The effect of crew rostering policies on flight crew safety behaviours

Abstract

Crew rostering (i.e., designing and assigning work schedules for cockpit and cabin crew) is a core personnel management function in commercial airlines. Surprisingly, little is known about how rostering policies shape flight crews' psychological resources and safety performance. Combining Conservation of Resources theory and the Job Demands–Resources model, we investigate if rostering policies that provide greater opportunities to state schedule preferences foster perceived autonomy and inclusion in decision making, thereby reducing fatigue and strengthening dedication, with implications for safety behaviours. Study 1, a vignette experiment with flight crew members (N = 160), shows that policies with more extensive preferential bidding options are perceived as providing greater autonomy and inclusion and, in turn, are associated with lower fatigue and greater dedication. Study 2, a one-month time-lagged panel study (N = 221), extends these findings: perceived autonomy and inclusion predict extra-role safety behaviour and upward safety communication via increased dedication, with autonomy also reducing fatigue to enhance upward safety communication. Indirect effects on in-role safety behaviour were not significant. Overall, the findings suggest that rostering policies can shape flight crew safety performance, offering airlines actionable, evidence-based guidance for rostering-system design.