CRM Research - feedback as promised: scroll down.
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CRM Research - feedback as promised: scroll down.
Hi All.
As part of an MSc research project being conducted at Cranfield University, I am collecting data about the effects of Crew Resource Management (CRM) training on cabin crew.
To help me with this research, I have designed a questionnaire, which I would be very grateful if you could complete. It is designed to be completed only by those people who have current or previous in-flight cabin crew experience.
It will take about 10 minutes of your time to complete. Results to the research will be made available to this forum.
Permission has gratefully been received from PPRuNe to put a link to the questionnaire here.
Please only complete the questionnaire once.
To take the questionnaire, click on this link: Cabin Crew Questionnaire
Many thanks in advance for your time.
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A big thanks to everyone who's responded so far 
. The results are looking really ... promising (sorry to dangle that carrot, but I can't really elaborate yet ...).
Keep the responses coming, the more people that respond, the more reliable the analysis.
Add any queries / comments you have below.
Cheers.
. The results are looking really ... promising (sorry to dangle that carrot, but I can't really elaborate yet ...).Keep the responses coming, the more people that respond, the more reliable the analysis.
Add any queries / comments you have below.
Cheers.
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+1!
Good luck with your research!
Not everyone is aware that with the EU OPS Human Factors-CRM training has become compulsory for all CC in Europe, like it has been for pilots since 1992. It is another acknowledgement of the importance of the role of CC for Safety, but a lot of work as yet to be done.
Good luck with your research!
Not everyone is aware that with the EU OPS Human Factors-CRM training has become compulsory for all CC in Europe, like it has been for pilots since 1992. It is another acknowledgement of the importance of the role of CC for Safety, but a lot of work as yet to be done.
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Cheers flyblue.
That's certainly true...so we now have the situation that we should have great(?) CRM in the cockpit, and great(?) CRM in the cabin. Does this now mean we have great CRM throughout the entire aircraft...??? or are there two individual sets of CRM going on that don't work together very well?
That's certainly true...so we now have the situation that we should have great(?) CRM in the cockpit, and great(?) CRM in the cabin. Does this now mean we have great CRM throughout the entire aircraft...??? or are there two individual sets of CRM going on that don't work together very well?
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Originally Posted by JetJockeyJim
That's certainly true...so we now have the situation that we should have great(?) CRM in the cockpit, and great(?) CRM in the cabin. Does this now mean we have great CRM throughout the entire aircraft...??? or are there two individual sets of CRM going on that don't work together very well?
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We all know they should overlap BUT we all know that they frequently don't :!:
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It takes time to change company culture, from 10 to 15. My company started doing CC CRM and joint CRM in 1997 and only now we are starting to reap what we sowed. People now don't even realise they are applying CRM rules, so much it became one with common practice. Only a few years ago, when I asked at the beginning of a HF-CRM lesson "what is the purpose of HF and CRM?" almost never I got the reply "flight safety". Today, at least one in the class has the right answer.
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Very interesting questionnaire and I was happy to complete it for you.
I am very interested in the outcome and look forward to a discussion based on the questions with my fellow ppruners!
I am very interested in the outcome and look forward to a discussion based on the questions with my fellow ppruners!
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i agree with apaddyinuk,
very interesting questionaire, i'm very interested in the results. although flying as cabin crew, i'm also a pilot so it would be very interesting to see what answers other, non-pilot crew have given.
very interesting questionaire, i'm very interested in the results. although flying as cabin crew, i'm also a pilot so it would be very interesting to see what answers other, non-pilot crew have given.
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Very interesting indeed. I am also waiting for the results.
Where I work right now, they are trying to re-invent aviation whereby they even want cabin crew to be part of the walk-around so we can “help“the pilots in case they are busy!!! They have no clue of the implications...
The gap here in South America between pilots and cabin crew is huuuuggge...
Where I work right now, they are trying to re-invent aviation whereby they even want cabin crew to be part of the walk-around so we can “help“the pilots in case they are busy!!! They have no clue of the implications...
The gap here in South America between pilots and cabin crew is huuuuggge...
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sudden twang - I agree, getting the pilots perspective would compliment this research nicely.
For example, one question given to cabin crew is 'How often do the pilots give the cabin crew a briefing?'. Give the same question to the pilots i.e. 'How often do you [as a pilot] brief the cabin crew?', you'd hope to get roughly the same response, but I wonder if you would?
CRM is about information flow in both directions i.e. cabin to cockpit and cockpit to cabin, and both are equally important. But it seemed more sensible to me to start with the cabin, since cabin crew CRM is in it's infancy compared to pilot CRM, and has only recently been legislated.
For example, one question given to cabin crew is 'How often do the pilots give the cabin crew a briefing?'. Give the same question to the pilots i.e. 'How often do you [as a pilot] brief the cabin crew?', you'd hope to get roughly the same response, but I wonder if you would?
