Influence of Airline Cabin Crew Members’ Rapport-Building Behaviors and Empathy toward Colleagues on Team Performance, Organizational Atmosphere, and Irregularity

Jungyi Park and Sunghyup Sean Hyun
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Jungyi Park: School of Tourism, Hanyang University, 222, Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Korea
Sunghyup Sean Hyun: School of Tourism, Hanyang University, 222, Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Korea

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-23

Abstract: Expanding on the literature on rapport-building behavior within the airline industry, this study analyzed the influence of rapport-building behaviors (uncommonly attentive behavior, common-grounding behavior, courteous behavior, connecting behavior, and information-sharing behavior) on cabin crew members’ empathy toward their colleagues. We also analyzed the effect of empathy on variables such as team performance, organizational atmosphere, and instances of irregularity. We analyzed 230 samples obtained from an online questionnaire and convenience sampling of full-service domestic and international carriers in South Korea. A structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that uncommonly attentive behavior, courteous behavior, connecting behavior, and information-sharing behavior showed a positive effect on empathy among colleagues, which in turn positively influenced team performance, organizational atmosphere, and possible irregularities. Moreover, we found that the presence of participants’ closest colleagues within the same team did not moderate the relationship between rapport-building and empathic behavior between airline crew members. Our study has important implications for crew members’ dignity and protection from emotional labor while working in high-pressure environments. Our findings can be used to revise the airline industry’s crew management guidelines and improve the crew’s psychological health and quality of life.

Keywords: rapport-building behavior; uncommonly attentive behavior; common-grounding behavior; courteous behavior; connecting behavior; information-sharing behavior; empathy among cabin crew; team performance; organizational atmosphere; irregularity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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