A Research on Airline Workers in Terms of Responsibility and Control

This study scrutinizes types of work in the transition from Fordism to Post-Fordism within the scope of responsibility and control concepts. Responsibility and control are explored among the workers of an airline company operating in Izmir airport. Civil aviation, which is a developing industry in Turkey, is the ground to observe the reflections of technology in industrial relations and work process due to the fact that technology is adopted in civil aviation to a large extent. In addition, civil aviation, an area with a limited contribution of social science, is yet to be further explored in sociology. Phenomenological qualitative method was applied together within-depth interviews carried out with fifteen workers and almost two years of participant observation in the airport. It was found that intense use of technology puts signs in a circulation and generates simulation. Power and authority operate effectively in simulation, which results in a swirl of responsibility and control for workers. Responsibility is not unilateral control and it reflects structure and agency in reciprocal operation. About responsibility, relations with customers, personal qualities, attention and decision making themes emerged and about control, types of control, control as an experience and control chains themes emerged