Performance Based Navigation through Psychoeconomic Lens: Part III - weighing the costs

Performance Based Navigation (PBN) relies on waypoints. This means that the Atco will rely less on bearings from navigational aids to effect separation minima and more on specific coordinates. As such, air spaces can be structured to expediently manage air traffic and reduce the delays that result from the process of ATC.  But the implementation of PBN inevitably carries hidden costs. What are these hidden costs? And how can ATC units avoid having potential white elephants? 

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Performance Based Navigation through Psychoeconomic Lens: Part II - the socioeconomic and organizational economic perspective

An overabundance of  visual stimuli can overwhelm the ATCO 

The previous post highlighted the psychological perspective of Performance Based Navigation (PBN): that PBN increases the risk of interference to the ATCO's attention. 

Much of our ATC is done with the superficial layers of memory: sensory memory -  short term memory (STM) - working memory which, is susceptible to interference that decrease attentiveness. What is the basis for the link between attention and our STM/working memory combined? Also what can a mosaic of Van Gogh's painting teach us about the socioeconomic cost of PBN to the controller? And are there any organizational economic implications to PBN? I invite you to read on...

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Performance Based Navigation through Psychoeconomic Lens - Part I: the psychological perspective

I begin this post firstly with an apology for being late; I was trying to make a game and secondly, an invitation to play a game by clicking on Concentration. Take note of the time you take to solve the puzzle. This is just one of several games used in psychology to demonstrate the role of memory. I am still working on a game for Atcos that I will post when I am done.

For the next 3 or 4 posts, I will focus on the psychoeconomic perspective of Performance Based Navigation (PBN). For this first part, I focus on the psychological aspect of PBN. Please read on if you would like to know more... 

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Narcissism in ATC

Art by John William Waterhouse

Using a scale of 1-4, with 1 = "NO" and 4 = "YES", rate the following statements* about yourself:-

1) When people compliment me, I sometimes get embarrassed.

2) I think I am a special person.

3) I find it easy to manipulate people.

4) I usually get the respect that I deserve.

5) Sometimes I tell good stories.

6) I hope that I am going to be successful.

7) I can make anybody believe anything that I want them to.

8) I am extraordinary.

* (taken from D.R. Ames et al, 2006)

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The Trojan Horse Principle in Atc

Art by S. Schuenke

It was evening. The Trojans saw the large wooden horse outside their city. 

A Grecian soldier pretending to desert the army said that the horse was a gift offering to Athena, the goddess of war and giver of military strength. He added that the 'gift' was too large to pass through the city's gates. 

The Trojans rose to the challenge of getting the offering to their prized Athena. They destroyed part of their wall and dragged their 'gift' inside. We know how the legend ended. 

The question is, what lesson can we take from Homer's Iliad and apply to our Atc scenario?

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Appreciating the Role of Data in Atc: Part III - Highlights of a study on Fatigue

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Appreciating the role of data in Atc - Part II: Using Empirical Studies in Atc

Take a look at the illustration below. A 12th century engineer is proposing the construction of the tower of Pisa. Can you recognise the link between data evidence or empirical studies and the engineer's photo of the proposed Tower? What do you think he is trying to suggest by his words at the side of the photo?

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Appreciating the role of data in Atc: Part I - Methods of Data Anaylsis

Preview Questions
Part I
How do we analyse data in ATC?

Imagine that you want to buy a TV, you think about it for some time. You consult the internet. You consider the type of TV, the size, and your budget. You imagine the best place for it. You discuss the idea with other occupants of your house or apartment. You talk with friends too. You consult the internet again. When you go to the store you ask the sales' clerk for an opinion and then you decide. Data analyses follow the exact methodology.

Did you know that data analysis forms part of your daily activities?

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Databases in Atc Units, Stumbling Blocks or Stepping Stones?

Preview Question

Are there databases in Atc units? Do we really need data in Atc? What are some challenges to data generation in Atc?

For my first Master's thesis I decided to use Atcos from the CARICOM (Caribbean Community)  as part of a study on fatigue. With optimistic spirits, the knowledge of about 50 fatigue-related studies and training on my new toy - the latest statistical software, I sent out invitations to controller associations of the Caribbean and eagerly waited for the responses. Then I had a very rude awakening. 

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An Inventory of Wellbeing for Controllers and Assistants

Preview Question

Why do we need an inventory of wellbeing?