CRM is about information flow in both directions i.e. cabin to cockpit and cockpit to cabin, and both are equally important. But it seemed more sensible to me to start with the cabin, since cabin crew CRM is in it's infancy compared to pilot CRM, and has only recently been legislated.
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Theres just one point i'd like to raise with regards to question 7.
I'm sure a lot of crew might respond the same way but, I viewed this job as a long term career when I started. After flying for almost 7 years I see this more and more as becoming an industry that is only a short term career move.
I'm sure a lot of crew might respond the same way but, I viewed this job as a long term career when I started. After flying for almost 7 years I see this more and more as becoming an industry that is only a short term career move.
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Yup, that's fair enough. For this particular question I could only offer those options for reasons that will become apparent. I'm sure there's many more questions where you have to make do with a 'best fit' answer.
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There's some very interesting discussions going on in this forum at the moment (chimes/sterile cockpit rule, technical knowledge, etc) that are great. Hopefully this piece of work I'm doing will clarify just where we are with all this stuff.
Which brings me to my point - I'm just going to keep the link to this questionnaire (above) open for another week or two, after which I'll close it and start a final analysis of the results. Many many thanks to those that have completed it so far.
Cheers.
Which brings me to my point - I'm just going to keep the link to this questionnaire (above) open for another week or two, after which I'll close it and start a final analysis of the results. Many many thanks to those that have completed it so far.
Cheers.
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The Results ....
At long last, I can finally make the results available to PPRuNe. These are only the results though, with a little text around them (and a copy of the questionnaure at the end); the full introduction, methodology, discussion, etc, will be available once I've got it signed off from Cranfield University.
It's free to download, follow this link:
[Link to the results removed; please see the links below for both the CC and Pilot articles, which summarise the results. Thanks. JetJockeyJim 7/9/12]
Click on Free User, wait for 30s, then click download and open.
Just a tiny bit of background about the questionnaire design so you know what's going on when you read the results - questions were basically split into two types. The first type replicated research that has already been done on CC CRM (not that there has been much). What I was looking for here was any change between this current research, and the previous research, based on improved training, safety recommendations, etc.
The second type of scenario based question replicated real accidents and incidents that have actually occured and been investigated by air crash investigators. Some of you may have recognised the infamous Kegworth accident in the questionnaire. Here, I was looking for changes in behaviour in how questionaire participants 'thought' they'd react in the exact same situation, and compare it against what really happened. Obviously, it's not quite the same tapping away at a computer imagining the situation and being in the real thing.
That's it for now. Many thanks again for all the responses, and I'll give you a shout when the whole document's ready. Any comments, as ever, would be welcome, below or PM.
Cheers.
These are only the results though, with a little text around them (and a copy of the questionnaure at the end); the full introduction, methodology, discussion, etc, will be available once I've got it signed off from Cranfield University.It's free to download, follow this link:
[Link to the results removed; please see the links below for both the CC and Pilot articles, which summarise the results. Thanks. JetJockeyJim 7/9/12]
Click on Free User, wait for 30s, then click download and open.
Just a tiny bit of background about the questionnaire design so you know what's going on when you read the results - questions were basically split into two types. The first type replicated research that has already been done on CC CRM (not that there has been much). What I was looking for here was any change between this current research, and the previous research, based on improved training, safety recommendations, etc.
The second type of scenario based question replicated real accidents and incidents that have actually occured and been investigated by air crash investigators. Some of you may have recognised the infamous Kegworth accident in the questionnaire. Here, I was looking for changes in behaviour in how questionaire participants 'thought' they'd react in the exact same situation, and compare it against what really happened. Obviously, it's not quite the same tapping away at a computer imagining the situation and being in the real thing.
That's it for now. Many thanks again for all the responses, and I'll give you a shout when the whole document's ready. Any comments, as ever, would be welcome, below or PM.
Cheers.
Last edited by JetJockeyJim; 7th Sep 2012 at 11:06.
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A follow up article
This article, written for the Flight Safety Foundation, summarises the findings of the survey.
http://flightsafety.org/asw/nov11/asw_nov11_p44-47.pdf
There will be follow up research, looking at the pilots' perspective (!), so watch this space!
http://flightsafety.org/asw/nov11/asw_nov11_p44-47.pdf
There will be follow up research, looking at the pilots' perspective (!), so watch this space!
Last edited by JetJockeyJim; 31st Aug 2012 at 17:38.
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Following on from the CC research I did (article above), I did the same for pilots. If any CC are instersted to read 'what the pilots are thinking', the pilot article can be found here:
http://flightsafety.org/asw/jul12/asw_jul12_p32-35.pdf
Thanks to PPRuNe for their on-going support.
http://flightsafety.org/asw/jul12/asw_jul12_p32-35.pdf
Thanks to PPRuNe for their on-going support.
