Influence of Airline Cabin Crew Members’ Rapport-Building Behaviors and Empathy toward Colleagues on Team Performance, Organizational Atmosphere, and Irregularity

Abstract

Expanding on the literature on rapport-building behavior within the airline industry, this study analyzed the influence of rapport-building behaviors (uncommonly attentive behavior, common-grounding behavior, courteous behavior, connecting behavior, and information-sharing behavior) on cabin crew members’ empathy toward their colleagues. We also analyzed the effect of empathy on variables such as team performance, organizational atmosphere, and instances of irregularity. We analyzed 230 samples obtained from an online questionnaire and convenience sampling of full-service domestic and international carriers in South Korea. A structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that uncommonly attentive behavior, courteous behavior, connecting behavior, and information-sharing behavior showed a positive effect on empathy among colleagues, which in turn positively influenced team performance, organizational atmosphere, and possible irregularities. Moreover, we found that the presence of participants’ closest colleagues within the same team did not moderate the relationship between rapport-building and empathic behavior between airline crew members. Our study has important implications for crew members’ dignity and protection from emotional labor while working in high-pressure environments. Our findings can be used to revise the airline industry’s crew management guidelines and improve the crew’s psychological health and quality of life.

Evaluation of passengers' expectations and satisfaction in the airline industry: an empirical performance analysis of online reviews

“…et al (2019), Kremser et al (2012), Miller et al (2019) Reliability Baggage Consumers expect their flights to arrive on time and that their baggage will be available to pick up shortly after they arrive Korfiatis et al (2019), Rezaei et al (2018), Alsyouf et al (2018), Shadiyar et al (2020) Delay Reviews regarding flight delays are usually associated with if the flight arrived on time Gursoy et al (2005), Li et al (2021), Lee and Yip (2017) Responsiveness In-flight entertainment Response to technical difficulties, particularly with In-flight entertainment, maps to responsiveness in the airlines' ability to mitigate these difficulties Korfiatis et al (2019), Atalık et al (2019), Sebjan et al (2017the perceived performance of the staff and is attributed to how a customer feels about treatment from the staff Zaharias (2016), Gunarathne et al (2018), Sezgen et al (2019), Lucini et al (2020),Park and Hyun (2021),Tahanisaz and shokuhyar (2020) …”