What is wellbeing? The first 4 posts of this blog discussed wellbeing in the context of Atc. There is a definition of wellbeing in the sidebar. Do you agree with this definition? Do you think that wellbeing in the Atc unit is important? 

What is wellbeing?

Wellbeing affects worker performance and worker performance affect organizational productivity. Reiterating from previous blogs, economists prefer to say that the relationship is monotonic. For example, increased wellbeing leads to increased performance and this leads to increased productivity. The converse happens if wellbeing is decreased. 

When an organization is inefficient or not making the best use of its resources, the wellbeing of its workers is diminished. In the Atc scenario, if a controller is dissatisfied, her wellbeing is affected and in turn, her performance is affected. Researchers of organizational policy associate organizational inefficiency with disorder in the organization. There are telltale signs. Absenteeism is one of them. Presenteeism is another. These and other forms of deviant worker behavior  indicate the presence of detractors to wellbeing. What do the annals of organizational development say?

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Objective Analysis of Problems in Atc - Absenteeism

Preview Questions

How to deal with absenteeism and other problems in the Atc unit?  

"It ought to be remembered that there's nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things." - The Prince, Nicolo Machiavelli (c.1513)

Nicolo Machiavelli was one of the first analysts of government policy. But analysts do not limit their roles to government. Have you ever looked at the structure of an organization and observed that an analyst is part of the hierarchy? An analyst does just what the name suggests. If no analyst is present, then some companies hire the services of a consultant.
Today we are going to wear the shoes of an analyst and examine a generalization that we hear from some managers in Atc and other companies - the problem of absenteeism. There are other problems too but we use this as an example to explain the process involved in examining problems and other potential setbacks in the Atc unit. 

Sherlock Holmes was a fictional analyst.  Both he and Machiavelli  objectively  examined  specific problems via a methodology. How can we analyse the problem of absenteeism in Atc?

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Detractors to Wellbeing in Atc - Identifying Causes of Absenteeism and Presenteeism

Preview Question

Are absenteeism and presenteeism (A&P) detractors to wellbeing in Atc?

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Organizational Efficiency in Atc

Preview Questions

What is meant by efficiency in Atc? Why are absenteeism and presenteeism so prevalent in some Atc units more than others? What is meant by Bottom-Up Processing Approach in the context of Atc? 

From the previous post we learned that service productivity is a function of efficiency in Atc. The controller transforms the resources that are available to produce a valuable service to the primary consumer, the pilot. If the resources are insufficient, the Atco cannot effectively perform the transformation. Of course, the controller will be frustrated to a greater or a lesser degree. 

Given the nature of Atc whereby the Atco utilizes highly specialized cognitive skills, any lack of resources: psychological, physical as well as physiological will result in the happy state of the controller to wane because her wellbeing has been adversely affected. Thus, we can intuitively deduce that the wellbeing of an Atco is closely linked to her service productivity. Think of it as a workman who arrives at the work site without all of the necessary tools.

Imagine that this worker did not have all the resources and tools at his disposal. How do you think he might feel? Will his performance be affected?

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The Greatest Happiness of the Greatest Number Part II

Part II

Preview Questions

What are some detractors of well-being in Atc? What is understood by the expression, "engaging work atmosphere"? How can Atcos produce in a service-oriented industry?

There are several tell tale signs that accurately predict the extent of the presence of detractors to well-being. An unusual circumstance or series of repetitive events happening in the workplace is an indication of the degree of conglomerate or collective well-being.  Have there been any unusual events at the workplace within the past year, such as a natural disaster, a suicide, an atco having a sudden and serious illness, an accident? How many runway incursions have occurred within the past 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, a year?
Is the level of absenteeism persistently high? How many atcos report for duty but who remark that they are demotivated and would rather not work (presenteeism)? The annals of organization reveal that persistent problems in the workplace is a strong indication of inefficient management. This implies that the methodology of administration is flawed due to the absence of suitable strategy.

Statue of Rodin's Thinker, Metro Line 13 Varenne Station, Paris

TIME TO THINK ABOUT EFFECTIVE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN ATC

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The Greatest Happiness of the Greater Number

...And hello everyone! The blog is back! I missed it and I missed writing to all my readers. I had been assisting with a project on Turkey. Following that I went roaming around Barcelona! I walked with my laptop everyday with the intentions of going to Pont Neuf to finish this post but I always get sidelined or distracted to wander about Paris.