Last edited by JetJockeyJim; 3rd Aug 2012 at 13:01.
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Thank you JetJockeyJim, excellent work 
I find it very interesting that despite in our industry we are all (more or less, as it appears) CRM trained, as groups we tend to think that CRM should apply to other professional groups, but not to ours.
If pilots only push their reflexions to the consideration that CC are not reliable (as if it was a genetic illness and not the result of lack of training), it's only a superficial reading of the problem but it doesn't offer a solution.
If we stop it at this, it is a waste of resources that a generation of CC with more training on how pilots work (and vice versa) could provide.
The same applies to CC, who accept that pilots are "difficult" and prefer to keep to themselves to avoid problems and don't go as far as trying to understand how they could participate more effectively in crew dynamics.
This last CC trait is being made worse by the trend of the last two decades encouraged by cost-cutting airlines who try to turn a profession into a Summer job, providing only the bare minimum of the training required by law. Law made by an Authority sieged by airline lobbies who are constantly at work to try and set requirements lower and lower to cut training times and costs.
But the profession of CC is not simple, and requires a lot of knowledge, skills and experience.
At my airline, we started the kind of work you suggest a few years ago. We have been building joint CC-Pilots CRM courses based on reports (anonymous or not) of recurring Crew interaction problems. During the courses we analyze topics and do group exercises that make both Pilots and CC realise how the others work and what they need and when. Eg a pax is very ill on descent, what is the best course of action regarding information to pilots? Why do the pilots need this information, what are they doing with it? When is the best time to deliver said information? Etc.
The year we analyzed "Cabin Ready", we dropped from the 400 reports of the previous year to 90% less the following year. Showing that the work done together had been fruitful and had solved a few issues.
I find your final considerations very interesting and pragmatic, and really hope there was a change in that direction.
Now, all that we need is only that the people in charge of making things happen really understood what CRM is about
I find it very interesting that despite in our industry we are all (more or less, as it appears) CRM trained, as groups we tend to think that CRM should apply to other professional groups, but not to ours.
If pilots only push their reflexions to the consideration that CC are not reliable (as if it was a genetic illness and not the result of lack of training), it's only a superficial reading of the problem but it doesn't offer a solution.
If we stop it at this, it is a waste of resources that a generation of CC with more training on how pilots work (and vice versa) could provide.
The same applies to CC, who accept that pilots are "difficult" and prefer to keep to themselves to avoid problems and don't go as far as trying to understand how they could participate more effectively in crew dynamics.
This last CC trait is being made worse by the trend of the last two decades encouraged by cost-cutting airlines who try to turn a profession into a Summer job, providing only the bare minimum of the training required by law. Law made by an Authority sieged by airline lobbies who are constantly at work to try and set requirements lower and lower to cut training times and costs.
But the profession of CC is not simple, and requires a lot of knowledge, skills and experience.
At my airline, we started the kind of work you suggest a few years ago. We have been building joint CC-Pilots CRM courses based on reports (anonymous or not) of recurring Crew interaction problems. During the courses we analyze topics and do group exercises that make both Pilots and CC realise how the others work and what they need and when. Eg a pax is very ill on descent, what is the best course of action regarding information to pilots? Why do the pilots need this information, what are they doing with it? When is the best time to deliver said information? Etc.
The year we analyzed "Cabin Ready", we dropped from the 400 reports of the previous year to 90% less the following year. Showing that the work done together had been fruitful and had solved a few issues.
I find your final considerations very interesting and pragmatic, and really hope there was a change in that direction.
Now, all that we need is only that the people in charge of making things happen really understood what CRM is about
Couple of pieces of advice for those meeting formal CRM training for the first time:
1. If you have peer reporting upon you, don't allow a less than glowing assessment to upset you.
2. Do not attempt to change your personality or operation to fit in with your perceived requirement of such report.
I've seen guys in tears because they presumably thought their FOs were going to write glowing reports of their personality, airmanship, stunning good looks and fashion sense. It ain't like that.
What did my FOs say about me? Well, it was amusing (You little b'stads
) Did I try to change? Of course not. Did I remember what they said? Yes, of course.
1. If you have peer reporting upon you, don't allow a less than glowing assessment to upset you.
2. Do not attempt to change your personality or operation to fit in with your perceived requirement of such report.
I've seen guys in tears because they presumably thought their FOs were going to write glowing reports of their personality, airmanship, stunning good looks and fashion sense. It ain't like that.
What did my FOs say about me? Well, it was amusing (You little b'stads
) Did I try to change? Of course not. Did I remember what they said? Yes, of course.