This article aims to document the work intensification of cabin crew in recent years in the context of increased competition. It does so by examining the perceived impacts of these changes on the organization of onboard work and the service delivered to passengers in terms of customer service and safety, for two groups, a Canadian and a German cabin crew. The research is based on a qualitative method, i.e., semi-structured interviews. The article is structured as follows: first, an analysis of the work of cabin crew to situate the context, then the concept of work intensification, followed by a detailed analysis of the changes in work organization and impacts on intensification of work, as concerns different issues, such as working time, physical effort, and safety issues. Finally, the paper reflects on the impact of teamwork in cabins, and puts forward some recommendations for airlines.
KeywordsCabin CrewAirlinesWork IntensificationWork OrganizationWorking Time
Bacharach, S. B., Bamberger, P., & Sonnenstuhl, W. J. (1996). The Organizational Transformation Process: The Micropolitics of Dissonance Reduction and the Alignment of Logics of Action. Administrative Science Quarterly, 41, 477-506. https://doi.org/10.2307/2393939
Ballard, T. J., Romito, P., Lauria, L., Vigiliano, V., Caldora, M., Mazzanti, C. et al. (2006). Self Perceived Health and Mental Health among Women Flight Attendants. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 63, 33-38. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2004.018812
Bamber, G. J., Gittell, J. H., Kochan, T. A., & Von Nordenflycht, A. (2009). Up in the Air: How Airlines Can Improve Performance by Engaging Their Employees. ILR Press.
Barnier, L. (1999). Personnel Navigant Commercial, d’un savoir intuitif à un savoir d’expertise. Formation Emploi, 67, 25-46. https://doi.org/10.3406/forem.1999.2360
Barry, M., & Nienhueser, W. (2010). Coordinated Market Economy/Liberal Employment Relations: Low Cost Competition in the German Aviation Industry. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 21, 214-229. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190903509522
Belobaba, P. B., Swelbar, W. S., & Odoni, A. R. (2016). Critical Issues and Prospects for the Global Airline Industry. In P. Belobaba, A., Odoni, & C. Barnhart (Eds.), Dans the Global Airline Industry (2nd ed., pp. 487-500). John Wiley & Sons.
Bergman, A., & Gillberg, G. (2015). The Cabin Crew Blues. Middle-Aged Cabin Attendants and Their Working Conditions. Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies, 5, 23-39. https://doi.org/10.19154/njwls.v5i4.4842
Berkley, B. (2001). Identifying and Controlling Threatening Airline Passengers. The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 42, 6-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0010-8804(01)80041-0
Burchell, B. (2002). The Prevalence and Redistribution of Job Insecurity and Work Intensification. In B. Burchell, D. Ladipo, & F., Wilkinson (Eds.), Dans the Prevalence and Redistribution of Job Insecurit y and Work Intensi fication: Job Insecur ity and Work Intensification (pp. 61-76). Routledge.
Burchell, B., Day, D., Hudson, M., Lapido, D., Mankelow, R., Nolan, J. P., Reed, J., Wichert, I. C., & Wilkinson, F. (1999). Job Insecurity and Work Intensifica tion: Flexibility and the Changing Boundaries of Work . Joseph Rowntree Foundation/York Publishing Services.
Charitou, C. D. & Markides, C. C. (2003). Responses to Disruptive Strategic Innovation. MIT Sloan Management Review, 44, 55-63.
Chen, C., & Chen, S. (2014). Investigating the Effects of Job Demands and Job Resources on Cabin Crew Safety Behaviors. Tourism Management, 41, 45-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2013.08.009
Crémieux, P., & Van Audenrode, M. (1996). Mergers and Bargaining in the Airline Industry. LABOUR, 10, 297-318. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9914.1996.tb00086.x
de Vries, M. F. R. K., & Balazs, K. (1997). The Downside of Downsizing. Human Relations, 50, 11-50. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872679705000102
Desjardins, F. (2017). Ottawa refuse de resserrer les ratios d ’ agents de bord. Le Devoir. http://www.ledevoir.com/economie/actualites-economiques/511127/ottawa-devrait-resserrer-les-ratios-d-agents-de-bord-selon-le-nombre-de-passagers-affirme-le-scfp
Drisko, J. W., & Machi, T. (2016). Content Analysis . Oxford University Press.
Dubey, G., & Martin, R. (2001). Les coulisses du ciel. Quaderni, 44, 89-100. https://doi.org/10.3406/quad.2001.1486
Dupret, K., & Pultz, S. (2021). Hard/Heart Worker: Work Intensification in Purpose-Driven Organizations. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, 16, 488-508. https://doi.org/10.1108/qrom-07-2020-1989
Egen, D. (1984). Cockpit-Cabin Communications. SF Accident Prevention Bulletin, 41 .
