Evaluation of an FAA Maintenance Agency Using an Organization Development Approach

An action research approach was used to plan for organization development (OD) in centers within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responsible for remote monitoring and coordination of maintenance. Research participants worked in one of three centers. The participants were asked questions about their technical background; interdependencies, structure, complexity, and workload inherent in the job; cohesion and trust among co-workers; and perceived operational effectiveness and job satisfaction. Results were summarized and categorized as related to workload, resources, and knowledge of results. Strategies to address one or more of the factors identified were proposed. Strategies included the use of small teams to organize work, a revised training approach for new employees and leaders, internal and external mechanisms for performance feedback, and a fatigue risk management approach to improve shift work practices. The next step will be to work with managers to tailor and implement selected strategies.