Abstract
The dearth of context-based research in leadership studies and the absence of satisfactory research on the behaviour of leaders in the airline industry provided the rationale for this study. Data was collected from twenty-one senior executives in the airline industry who provided rich stories from their leadership experiences in the airline industry. Twenty-seven airlines are represented in the study. The data collected was analysed using Sternberg’s Tacit Knowledge Framework, which has been used to research leadership behaviour in sales and in the United States Military. Thus, the airline industry provided a context to extend the use of the Tacit Knowledge Framework. Tacit knowledge was identified in the responses from the participants, and captured in tacit knowledge items boxes, which are presented in chapters seven to nine. The tacit knowledge items formed the basis of the tacit knowledge inventory for airline leadership, a major contribution of this research study, presented in Appendix Seven. In this way, the thesis extended and deepened Sternberg’s Tacit Knowledge Framework. The results from the study highlight the important characteristics of airline leadership, to include self-reflection, resilience, ability to motivate team members, ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences, and the importance of political intelligence. The study also reveals the need for airline leadership to be able to adapt to the changing environment and also shape the environment. It is expected that this timely research will contribute to leadership development of executives in the airline industry and will stimulate further leadership and management research into the airline industry.