Aviation Crew Resource Management: The Duality of Behavior and Sustaining CRM in Pilots

Introduction

Crew Resource Management (CRM) is a foundational concept in aviation safety, focusing on the efficient and cooperative use of all available resources—human, technical, and informational—to enhance decision-making and ensure safe flight operations. Developed in the late 1970s by NASA in response to human factors contributing to aviation accidents, CRM emphasizes communication, teamwork, situational awareness, leadership, and decision-making among crew members. However, despite the CRM philosophy encouraging open dialogue and collaborative environments, a duality in behavior is sometimes observed in pilots who may exhibit authoritarian tendencies in daily life or management roles while adopting collaborative practices only inside the cockpit.

This behavioural shift raises concerns about the sustainability of such flip-flopping between authoritarianism and collaboration. Is this behaviour genuinely sustainable, or is it an artificial construct? Does CRM need to be internalized as a permanent behavioural change rather than a performance during flight operations? This paper explores the challenges this duality poses, how it affects crew dynamics, the psychological underpinnings of such behaviour, and what behavioural scientists and psychologists suggest as the way forward.

Crew Resource Management: Foundations and Importance

CRM is designed to prevent accidents by fostering communication and collaboration among flight crew members. It has evolved into a systematic framework that emphasizes the importance of each crew member’s input during decision-making processes. The goals of CRM are to reduce human errors, improve safety, and ensure that the crew operates as a cohesive unit, especially during high-stress situations.

Key Components of Crew Resource Management

• Communication: Crew Resource Management relies heavily on clear, open, and honest communication between all members of the flight crew. Crew members are encouraged to speak up when they notice an issue or if they have concerns about safety.
• Teamwork: Crew Resource Management emphasizes a collaborative approach, where all team members—regardless of rank or experience—are expected to contribute. It recognizes that teamwork leads to better decision-making, especially in complex situations.
• Leadership and Following: Effective Crew Resource Management training also addresses balanced leadership, where captains lead while remaining open to input from crew members. Equally, it teaches crew members to assert themselves when necessary.
• Situational Awareness: This refers to the ability to perceive, understand, and project the current environment into the future to make informed decisions. Crew members are trained to remain vigilant and aware of the constantly changing conditions during flight operations.
• Decision-Making: Crew Resource Management encourages a systematic approach to decision-making that incorporates input from the entire crew and considers the possible consequences of each decision.

Crew Resource Management promotes an environment where open communication and collaboration are key. However, the behaviour observed outside the cockpit may not always align with these values. This creates a duality where some pilots may exhibit authoritarian behavior in day-to-day interactions or management roles but embrace Crew Resource Management values when flying. The inconsistency in behaviour can lead to issues with trust, communication, and overall crew dynamics.

Example: The Duality in Practice

An illustrative example of this duality comes from a personal experience in which I encountered the contrast between advocating for open communication (a key Crew Resource Management principle) and being met with resistance from pilots in management.

In my first job as an airline pilot, I once sent an email expressing concerns about navigation flight plan to a destination. In the email, I used the word “surprised” to highlight my concern that the navigation department had failed to identify the issue earlier, as it was their role to monitor these situations daily. However, the management—composed of pilots who preach Crew Resource Management and advocate for open communication—responded that while they would verify my concerns, the use of the word “surprised” was not appreciated by management.

In my clarification, I explained that my remark was directed at the navigation department, not at management, as it was their responsibility to ensure the navigation flight plans to destinations. Despite this, the response from management made me feel that I could not express myself freely, even with individuals who were supposed to uphold the very principles of Crew Resource Management—open communication, assertiveness, and respectful dialogue.

This situation highlighted the duality in behavior: the same pilots who champion Crew Resource Management in the cockpit appeared to suppress open communication outside of it, creating an authoritarian environment that stifled dialogue. It felt artificial, raising the question of whether these pilots had truly internalized the Crew Resource Management principles or merely adopted them as a temporary façade when flying.

The Duality of Pilots: Authoritarian Outside, Collaborative Inside

Many pilots are accustomed to exercising authority and making quick, confident decisions in both their professional and personal lives. This assertive, sometimes authoritarian behaviour is essential in certain high-pressure situations where decisions must be made swiftly without consultation. However, Crew Resource Management requires a very different approach inside the cockpit—one that is collaborative, inclusive, and open to feedback from all members of the crew.

This creates a duality for some pilots who easily slip into authoritarian behaviour outside the cockpit but are expected to embrace collaborative behaviour when flying. The ability to make this behavioural switch may initially seem beneficial, but it creates several challenges, particularly when the behaviour feels inconsistent or artificial.

Impact on Crew Members

The inconsistency in a pilot’s behavior can create confusion and distrust among crew members, especially when they perceive a difference between how a pilot behaves inside and outside the cockpit. In the example above, although the pilots in management were supportive of Crew Resource Management principles, their response to a simple word choice in an email indicated an authoritarian style that contradicted Crew Resource Management’s core values of open communication and mutual respect.

