Ups and downs: creating a culture of engagement at a small airline

An airline, whether large or small, relies on a vast array of talents and skills to operate successfully. With such a variety of goals and objectives, sometimes it is difficult for employees to see how their contribution affects the success of the company. As a result, employees may just 'go about the motions' of their job without being actively engaged in the process. Fostering engagement in an airline presents some unique challenges, such as those derived from the conflicts between diverse work groups and the intensely competitive nature of the aviation industry. This paper explores several areas regarding employee engagement. First, it examines a variety of engagement definitions and the benefits of engagement. Next, it explores the concept of relational coordination. Finally, the paper examines the six drivers of workplace engagement and the six high performance work practices that support relational coordination. A plan for creating a workplace environment, which supports employee engagement, is presented at the end of this document, as a result of combining the information learned about employee engagement and relational coordination with the author's knowledge of a small airline. --P. ii.