Erkmen, E., & Hancer, M. (2015). Linking Brand Commitment and Brand Citizenship Behaviors of Airline Employees: “The Role of Trust”. Journal of Air Transport Management, 42, 47-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2014.08.001
Etemad-Sajadi, R., Way, S. A., & Bohrer, L. (2016). Airline Passenger Loyalty: The Distinct Effects of Airline Passenger Perceived Pre-Flight and In-Flight Service Quality. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 57, 219-225. https://doi.org/10.1177/1938965516630622
Fairris, D., & Brenner, M. (2001). Workplace Transformation and the Rise in Cumulative Trauma Disorders: Is There a Connection? Journal of Labor Research, 22, 15-28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12122-001-1001-3
Flin, R., O’Connor, P., & Mearns, K. (2002). Crew Resource Management: Improving Team Work in High Reliability Industries. Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 8, 68-78. https://doi.org/10.1108/13527590210433366
Gil, A. (1990). Air Transport Deregulation and Its Implications for Flight Attendants. International Labour Review, 129, 317-331.
Gillet, A., & Tremblay, D. (2020a). Les ressources du personnel navigant commercial face aux évolutions des contraintes techniques/organisationnelles/temporelles de son travail. In D. G. Tremblay, & S. A. Soussi (Eds.), Le travail à l ’ épreuve des nouvelles temporalités (pp. 25-52). Presses de l’Université du Québec. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvvb7m9z.5
Gillet, A., & Tremblay, D. (2020b). Se former et apprendre en situation pour prévenir les risques aériens. Le cas du personnel navigant commercial. Éducation Permanente, 224, 77-86. https://doi.org/10.3917/edpe.224.0077
Gillet, A., & Tremblay, D. (2022). Chapitre 6. Le travail émotionnel et le stress chez le Personnel Navigant Commercial (hôtesses de l’air, stewards, chefs de cabine). In N. Burnay (Ed.), Sociologie des émotions (pp. 127-148). De Boeck Supérieur. https://doi.org/10.3917/dbu.burna.2022.01.0127
Gillet, A., & Tremblay, D. G. (2021). Working in the Air: Time Management and Work Intensification Challenges for Workers in Commercial Aviation. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 9 , 272-290.
Gittell, J. H., von Nordenflycht, A., Kochan, T. A., Bamber, G. J. & McKersie, R. B. (2016). Labor Relations and Human Resource Management in the Airline Industry. In P. Belobaba, A. Odoni, & C. Barnhart (Eds.), The Global Airline Industry (2nd ed., pp. 287-323). John Wiley & Sons.
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theo ry . Aldine Press.
Gountas, S., Ewing, M. T., & Gountas, J. I. (2007). Testing Airline Passengers’ Responses to Flight Attendants’ Expressive Displays: The Effects of Positive Affect. Journal of Business Research, 60, 81-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2006.09.022
Green, F. (2001). It’s Been a Hard Day’s Night: The Concentration and Intensification of Work in Late Twentieth-Century Britain. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 39, 53-80. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8543.00189
Green, F. (2004). Work Intensification, Discretion, and the Decline in Well-Being at Work. Eastern Economic Journal, 30, 615-625.
Green, F., & McIntosh, S. (2001). The Intensification of Work in Europe. Labour Economics, 8, 291-308. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0927-5371(01)00027-6
Gueudar Delahaye, A. (2012). Faire équipe entre ciel et terre: Le cas des navigants aériens. Nouvelle Revue de Psychosociologie , 14, 51-66. https://doi.org/10.3917/nrp.014.0051
Hofstede, G. (2003). Culture ’ s Consequences : International Differen ces in Work-Related Val ues (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.
