Institutional Theory and Flight Schools: An Analysis of Conformity in the Skies

Abstract

This study employs a comprehensive bibliometric and content analysis to explore the application of institutional theory within the context of flight schools and aviation education. Utilizing data extracted from the Web of Science (WoS) database, this research examines the most influential studies, authors, and research trends in this field from 2000 to 2023. The findings highlight the critical role of institutional pressures and logics in shaping the operations and evolution of flight schools. This study contributes to the existing literature by integrating institutional theory with bibliometric methods, offering a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing aviation education and identifying areas for future research. Limitations include the dataset's restriction to publications indexed in the WoS and the basic NLP tools used for analysis. Future research should incorporate more advanced NLP techniques, consider additional databases, and explore the impact of emerging technologies on aviation education.