Pont d'Arcole, Paris 1ère arrondisement at night

Now that I am back in Trinidad, I have less distractions and can give the blog spot the attention that it really needs.  I am happy that I went to Paris and I do not have any regrets. It is because of my studies there that I now see organizational development from a psychological and an economic perspective. I have benefited greatly and now I am sharing what I have learned with the wider aviation community and aficionados of this blog.

Before we continue, I wish to commend all the Atcos who worked the Olympic traffic particularly those of the NATS area. Your vacation will be more wonderful. To the controller who took part in the Cycling Sprint in the Olympics, I felt inspired so I'll be taking my swimming more seriously. 

Now for this week's post. Since this post is rather long, I will separate it into 2 sections.

Part I

The greatest happiness of the greatest number

Preview Questions

What role does management contribute to Atcos well-being? 

19th century legal philosopher and social reformist, Jeremy Bentham made the title of this post famous. He took the words from an 18th century book on criminal law Dei delitti e delle pene (Of crime and    punishment). He postulated that if the legislative arm of government revised the laws on punity for crime, the domestic society will benefit and man's happiness will increase. His simple poetic prose teach us another lesson: that those in power can affect the happiness of their subordinates. What is the comparative lesson here for us?

Writings of Cesare Beccaria which influenced  the  writings of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill on the ethics of altruistic utility 

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Compensating Wages versus Recognition and Appreciation

Preview Questions

What motivates controllers? How can wage inequalities be addressed? Why do we need to be informed about the psychoeconomic perspectives of Atc?

Oh how I have missed you all, dear readers! I am helping with an econometric analysis in Turkish national labor economics but you have been in my thoughts all the time. To help us get back on track, let us start by this simple question: Which one of the following emoticons describes your state of being or your general mood at work? Which one describes the atmosphere in the TWR, or the ACC, or the simulator or even the classroom? The first choice of emoticon is an indication of your well-being. Is it the same as the second choice of emoticon? What is one thing that will really increase your motivation to do Atc and will have you looking forward to going to work this evening, or tonight or even tomorrow? 

Which one describes your well-being and which one describes the work atmosphere?

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ATCOS & NEGATIVE ALTRUISM

Preview Questions

What is the role of negative altruism in Atc? 

In experimental economics, behavioral psychologists use games to test simulated issues of social interactions in the workplace, such as altruism and reciprocity. I hope to try these games on controllers at some future time. It is difficult to quantify behavior in a social context. Experimental economics  help us understand the ecology of working with each other and the psychoeconomic impact of the job upon individual preferences. In the context of Atc, altruistic behaviors are mainly cooperation, coworker support, free-riding or skating, overconfidence and risk perception; behaviors that atcos manifest as expressions of concern to varying degrees for the welfare of others.

In the last post, I noted that negative altruism in Atc acts as a motivational bias towards an atco's perception of well-being. How so? Well, just as how we have a literal market where we can go to get more food items, we also have a market at the workplace where we can increase or decrease our well-being. The vendors in this symbolic market are our fellow atcos that we work with.  Senior atcos are the most powerful vendors. Why is this so?

Senior Atcos exert the most social influence on the communal perception of the working environment like popular vendors in a market

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THE ATCO AND FINANCIAL SATISFACTION: PART II

<<My humblest apologies to my readers; your posts are overdue. Have a good reading and a great sunshiney day everyone!>>

Preview Questions

Will more pay make us happier controllers? What motivates atcos to be engaged in Atc?

 In a recent study to determine job satisfaction among 122 controllers from around the world, equitable wages ranked as the most important to a controller's job satisfaction and well-being. From a psychological perspective, increased wages do increase well-being and even act as motivators but in contextual circumstances. Money is the means by which we attain certain material aspirations according to our individual and social preferences. However, having more money does not increase our happiness. 

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CONTROLLERS AND WAGES AS FINANCIAL SATISFACTION PART I

Do you think that if your wages increased tomorrow, you will be a happier controller? Are you satisfied with your pay? How much should you earn as a controller? Will your motivation to do Atc increase if your wages increased? Please have a look at the following video, which I will discuss tomorrow. I stayed awake all night preparing a research proposal on GDP, wages and happiness so tomorrow my post will be a little academic but still worth your reading. I urge you to look at the whole video before you make a judgement. The video is 10 minutes. Have a good evening guys an gals!

