Examining the Relationship Between Safety Management System Implementation and Safety Culture in Collegiate Flight Schools

Safety management systems (SMS) are becoming the industry standard for safety management throughout the aviation industry. As the Federal Aviation Administration continues to mandate SMS for different segments, the assessment of an organization’s safety culture becomes more important. An SMS can facilitate the development of a strong aviation safety culture. This study describes how safety culture and SMS are integrated. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between an organization’s safety culture and SMS implementation in collegiate flight schools. The research study was designed to determine (a) the relationship between SMS implementation and safety culture, (b) the relationship between safety promotion and safety culture, and (c) the relationship between management commitment and safety culture. The study population consisted of 453 students and employees from 13 collegiate flight schools. Data were gathered through an online survey at collegiate flight schools within the University Aviation Association utilizing the Collegiate Aviation Program Safety Culture Survey (CAPSCUS) to measure the safety culture at those collegiate flight schools. The results indicated that a relationship existed between SMS implementation and safety culture, safety promotion and safety culture, management commitment and safety culture. The relationship for all three was more prominent within the Formal Safety Program major scale of the CAPSCUS.