JG,
Gladwell didn't 'explain CRM', he read something in a book and copied it out neatly. Mitigated speech acts were identified in conversation analysis of interactions between captains and FOs some time ago. We taught assertiveness to partly overcome cross-cockpit gradient issues but part of assertiveness includes directed communication. Nothing new. In fairness to Gladwell, he does admit to being nothing more than a journo who repackages ideas. It's just a shame that he doesn't always understand the ideas he repackages and he goes with whichever idea works for him at the time (see his use of Helmreich's work on culture). The poor man should read around his subjects more.
Forensic anthropologist? Look at Trostle, J. A. I wrote a paper on 'Dangerousness and Menace - Human Agency in Safety Management Systems' in an attempt to shift the safety paradigm. Look at Nichols - 'Sociology of industrial Injury'