Fatigue problems facing pilot crewmembers in today's aviation world Essay

Fatigue problems facing pilot crewmembers in today's aviation world - Essay Example Fatigue has significant physiological and performance consequences because it is essential that all flight crewmembers remain aware and play their role in flight safety by their observations and actions. As fatigue is a safety concern, this discussion will describe the symptoms of fatigue along with its physical and psychological effects specific to airline pilots. Fatigue is a normal response to many conditions customary to flight procedures because of the sleep loss due to erratic shift work and long duty rotations. Many factors can contribute to fatigue in the commercial aviation environment but the term, ‘fatigue,’ has yet to be defined in a tangible manner. In reference to human functioning capabilities, fatigue refers to deterioration in human performance, arising as a consequence of several potential factors, including sleepiness resulting in a decreased ability to maintain function or workload due to mental or physical stress. Sleepiness has a less ambiguous definition. â€Å"Sleepiness, according to an emerging consensus among sleep researchers and clinicians, is a basic physiological state (like) hunger or thirst. Deprivation or restriction of sleep increases sleepiness and as hunger or thirst is reversible by eating or drinking, respectively, sleep reverses sleepiness† (Roth et al, 1994). The term has been descri bed as a range of experiences such as sleepy tired or exhausted. Sleep loss and circadian rhythm interruption, (a disturbance of the normal sleeping pattern), are the two major physiological phenomena that have been demonstrated to create fatigue. The only effective treatment for fatigue is adequate sleep (Caldwell, 1997). Many conditions contribute to fatigue including the length of time awake, the amount of continuous time doing a task, the lack of sleep and circadian rhythm disruption. As fatigue progresses it is responsible for increased errors judgment, followed by

Learning About Power And Leadership In Organizations Essay

Learning About Power And Leadership In Organizations - Essay Example Power is a strong word. It connotes to something extraordinary just like having another person do something which you would not have done yourself. Power may have different meanings depending on how it is used in context. It could have good or bad connotations. For example, some people are caught saying â€Å"If you’ve got information, then you are sure to get to the top or lead because you got the power of leveraging yourself over the situation or over your competitors. This is better termed as the â€Å"Informational power† (French and Raven). On the other hand, S. Mallaby wrote about Power on a different perspective as he pointed out that â€Å"Power that is built on debt is often Power that will crumble† (Mallaby). How does â€Å"Power† apply to my position and work? Presently, I belong to the middle managerial level, given the designation of a Section Chief for Internal Affairs Group under the Planning and Programming Unit. I report directly to the A ssistant Director for Internal Affairs Group who reports to the Bureau Director. I work in a typical government office which is adapts the bureaucratic hierarchical structure. Our Bureau is in charge of the purchase and distribution of health supplies needed in our town as well as the deployment of health workers. The Bureau’s upper and middle hierarchical structure include a Bureau Director, acting as the overall Head of the Bureau with two Assistant Directors, one for Internal Affairs Group.... This is better termed as the â€Å"Informational power† (French and Raven). On the other hand, S. Mallaby wrote about Power on a different perspective as he pointed out that â€Å"Power that is built on debt is often Power that will crumble† (Mallaby). How does â€Å"Power† apply to my position and work? Presently, I belong to the middle managerial level, given the designation of a Section Chief for Internal Affairs Group under the Planning and Programming Unit. I report directly to the Assistant Director for Internal Affairs Group who reports to the Bureau Director. I work in a typical government office which is adapts the bureaucratic hierarchical structure. Our Bureau is in charge of the purchase and distribution of health supplies needed in our town as well as the deployment of health workers. The Bureau’s upper and middle hierarchical structure include a Bureau Director, acting as the overall Head of the Bureau with two Assistant Directors, one for In ternal Affairs Group who is tasked to handle planning and programming, finance and administrative concerns. (Refer to Attachment 1 -Organizational Structure.) The other Assistant Director handles the Bureau’s External Affairs to include Operations, Public Information and Other External Affairs Programs and Activities. These two top Assistant Directors directly report to the Bureau Director bringing to him issues specific to their group. Each Assistant Director has designated Section Chief and Assistant Section Chief. â€Å"Power in this bureaucratic office is the typical set up described by Max Weber’s in his paradigm stating that the level of power given to a bureaucrat is directly proportional to the level where you are positioned in the hierarchy†