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It is common practice throughout the airline industry to promote technicians into leadership or managerial positions after a period of demonstrated proficiency as maintenance professionals. Research by Purdue University strongly suggests, however, that many of these technicians find themselves in a position which imposes the need for knowledge or skills which they do not possess. While these individuals have found excellence in their technical pursuits, most find it difficult to attain excellence in their new positions due to the lack of adequate training and definition of job expectations. There appears to be a generalized assumption across the aviation industry that good technicians have the intrinsic knowledge and skills to become good leaders and managers. Experience has proven, however, that this is an unrealistic expectation. Research has shown that many of these technicians are confused about the true nature of their job and expectations concerning their performance.

Throughout the industry, organizations struggle with the task of implementing effective human factors programs aimed at reducing maintenance errors. Almost universally, many barriers have frustrated these efforts. In 1998 and 1999, the National Transportation Safety Board sponsored two workshops designed at identifying barriers to the implementation of human factors programs and to explore what was working and what was not working among the many industry efforts. This paper explores the findings of these workshops. In addition, it will report findings of Purdue University studies that reveal a rapid deterioration of even the most successful human factors programs. The research findings disclose several “disconnects” within most organizations which rapidly negate the positive effects of successful human factors and error management training and nullify many proactive human factors programs.