Dear Mr. Salvetti,

These following research works may be relevant to your question.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/47413212_Can_Cultural_Differences_Lead_to_Accidents_Team_Cultural_Differences_and_Sociotechnical_System_Operations

http://www.pacdeff.com/pdfs/Cross%20Culture%20Safety%20Merritt%20and%20Maurino.pdf

 Best regards,

Cameen

Article Can Cultural Differences Lead to Accidents? Team Cultural Di...

Hi Fernando

You may find this paper on stresses and culture useful.

Maley, J., Moeller, M. & Harvey, M. (In Press). The contextualization of stressors on foreign assignments: an application to inpatriation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. Special call

Yes, They can. Cultural factors as contributors are: power distance, individualism, and uncertainty avoidance. You may find this paper useful:

Liao, Meng-Yuan (2015). Safety Culture in commercial aviation: Differences in perspective between Chinese and Western pilots. Safety Science, 79, 193-205

See the web site/ blog: Gestion des risques interculturels (in French and some English) run by Benjamin PELLETIER:

http://gestion-des-risques-interculturels.com/risques/la-therapie-du-choc-culturel-ii-%e2%80%93-le-cas-de-korean-air/

There is a case about Korean Air demonstrating the importance of cultural differences in a few incidents, even crashes. If you can't read it, contact Benjamin from me.

John M. Roberts published an article on pilot error. It might have some relevance to this issue at least indirectly.

The cultural difference are quite important in the way people behave. Mental illness and sudden pain in which the pilot can not bear could cause crashes. However, this could be limited only to pilots who do not care and are not united to some cultural aspects including the value of life, international norms, religion and ethics.

Hi Fernando,

I think the reply by Luca Giustignano is very pertinent. Indeed, the literature on intercultural communication can help to explain accidents related to 2.2.1, mainly. Main authors you should consider (but that you probably know) are Edward T. Hall, G. Hofstede, the GLOBE project, etc.

One aspect you could also consider is that piloting a plane (especially in a crisis situation) is a complex task. Cultural diversity can also be helpful to accomplish complex tasks. I co-authored a paper on this issue that might be interesting for you:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261703202_Do_intercultural_teams_need_requisite_variety_to_be_effective

Good luck with you research on this interesting subject!

Article Do intercultural teams need "requisite variety" to be effective?

Hello Fernando, 

I would add to what has been said above the chapter dedicated to the Korean Airlines crisis and strategies of change in Malcom Gladwell's "Outliers" - not an academic writing, but quite useful. 

I agree that Gladwell's discussion is interesting and pertinent.

Yes, definitely so because misunderstanding in social live can be catastrophic

Yes, definitely. I recommend the contribution of Barry Strauch.