ABSTRACT
Some years ago, the then chairman of a major international airline met with Doug to discuss issues that had arisen among flight crew. Like all airlines, this one had as its primary concern the issue of passenger safety. However, growth had meant that they needed to recruit flight crew from other countries and, at times, this had resulted in significant conflict on the flight deck with overseas trained personnel being reluctant to accept nationally trained people in positions of authority. In understanding the reason for this, and also in order to find a way forward, Doug referred to the studies of Geert Hofstede,1 which provided some insight into the cultural norms of different societies. Using these insights it became possible to develop understanding and to promote functional rather than dysfunctional conflict on the flight deck.
