Stressors and Their Effects on Safety and Service Performance: An Integrative Review of Aviation Human Factors
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In aviation, pilots and cabin crew are continually exposed to stressors such as fatigue, shift work, emotional labor, and role ambiguity, which undermine both safety and service performance.Yet, integrative reviews on their simultaneous effects remain limited.This study conducted a narrative review of empirical and review literature published between 2000 and 2025, searching KCI, DBpia, ScienceON, PubMed, and Scopus.Stressors examined included fatigue, sleep disturbance, emotional labor, role ambiguity, and shift work, with outcomes covering safety (safety behaviors, situation awareness, emergency response) and service (service quality, emotional consistency, customer satisfaction).Regulatory guidelines from the International Civil Aviation Organization, the United States Federal Aviation Administration, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and the International Air Transport Association were also reviewed to ensure international relevance.Findings revealed that fatigue, sleep disturbance, and shift work consistently reduced safety behaviors, impaired situation awareness, and hindered emergency response.Emotional labor and role ambiguity degraded service quality, emotional consistency, and customer satisfaction.Conversely, sleep quality and organizational support emerged as protective factors.These results suggest that stressors in aviation should be regarded not only as welfare concerns but as strategic determinants of organizational performance, calling for longitudinal research, integrated models, and practical interventions.
Author: Mi-Jin Ra
Institution: Pai Chai University
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $15
Funder: Pai Chai University
OpenAlex ID: W7083434288