Title: Relevance of air-traffic controllers' tacit knowledge in enhancing air-traffic control and safety in Ghanaian airspace

Authors: Mohammed-Aminu Sanda

Addresses: Department of Organization and Human Resource Management, University of Ghana Business School, P.O. Box LG 78, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Division of Human Work Science, Department of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences, Luleå University of Technology SE, 97187, Luleå, Sweden

Abstract: This study explored the cognitive and workload demands of air-traffic control activity and the tacit knowledge used by air-traffic controllers to cope with the stress associated with such demands in ensuring air-traffic safety in Ghana. Guided by the systemic structural theory of activity, it was found that the air-traffic control activity entailed several challenges, whereby variety of tasks demand significant cognitive efforts, requiring use of tacit knowledge by the air-traffic controllers to augment their operational performances in order to enhance air-traffic safety. It is concluded that the functional efficiency and effectiveness of human work in the air-traffic control activity can be enhanced by understanding and integrating air-traffic controllers' tacit knowledge in the job design. By implication, this understanding can be incorporated in designing an operator-efficient and effective work system for air-traffic controllers in order to enhance management capacity of air-traffic safety in Ghana.

Keywords: air-traffic control activity; air-traffic controller; tacit knowledge; air-traffic safety; Ghana.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHFMS.2018.093170

International Journal of Human Factors Modelling and Simulation, 2018 Vol.6 No.2/3, pp.103 - 118

Received: 18 Sep 2017
Accepted: 01 Oct 2017
Published online: 13 Jul 2018 *

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