Communication Commons^™

The Impact Of Human Factors And Maintenance Documentation On Aviation Safety: An Analysis Of 15 Years Of Accident Data Through The Pear Framework, Flavio A. C. Mendonca, Natalie Zimmermann

Publications

Regardless of the type of maintenance performed on aircraft, instructions are to be used to provide the aviation technicians completing the maintenance activities with guidance on, and an outline of, the maintenance items to be performed and completed. However, the use of instructions does not guarantee the correct and proper completion of the maintenance activities as the instructions may be erroneous and/or maintenance personnel can misunderstand, misinterpret, or improperly follow the procedures outlined. Resulting maintenance errors can potentially result in aircraft accidents, as illustrated by Air Midwest Flight 5481. With the purpose of understanding how human factors associated with written …

Competency-Based Education: A Framework For A More Efficient And Safer Aviation Industry, Flavio A. C. Mendonca, Julius Keller, Brian G. Dillman

Publications

Aircraft design and reliability as well as pilots’ education and training have steadily and significantly improved in the last 20 years. Nevertheless, high-profile accidents still occur, even when the aircraft and related systems are operating adequately. Controlled flight into terrain, runway incursion accidents, and loss of control in flight are examples of mishaps in which inadequate decision-making, poor leadership, and ineffective communication are frequently cited as contributing factors. Conversely, the investigation of accidents (e.g., US Airways Flight 1549, in the U.S. on Jan. 15, 2009) and serious incidents (e.g., TAM Linhas Aereas Flight 3756 in Brazil on June 17, 2011) …

Supporting Safety Culture In Academia: Giving A Voice To Faculty, Emily K. Faulconer, Chelsea A. Lenoble

Publications

In the words of Sir Winston Churchill, “The difference between mere management and true leadership is communication.” Department leaders have a vital role to play at all institutional levels when it comes to achieving an optimal safety culture that promotes safety voice behavior.

At the university level, this role is to help the university develop a solid foundation that will support a strong safety culture. At this level, it can be a challenge to mobilize and sustain the necessary resources to effectively develop and communicate a clear, consistent message that is aligned with implicit and explicit reward structures.

Nurturing Faculty Buy-In For Top-Down Mandates, Emily K. Faulconer

Publications

Higher education is a bureaucracy. As such, colleges and universities require strong leaders but they also must have committed faculty members. Shared governance and transparency - arguably empty buzz words – have definitions that will vary based on who you ask. Despite the minefield, these terms are relevant when discussing change within academia.

Writing As A Science Educator, Emily K. Faulconer

Publications

As scientists, we write to record observations and procedures. We write to analyze and present our data. We write to evaluate the works of others. My training in scientific writing started in earnest as an undergraduate student where I dutifully wrote lab reports and literature reviews. I learned how to write objectively. I practiced evidence-based arguments. After years of practice, this writing style is second nature. I see hints of it in my e-mail communication style. I even hear its echo in my administrative documents. This style is efficient and clear.

Transdisciplinary Research Partnerships In Sustainability Science: An Examination Of Stakeholder Participation Preferences, Karen H. Beiluch, Kathleen P. Bell, Mario F. Teisl, Laura Lindenfeld, Jessica Leahy, Linda Silka

Publications

Sustaining coupled natural and human systems requires multiple forms of knowledge, experiences, values, and resources be brought into conversation to address sustainability challenges. Transdisciplinary research partnerships provide the opportunity to meet this requirement by bringing together interdisciplinary scientists with stakeholders in some or all stages of the knowledge production process. However, building partnerships to produce sustainability outcomes is a complex process requiring an understanding of the social psychological and contextual variables impacting partnerships. Here, we explore local government officials’ (LGOs’) preferences for participation in these partnerships. Using data from a statewide survey, we develop a theoretically and empirically derived model …

Staff Terminations In The Church: A Beastly Endeavor, James Shoopman

Publications

Excerpt from article: "I suspect I have felt a similar beast on the prowl in Christian congregations more often than any of us should have. Perhaps you too have seen abusive and overly authoritarian pastors dismissed. Predatory church members are sometimes openly "disfellowshiped" or privately "disinvited." However, even such measures on the part of a congregation may sometimes become the use and abuse of power. We do not always recognize the abuse of power when we see it."

Writing For Their Lives, John Strassburger

Publications

This is the second in a series of occasional papers about the challenges confronting students and what Ursinus is doing to help them enter adult life.

Clear Writing For Public Administrators: A Refresher Workshop, Richard Streckfuss

Publications

Since you have been writing for years and since you have had many hours of classroom instruction in writing, you have a right to be skeptical about a writing workshop. What can be accomplished in a few hours that could not be accomplished in the preceding hundreds?

That question has been the guiding principle behind this material. The most promising approach seemed to lie in comparing the work of professional writers with amateurs. To this end, the writing of a dozen public administrators was compared to the writing of authors published in such works as Harper's, Smithsonian, INC, Nation's Business, …