A further note on the boundaries of CRM

Robert L. Helmreich (helmreich_at_psyvax.psy.utexas.edu)
Fri, 31 Jan 1997 13:08:31 -0600

I certainly agree that CRM is applicable to more settings than the cockpit -
and with the inclusion of flight attendants and others it does not "stop at
the cockpit door." I have been working for the last several years on the
application of CRM concepts and training to the medical operating room and
to the maritime environment. There was also a very productive meeting hosted
by Boeing on the application of CRM concepts to top management teams.

However, to be maximally effective, the training itself should be domain
specific and highly specific to the work and the organization and its
culture. One of the failings of early CRM courses that was re-worked
management development training, was a lack of specificity to the operating
environment.

I agree that individuals may well generalize their training to other aspects
of their lives - and I applaud this. However, for each that makes this leap
there are others who may reject the training as vague psychobabble and an
unwarranted invasion of their personal lives.

I feel that there is also an ethical issue involved. It is certainly
appropriate for organizations to require training that directly impacts
their work performance. If the training is also billed as a way to a more
successful personal life, the organization may be overstepping its
boundaries. (I remember many heated discussions in the mid-80s where pilots
were outraged by the company "messing with their minds." As CRM became more
task specific, these objections disappeared. We would all like our pilots to
be "good people and splendid spouses and parents, but the organization
should not dictate lifestyles.
Robert L. Helmreich
Professor of Psychology
The University of Texas at Austin
Director NASA/University of Texas/FAA Aerospace Crew Research Center
NASA/UT/FAA Homepage: http://www.psy.utexas.edu/psy/helmreich/nasaut.htm
(512) 480-9997 Fax (512)480-0234