IAEA Workshop on Global Safety Culture

National Factors

National Culture Lessons from Aviation Gareth Lloyd Evans Human Factors Specialists – Emirates Flight Training College

Contents National Culture

•  Aviation and National Culture

•  Research

•  Which dominates Pilots?

– National or Professional

•  Training Challenge

•  Summary

“Culture”?

•  What is it?

•  Different types?

•  Determines behaviour?

•  Does it affect operations and safety?

   

Why……

0  

50  

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350  

Strongly  Agree   Agree   Undecided   Disagree   Strongly  Disagree  

Num

ber  o

f  Respo

nden

ts  

 In  the  past,  I  have  experienced  an  event  where  culture    has  affected  the  performance  on  the  flight  deck.  

(Sco+,  2013;  613  responses  from  EK  pilots)  

A Multicultural Airline 3700+ Pilots : 93 Passports : 128 Nationalities

Multicultural Studies

•  Hofstede: –  Data collection between 1967 and 1973

•  88 000 IBM personnel •  66 Countries •  38 different professions

•  Helmreich & Merrit: –  Data collection between 1993 and 1997

•  15 000 pilots •  36 Airlines •  23 Countries

National Culture – Dimensions

Power Distance Acceptance of differences in power and hierarchy Uncertainty Avoidance Desire to avoid any form of ambiguity or uncertainty Individualism versus Collectivism Motivation for decisions and actions, doing something for oneself or for a group (family, community, nation etc.) Masculinity versus Femininity Assertiveness/competitiveness versus modesty/caring

▀ Switzerland

▀ South Africa

National vs. Pilot Culture

Power Distance

Unc

erta

inty

Avo

idan

ce

▀ Argentina

▀ Australia

▀ Brazil

▀ UK

▀ Denmark

▀ Germany

▀ Greece

▀ Ireland

▀ Italy

▀ Japan

▀ Korea

▀ Malaysia

▀ Mexico

▀ Morocco ▀ New Zealand

▀ Norway

▀ Philippines

▀ Sweden

▀ Taiwan

▀ USA

20 40 60 80 100 120

20

40

60

80

100

120

Pilot Average

IBM Average

77.74 % Pilots

-20

0

20

40

60

80

20 40 60 80 100 120

National vs. Pilot Culture

Collectivism Individualism

Fem

inin

ity

Mas

culin

ity

-40 140 160

▀ Greece

▀ Japan

▀ Argentina

▀ Korea

▀ Mexico

▀ Brazil ▀ Taiwan

▀ Italy

▀ Malaysia

▀ Germany

▀ South Africa

▀ Norway ▀ Sweden

▀ UK

▀ New Zealand

▀ USA

▀ Switzerland

▀ Australia

▀ Denmark

▀ Ireland

▀ Morocco

▀ Philippines

72.3% EK Pilots

Pilot Average

IBM Average

Professional Culture

Professional Culture •  What is it?

Learned behaviours, shared worldview, common frame of mind, accepted ways of acting – within a profession

•  What is the professional culture of these people?

Pilot Professional > National Culture

0  

50  

100  

150  

200  

250  

300  

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400  

Strongly  Agree  

Agree   Undecided   Disagree   Strongly  Disagree  

Num

ber  o

f  Respo

nden

ts  

My  professional  culture  as  a  pilot  overrides    my  naEonal  culture  when  on  the  flight  deck.  

(Sco+,  2013;  613  responses  from  EK  pilots)  

EK Professional Culture

Source: Flight Crew Attitude Questionnaire for EK 2010 (N= 2095)

Training in National Culture

Na?onal  Culture  

Genera?onal  Culture  

Organisa?onal  Culture  

Professional  Culture  

Safety  Culture  

Organisational Culture

Safety Culture on the Flight Deck

•  Power Distance

•  Uncertainty Avoidance

•  Individualism

•  Masculinity

æ + Role model

ä + CRM

ä + Moderate

æ + SOPs

Generational Culture

Summary

•  Influence of Culture on operations and safety

•  Recognition of influence of National Culture Power Distance - Uncertainty Avoidance - Individualism - Masculinity

•  Professional Pilot Culture before National Culture

•  More to come in the ‘Collision of cultures’

Thank You