Thesis
Exploring the experiences of women pilots in commercial aviation in Australia
Southern Cross University
Master of Business (MBus), Southern Cross University
2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25918/thesis.155
Metrics
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Abstract
Although many women have been aviation pioneers, being a pilot of a commercial aircraft is still regarded as a ‘non-traditional’ role for women. As a result, outdated stereotypes and stigmas associated with women flying aircraft, together with the gendered nature of the job role, continue to present difficulties with respect to recruiting and retaining women in the commercial aviation industry. Several sectors, including the airline industry and the Australian Government, are putting forward initiatives to foster career awareness for women about aviation, with the latest initiative being the Federal Government’s AU$4 million investment aimed to fund and encourage women to pursue careers in aviation. Therefore, understanding how the industry can help women to translate such awareness into action will go some way to closing the gender gap. To do this, a thorough understanding of the experiences of women pilots in commercial aviation is required.
A qualitative, interpretivist methodology informed by a gender-aware framework was used as a guiding methodological framework to address this study’s research questions. The study was guided by three overarching research questions that sought to develop a better understanding of the experiences of women pilots in the commercial sector in Australia. Fifteen in-depth interviews were held with Australian women pilots who were involved in commercial aviation in some capacity, some in training as a future commercial pilot (as cadets), some as current commercial pilots of varying levels of experience, and others as industry experts with a broad understanding of the commercial aviation sector.
The interview findings revealed four dominant themes derived from women pilot’s experiences. These included: gender and identity; the importance of role models; the perception of others; and a sense of purpose and fulfilment. In seeking a way forward to ensure that a greater proportion of commercial pilots in the future are women, the study highlights that the commercial aviation pilot sector can attract and retain higher numbers of women pilots by focusing on creating initiatives that include strong, visible, and effective policies tailored towards accommodating women’s gendered needs. A crucial point for the commercial aviation industry to understand is that retaining women pilots long enough for them to reach higher ranks is vital as, apart from closing the gender gap, their visibility is crucial to serving as a role model, i.e., the more women who are retained in the sector, the more will be attracted to it.
Details
- Title
- Exploring the experiences of women pilots in commercial aviation in Australia
- Creators
- Itumeleng Mosolena
- Contributors
- Michael Charles (Supervisor) - Southern Cross UniversityErica Wilson (Supervisor) - Southern Cross University
- Awarding Institution
- Southern Cross University; Master of Business (MBus)
- Theses
- Master of Business (MBus), Southern Cross University
- Publisher
- Southern Cross University
- Number of pages
- [ix] 179
- Identifiers
- 991012952200502368
- Copyright
- © I Mosolena 2021
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Business, Law and Arts
- Resource Type
- Thesis