Sexual Harassment Against Cabin Crew in Aviation Industry

Abstract

This report focuses on sexual harassment against cabin crew in aviation industry. According to studies, cabin crew are exposed to sexual harassment at their workplace and face significant amount of sexual harassment on the job in its several ways. Sexual confrontations seem more common in aviation and cabin crew work environment than in other professions and industries. The objective of this paper was to research and unveil the phenomenon of sexual harassment in the industry in order to accomplish and establish preventing actions against all kind of sexual harassment. By achieving and creating a safer working environment for cabin crew, even the whole aviation sector could improve qualitatively as a result. The author works himself as cabin crew and conducted the study without a commissioner. This decision was done on purpose as a commissioner could possibly hinder participants from honest answering or not responding at all. Aim and aspiration was to find out how infiltrated the phenomenon of sexual harassment really is in the industry with the help of a quantitative questionnaire survey research for cabin crew as part of this thesis.

Written and electronic literature were used as sources for the theoretical framework of this report, data for the survey research was collected through web-based platform Webropol. The survey questionnaire was sent out to cabin crew around the world via e-mail and social media electronic channels and accumulated 201 answers in 14 days. The research questionnaire examined in overall on possible exposure of sexual harassment, occurrence, type of harassment, perpetrators and how confrontations have been reported and handled. The survey was created in anonymous manner and encouraged participants to speak up. Both, questionnaire body and results, are presented in this report.

Findings of the study justified suspicion on sexual confrontation and supported the theoretical framework. Results of the survey exposed a larger phenomenon than expected with extensive number of participants experienced sexual harassment on their job either verbally, non-verbally or physically. The study on sexual harassment against cabin crew in aviation revealed the conclusion that a more comprehensive and specific approach in facing and fighting the challenge should be taken by the industry. In overall, findings raised heavy development targets for airlines and the whole aviation sector.