, J.R., Gerhart, B. and Wright, P.M., 2017. Human resource
management: Gaining a competitive advantage. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Oster, C.V. and Strong, J.S., 2017. Managing the Skies: public policy, organization and
financing of air traffic management. Routledge.
Singh, S., Budhwar, P., Mellahi, K. and Pereira, V., 2018. The state of HRM in the Middle
East: Challenges and future research agenda.
Sparrow, P., Brewster, C. and Chung, C., 2016. Globalizing human resource management.
Routledge.
Vallesi, A., 2017. The Case of Air Traffic Control. In Theory-Driven Approaches to
Cognitive Enhancement (pp. 293-303). Springer, Cham.