MASCA (MAnaging System Change in Aviation): What makes for successful change? Evidence from industrial-based research

Abstract

While there is widespread acceptance that the capability for ensuring sustainable change within the aviation industry is critical, the evidence from industrial-based case studies on ‘what factors make for successful change’ have been few and far between. Addressing the very real challenges industry has in implementing sustainable change was the key focus of an EU FP7 collaborative project called MASCA (MAnaging System Change in Aviation). This paper puts forward a new approach to managing system change that has been tested and validated in collaborative industrial research and practice. The proposed approach targets the internal capacity of the organisation to be more flexible and adaptable in a way that increases the chances to survive and prosper under a wide range of circumstances and increasing commercial pressure, upcoming regulations and accelerating cycles of new technologies.