Gents,
Until you have witnessed an illustrious "Cmdr" belittle and humiliate an FO at dispatch and continue the barrage in the cockpit then it is very difficult to appreciate the CRM culture at AI. This is and was not a one-off event, but regular: all be it at varying degrees and levels.
When I spoke to the Capt about it he all but abused me stating "you foreigners do not understand...." Damn right I don't. As a CRMI in other airlines, trying to reason with this fool was impossible. He didn't want to listen. In his mind he didn't have to.
That same FO sat there and copped it. All the while "Yes sir, Yes sir, Yes sir....." He then thanked the Cmdr for the flight afterward.
PF / PM roles are ignored with the Cmdr (on the VERY rare event of allowing the FO a t/o or landing) will, when as PM, randomly manipulate the MCP, select speed brake, change the speed...or as PF do the RT requesting track shortening, wx avoidance, their own flap and gear, and so on and so on..... Boeing FCOM Areas of Responsibility? HA!
Do some reading on "social norms" and then the social structure, etc in India (caste system, hierarchical roles in society, perceived "respect" that must be given right or wrongly so....) and you'll be able to appreciate but a small amount of the culture at AI. In Asian nations the "loosing face" issue is also by and large to blame. Hence a "Cmdr" will vary rarely heed the advice, ask for let alone accept a junior's (FO or others') input.
And what happens? The same is repeated onto the next generation.
Before some state that I am picking on AI: Yes, you are right because this is what the thread is about and I witnessed / experienced it for 2 years; and secondly, I admit other airlines in [western] nations also have long histories of poor CRM training, differing abilities to influence social (personal and airline) norms, arrogant and autocratic Capts as well as FO's.
I was ignorant that such behavior could exist until I witnessed it.
[Airline] CULTURE and SOCIAL NORMS affect safety and training. The ability to WANT to change, to WANT to learn, to WANT to look from the outside in is lost on many. In our profession (becoming more and more a lose term) the end results can be fatal to many.
From the latest incident reports surfacing the Swiss Cheese slices are still lining up. Let's hope for a resounding change. It'll take at least a generational shift away from such behavior. KAL ring a bell, anyone?