Addressing the Workforce Shortage in New Zealand’s Aviation Maintenance Sector: Exploring Strategic Human Capital Practices for Workforce Sustainability in the Post-Pandemic Era
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Authors
Dittmer, Philip Ross James
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Degree
Master of Applied Management
Grantor
Southern Institue of Technology
Date
2025
Supervisors
Akhtaruzzaman, Akhtar
Type
Masters Dissertation
Ngā Upoko Tukutuku (Māori subject headings)
Keyword
Aviation
Aircraft Maintenancec Organisation
Human Capital Theory
Workforce Sustainability
Resource-Based View
Aircraft Maintenancec Organisation
Human Capital Theory
Workforce Sustainability
Resource-Based View
ANZSRC Field of Research Code (2020)
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Abstract
New Zealand’s aviation maintenance sector faces acute workforce shortages in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic with a forecasted deficit of 500 engineers by 2035. This research explored whether Strategic Human Capital Management (SHCM) practices, grounded in Human Capital Theory (HCT) under the Resource-Based View (RBV) of the firm, can sustain workforce capability in this knowledge-intensive and highly regulated industry. A mixed-methods approach was applied, combining a quantitative survey with qualitative interviews to triangulate findings. Results reveal structural challenges including an ageing workforce, limited training pathways, qualification barriers, high talent mobility, wage disparity between firms, and poor career visibility. SHCM practices such as succession planning, mentoring, talent management, and workforce planning were inconsistently applied, with most firms reliant on traditional Human Resource Management (HRM) to maintain compliance rather than create strategic value. Emerging themes highlight collaboration between competing firms to mitigate talent poaching and the influence of employee value propositions leaving industry calling for government intervention in training and immigration policy settings. This study concluded that workforce sustainability requires systemic reform and a more consistent adoption of SHCM practices to rebuild talent pipelines, retain critical sector skills, and secure the long-term future of the industry.
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CC BY-NC Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International