An Overlook on Diversity Management in Aviation in Italy

In the current knowledge-based economy, social and regulatory pressures, along with corporate competitiveness, are increasingly driving companies to invest in diversity management to address differences in the workplace. In sectors such as hospitality, tourism, and transportation, the quality of relationships and interactions between customers and service providers plays a crucial role. In this context, the aviation industry, the subject of this study, assumes even greater importance compared to other industries. The commercial aviation industry is a high-tech sector that is extremely competitive and highly sensitive to the relationship between customers and employees, as the service is consumed while it is delivered. Literature demonstrates that diversity management plays a significant role in organizational outcomes. This study aims to provide a brief overview of diversity management in organizations, particularly in the transportation sector. The goal is to identify how diversity management is perceived and considered from a business perspective and which strategies have been implemented or are in the planning stages that could prove useful. To analyze the intangible aspects of airline companies and understand how attention to diversity can become a competitive advantage, a qualitative research methodology based on a case study was adopted. Unstructured interviews with a manager from an Italian airline company were conducted as part of this study. This initial exploratory research confirms that the optimal combination of differences and effective human resource management enhances diversity in organizations, leading to performance benefits. However, it’s important to note that this research is based on a single case study. Future research directions will focus on evaluating other companies to gather additional data on the subject.