Huo, M., Boxall, P., & Cheung, G. W. (2022). Lean Production, Work Intensification and Employee Wellbeing: Can Line-Manager Support Make a Difference? Economic and Industrial Democracy, 43, 198-220. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831x19890678
Jeon, A. (2016). The Effect of Pre-Flight Attendants’ Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Labor, and Emotional Exhaustion on Commitment to Customer Service. Service Business, 10, 345-367. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11628-015-0273-2
Kanki, B. G. (2010). Communication and Crew Resource Management. In B. G. Kanki, R. L. Helmreich, & J. Anca (Eds.), Crew Resource Management (pp. 111-145). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-374946-8.10004-4
Karatepe, O. M., & Vatankhah, S. (2015). High-Performance Work Practices, Career Satisfaction, and Service Recovery Performance: A Study of Flight Attendants. Tourism Review, 70, 56-71. https://doi.org/10.1108/tr-01-2014-0004
Lehmann-Ortega, L., & Moingeon, B. (2010). Lever l’incertitude sur les conséquences de l’innovation stratégique. Revue française de gestion, 36, 55-70. https://doi.org/10.3166/rfg.203.55-70
Mauno, S., Kubicek, B., Minkkinen, J., & Korunka, C. (2019). Antecedents of Intensified Job Demands: Evidence from Austria. Employee Relations: The International Journal, 41, 694-707. https://doi.org/10.1108/er-04-2018-0094
McCormick, l. A., & Cooper, C. L. (1988). Executive Stress: Extending the International Comparison. Human Relations, 41, 65-72. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872678804100104
Miles, S. J., & Mangold, W. G. (2005). Positioning Southwest Airlines through Employee Branding. Business Horizons, 48, 535-545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2005.04.010
Moon, T. W., Hur, W. M., & Jun, J. K. (2013). The Role of Perceived Organizational Support on Emotional Labor in the Airline Industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 25, 105-123. https://doi.org/10.1108/09596111311290246
Niazi, A., Memon, M. A., Sarwar, N., Obaid, A., Mirza, M. Z., & Amjad, K. (2023). Work Intensification: A Systematic Review of Studies from 1989 to 2022. Work, 77, 769-787. https://doi.org/10.3233/wor-230193
Nogues, S., & Tremblay, D. (2019). Managing Work-Nonwork Boundaries in Atypical Working Patterns: Evidence from Flight Attendants in Canada and Germany. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 31, 197-221. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10672-019-09338-7
Park, J., Robertson, R., & Wu, C. (2006). Modelling the Impact of Airline Service Quality and Marketing Variables on Passengers’ Future Behavioural Intentions. Transportation Planning and Technology, 29, 359-381. https://doi.org/10.1080/03081060600917686
Patton, M. Q. (1999). Enhancing the Quality and Credibility of Qualitative Analysis. Health Services Research, 34, 1189-1208.
Savoie-Zajc, L. (2003). L’entrevue semi-dirigée. In B. Gauthier (Ed.), Recherche- Sociale : D e la problé-matique à la collecte des données (3rd ed., pp. 293-316). Presses de l’université du Québec.
Shalla, V. (2004). Time Warped: The Flexibilization and Maximization of Flight Attendant Working Time. Canadian Review of Sociology/Revue canadienne de sociologie, 41, 345-368. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-618x.2004.tb00782.x
Syndicat Canadien de la Fonction Publique (2016). Le nouveau ratio du 1 pour 50 met la sécurité des passagers en danger . https://scfp.ca/le-nouveau-ratio-du-1-pour-50-met-la-securite-des-passagers-en-danger
Tjosvold, D. (1990). Flight Crew Collaboration to Manage Safety Risks. Group & Organization Studies, 15, 177-191. https://doi.org/10.1177/105960119001500204
Tremblay, D. G., & Gillet, A. (2024). Multi-Local Arrangements and Impact on Work-Life Balance; An International Research on Flight Attendants. In F. Corbisiero (Ed.), Fuori Luogo . Rivista di Sociologia del Territorio, Turismo e Tecnologia . PM edizioni.
Wahlstedt, K., Lindgren, T., Norbäck, D., Wieslander, G., & Runeson, R. (2010). Psychosocial Work Environment and Medical Symptoms among Swedish Commercial Airline Cabin Crew. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 53, 716-723. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.20822
Whitelegg, D. (2007). Working the Skies: The Fast-Paced, Disorienting Wo rld of the Flight Attendant . New York University Press.
Wirtz, J., & Heracleous, L. (2016). Singapore Airlines: Managing Human Resources for Costeffective Service Excellence. In J. Wirtz, & C. Lovelock (Eds.), Services Marketing (8th ed., pp. 695-703). World Scientific (US). https://doi.org/10.1142/9781944659028_0028
Xanthopoulou, D., Baker, A. B., Heuven, E., Demerouti, E., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2008). Working in the Sky: A Diary Study on Work Engagement among Flight Attendants. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 13, 345-356. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.13.4.345
Yeh, C. (2009). Service Climate, Professional Commitment and Job Performance of Flight Attendants in Taiwan Region. Journ al of Air Transport Management, 15, 259-260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2009.05.001