Journals / Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Uygulamalı Bilimler Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 10 Sayı: 2

Glass Ceiling and the Queen Bee Phenomenon in Aviation: A Qualitative Analysis of Organizational Justice and Safety Culture

Havacılıkta Cam Tavan ve Kraliçe Arı Olgusu: Örgütsel Adalet ve Emniyet Kültürü Bağlamında Nitel Bir Analiz

Pages
71–95
Publication Date
2026-09-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings indicate that women, particularly those working as pilots, in technical roles, or in senior management positions, may encounter gender stereotypes, pressure to continually demonstrate their competence, limited access to role models and organizational networks, work–family expectations, and ambiguous career advancement criteria.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Gender-based barriers that constrain women’s career advancement in aviation are significant not only in terms of representation and career outcomes, but also with regard to the social foundations of organizational justice, trust, and safety culture.
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Key Findings & Data:A total of 26 documents published between 2015 and 2025, comprising 20 academic studies and six institutional reports, were examined in accordance with the principles of qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis, while distinguishing among direct aviation evidence, explanatory mechanism evidence, and institutional context.
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings indicate that women, particularly those working as pilots, in technical roles, or in senior management positions, may encounter gender stereotypes, pressure to continually demonstrate their competence, limited access to role models and organizational networks, work–family expectations, and ambiguous career advancement criteria.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:2015 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Cam tavan · Kraliçe arı olgusu · Havacılık

Abstract

Gender-based barriers that constrain women’s career advancement in aviation are significant not only in terms of representation and career outcomes, but also with regard to the social foundations of organizational justice, trust, and safety culture. This study aims to identify the potential explanatory mechanisms linking these domains by integrating the glass ceiling and the queen bee phenomenon within the context of organizational justice, psychological safety, and safety culture. The research was designed as a criterion-based integrative qualitative document analysis. A total of 26 documents published between 2015 and 2025, comprising 20 academic studies and six institutional reports, were examined in accordance with the principles of qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis, while distinguishing among direct aviation evidence, explanatory mechanism evidence, and institutional context. The findings indicate that women, particularly those working as pilots, in technical roles, or in senior management positions, may encounter gender stereotypes, pressure to continually demonstrate their competence, limited access to role models and organizational networks, work–family expectations, and ambiguous career advancement criteria. The queen bee phenomenon was found to represent a context-dependent behavioral pattern that may emerge under conditions of low representation, discrimination, male-dominated organizational norms, and social identity threat, rather than a fixed characteristic inherent to women. The reviewed sources do not demonstrate a direct effect of these phenomena on safety outcomes. Instead, organizational justice, trust in management, psychological safety, and openness to reporting form a conceptual bridge between career experiences and safety culture.

Özet

Havacılıkta kadınların kariyer ilerlemesini sınırlayan toplumsal cinsiyet temelli engeller, yalnızca temsil ve kariyer çıktıları açısından değil, örgütsel adalet, güven ve emniyet kültürünün sosyal altyapısı bakımından da önem taşımaktadır. Bu çalışma, cam tavan ve kraliçe arı olgusunu örgütsel adalet, psikolojik güven ve emniyet kültürü bağlamında bütünleştirerek bu alanlar arasındaki olası açıklama mekanizmalarını ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma, ölçüt temelli bütünleştirici nitel doküman analizi olarak tasarlanmıştır. 2015–2025 dönemine ait 20 akademik çalışma ve altı kurumsal rapordan oluşan 26 doküman, doğrudan havacılık kanıtı, açıklayıcı mekanizma kanıtı ve kurumsal bağlam ayrımı gözetilerek nitel içerik ve tematik analiz ilkeleri doğrultusunda incelenmiştir. Bulgular, kadınların özellikle pilotluk, teknik görevler ve üst yönetim pozisyonlarında kalıp yargılar, yeterliliği sürekli kanıtlama baskısı, rol model ve örgütsel ağlara sınırlı erişim, iş-aile beklentileri ve belirsiz kariyer ölçütleriyle karşılaşabildiğini göstermektedir. Kraliçe arı olgusunun kadınlara özgü sabit bir özellikten ziyade düşük temsil, ayrımcılık, erkek egemen normlar ve sosyal kimlik tehdidi altında gelişebilen bağlamsal bir davranış örüntüsü olduğu görülmüştür. İncelenen kaynaklar, bu olguların emniyet sonuçları üzerinde doğrudan etkisini göstermemektedir. Buna karşılık örgütsel adalet, yönetime güven, psikolojik güven ve raporlama açıklığı, kariyer deneyimleri ile emniyet kültürü arasında kavramsal bir köprü oluşturmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Ceylan, H., Güven, G. (2026). Glass Ceiling and the Queen Bee Phenomenon in Aviation: A Qualitative Analysis of Organizational Justice and Safety Culture. Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Uygulamalı Bilimler Dergisi, Cilt: 10 Sayı: 2, 71–95. https://doi.org/10.31200/makuubd.2001487

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