• Reluctance to Speak Up: Crew members may feel hesitant to voice concerns or contribute their input if they fear that their comments will be met with a harsh or defensive response. This reluctance to speak up defeats one of the main purposes of Crew Resource Management—fostering open dialogue to enhance safety.
• Erosion of Psychological Safety: For Crew Resource Management to function effectively, crew members must feel psychologically safe—meaning they can speak up without fear of reprisal. When a pilot exhibits authoritarian behaviour outside the cockpit, it can erode this sense of safety, even if the pilot adheres to Crew Resource Management principles during flight operations.
• Inconsistent Leadership: Crew members may struggle to trust a pilot who behaves collaboratively in the cockpit but is authoritarian in other contexts. This inconsistency undermines the integrity of the crew and may lead to poorer team dynamics.

Can This Flip-Flop Be Sustained?

While some pilots can successfully alternate between authoritarian and collaborative behaviors, this duality is difficult to sustain over the long term. Behaviors that are not deeply ingrained are more likely to fall apart under stress. In emergency situations, pilots who have not fully embraced CRM may revert to their authoritarian tendencies, disregarding input from the crew and making unilateral decisions. This can lead to errors, as critical information from other crew members may be ignored or undervalued.

Is It Artificial?

The behavioral flip-flop between authoritarianism outside the cockpit and collaboration inside the cockpit often feels artificial, both to the pilot and to the crew. CRM principles should not be merely acted upon when necessary; they must be deeply embedded in the pilot’s leadership style. When a pilot’s CRM behavior is perceived as inauthentic, it creates a lack of trust, and the crew may be less willing to engage fully in the collaborative process.

CRM is a set of behaviors and attitudes that must be internalized as a philosophy of interaction and leadership, not a set of actions to be turned on or off based on the situation.

The Need for Internalization: Behavioral Change

For CRM to be truly effective, it must be internalized as a behavioral change rather than an occasional practice. Pilots must genuinely value the principles of CRM, adopting them as a core component of their leadership style, both in and out of the cockpit.

What Behavioral Scientists Say

Behavioral scientists emphasize the importance of consistency in behavior, particularly in high-stakes environments like aviation. According to behavioral psychology, individuals who exhibit inconsistent behavior—such as flipping between authoritarianism and collaboration—are less likely to be trusted by those around them. Trust is a critical component of CRM, as it allows crew members to work together efficiently and effectively.

Inconsistent behavior also increases stress, both for the individual and for those working with them. Crew members may feel uncertain about how to approach a pilot who is collaborative one moment and authoritarian the next, which can lead to breakdowns in communication.

Theories on Behavioral Change

The Cognitive Behavioral Model suggests that behavior is driven by thoughts and beliefs. Pilots who have not fully internalized CRM principles may outwardly display collaborative behavior, but their underlying beliefs may still align with an authoritarian approach. Without changing these underlying beliefs, the collaborative behavior is unlikely to be sustained in high-pressure situations.

Social Learning Theory also highlights the role of modeling in behavior change. Pilots who observe CRM being practiced consistently by their peers and superiors are more likely to internalize these behaviors themselves. When CRM is modeled as a core component of an organization’s culture, pilots are more likely to adopt it as part of their leadership style.

Solution and Way Forward

To ensure that CRM is fully internalized and sustained, airlines and aviation organizations must move beyond treating CRM as a set of behaviors to be applied only in the cockpit. The following steps are necessary to ensure that CRM becomes a deeply ingrained philosophy:

1. CRM Training Beyond the Cockpit

CRM training should extend beyond flight operations. Pilots should receive training in leadership, communication, and decision-making that applies to all areas of their professional and personal lives. This helps ensure that CRM becomes a core part of their behavior, not just a performance during flight.

2. Leadership Development Programs

Organizations should implement leadership development programs that emphasize the

importance of collaboration, communication, and psychological safety. These programs can help pilots build the skills necessary to lead effectively both inside and outside the cockpit.

3. Stress Management Training

Stress often triggers reversion to authoritarian behaviors. By offering stress management training, pilots can develop techniques for maintaining CRM behaviors even in high-pressure situations.

4. Feedback and Reflection

Incorporating feedback mechanisms, such as 360-degree reviews from crew members, can help pilots reflect on their behavior and identify areas for improvement. Pilots should be encouraged to engage in self-reflection to understand how their behavior impacts the team.

5. Mentorship and Role Modeling

Creating a culture of mentorship, where senior pilots model CRM behaviors consistently, can help younger pilots internalize CRM principles. When CRM is demonstrated by respected leaders, it becomes easier for other pilots to adopt.

Conclusion

While CRM is critical to aviation safety, it must be internalized as a behavioral change rather than an act performed only in the cockpit. The duality exhibited by some pilots—collaborative during flight but authoritarian outside the cockpit—undermines the core values of CRM and creates confusion and distrust among crew members. Behavioral scientists suggest that sustained behavioral change requires a deeper cognitive shift, where CRM principles are embedded in the pilot’s leadership philosophy.

By extending CRM training beyond flight operations, offering leadership development, stress management, and feedback mechanisms, airlines can help pilots internalize CRM as a way of thinking and acting, both in and out of the cockpit. This approach fosters a culture of trust, collaboration, and safety that benefits both the crew and passengers.

References

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