Originally Posted by
2Bad2Sad
We do it better?
we do it better etc....
2B2S, my comment is that the collective "WE" presume that when there is a bad outcome, it is because the other party involved is somehow different, as in incompetent, foolhardy, risk taking, or just stupid, We have better "_______ " planes, people, rules, beer etc... fill in the blanks. The truth is collectively, WE appear to be frequently pushed into actions through real or perceived pressure, and sometimes that ends badly. Your post indicates experience of variations on the theme as well, and you are hardly alone with a basketball called Wilson on that score.
My concern goes well beyond say, Hofstede's observations, I really don't think the issue is cultural or a consequence of cultures differences, it is endemic in the industry, a universal issue and we keep on putting bandaids on the matter. I believe that there is merit in the industry taking a hard look at itself, perhaps in the vein of Reason, but probably more in depth, such as Ladkin or preferably Hollnagel, to assess how dysfunctional the industry is behind the polish. For a number of years I was involved in getting airlines (and regulators) through compliance audits. The truth is that you can put lipstick on the pig relatively easily, and pass the audits, particularly when the auditors do not bother to look closely at the evidence of non compliance that usually litters the system.