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WHAT ARE OUR RESOURCES IN ATC?

Preview Questions

Do we need more resources in Atc? What are the controller's resources in Atc and the relation between well-being and these resources? What are psychological resources and how can they be useful in the workplace?

Have you ever wondered what are our resources in Atc? Think about it for a minute. Ask your colleagues at work.  According to the Merriam Webster online dictionary, resources can be: sources of supply and support; phenomena that enhance the quality of human life; sources of information or expertise; possibilities of relief or recovery; abilities to handle a situation. Do we have need of resources in Atc? As you contemplate this question, I invite you to take a look at the following video:

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MEASURING WELL-BEING

Preview Questions:

What myth has the media portrayed about controllers?How can surveys help us to find out about well-being?   What are the implications of globalization for Atc? How can controllers address the problem of the increased workload?

Hello everyone! I'm back! I'm still a little sleepy but it feels great to be back on the lilac page! First - thank you for the many page views. You have inspired me to keep writing. Second, those of you who are having problems with the survey please let me know. Third, I want to make it clear to the media that CONTROLLERS DO NOT GO TO WORK TO SLEEP so please stop portraying us as sleeping. I have been searching for cartoon photos to illustrate some psychological aspects of Atc and most of them send the subliminal message that our job is to sleep. How misleading! 

CONTROLLERS DO NOT GO TO WORK TO SLEEP

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Hello everyone! I will be back from Wednesday! I have just finished my memoire and I am preparing to give my defense. I will be speaking about the psychology of Atc so you will be in my thoughts. Thank you for viewing and reading my blog! I look forward to sharing my thoughts and some equations with you next week! Ciao!
Paula (a very sleepy Paula Rachel) Share on Tumblr

{Absent for the week; posts resume june 13th}

To all my readers I am sorry for the absence of posts but I am writing my "memoire" (dissertation) plus I just moved to Paris from the suburbs. I will not post until june 13th.
To make up for my absence for the past few days I will share a fable that describes a behavior which impacts upon well-being. This fable is based on a spider known as Brer Anancy. He is popular in African, American and Caribbean folklore. As you read the fable, see if you can guess the behavioral trait and try to think of how this can be manifested in the workplace:

Brer Anancy and the pot of stewed beans

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Well-being in Air traffic control (Atc)

What is well-being? Is it health? Is it happiness? Both are correct. The textbook approach tells us that well-being is multidimensional because it is the interaction of different elements of health: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual as well as our environment and our culture. Is the workplace linked to our wellbeing? Yes, it is. What we want to know is how the linkages are made, what affects what. 

Think of well-being as a chain with links. Each link represents an element of health or environment or culture that interacts with another element and so on. The interaction of these links can be strong like a metallic chain or weak like paper decorations. We can call this the sum effect of our well-being which will either improve or diminish our happiness, outlook, social interaction and health.

How do you describe your well-being as an air traffic controller?

like a paper chain

like a metallic chain

courtesy: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

or like this?

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WICA 2012 (continued...)

All atcos are invited to fill the survey: retirees as well as those who may be serving in other capacities related to Atc:
https://www.esurveycreator.com/live.php?code=6f77a43

The past is linked to the future by the bridge of the present. The atcos who passed through the system and witnessed the changes to Atc over the past decades will have a vast reservoir of combined experience. They are our best Atc gurus to tell us what they think, what they observed, what their mistakes were and what we can do to make Atc better and more rewarding.
I have added a few more items and included a comments box so that we in the present can benefit from centuries of combined experience in the future.
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Well-being Inventory of the Controller in Air traffic services (WICA 2012)

What is well-being  in Atc? Can well-being influence performance and productivity in Atc ? What makes a controller happy ? Is it more pay ? Is it better working conditions ? Are there elements of safety that can be applied to controller well-being ? Can a controller's view of the self affect the performance at work, the manner in which Atc is carried out and the interactions with others ? What is the link between organizational structure and the well-being of controllers ?

The survey above for controllers and ex-controllers will help us to explore the answers to those questions. The answers from the surveys will be used to construct a multifaceted index of well-being of controllers. I am testing the theory that Atc performance and organizational productivity is an interaction of features of organizational economics, behavioral economics and social psychology. I will present  the findings with the objective of motivating improvements and adjustments in the governance and organization of Atc units worldwide.

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