Analysis Of Air France AF 447
Analysis of AF 447
AF447 represents a very extreme situation with catastrophic consequences (The Case of AirFrance 447). However frequently an Organisation is under pressure (deadlines, clients, crisis etc) and in these moments the Decision-making process and its core Sense-making must be clinical and efficient to avoid collapse and to maintain Organization Intelligence and Team Effectiveness. What can we learn from the case? What are the key-pillars of Sense-making which can lead team to effectiveness?
Firstly, Situational Awareness is crucial and a lack of it can change the course of action in few minutes. Human Cognition, constituted by Recognition, Belief and Understanding, affects directly and is strictly related to Situational Awareness (Learmount D., Flightglobal, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARybu2kHeZ8). Human Cognition is actually influenced by PESTLE factors (Buchanan D.A. and Huczynski A.A., 1985) and it reveals itself at two different levels: individual and team. Hence, without a clear Cognition at Individual level (first stage of Sense-making process), Organisational Intelligence and Team Effectiveness struggle to blossom. For instance we know that on the day of crash Captain Dubois wasn’t in an appropriate psychophysical condition to lead the team to its goals through a clear cognition because he had joined a party all night before without rest (Pieces a Conviction – TV France 3; le Figaro 2014). He strayed from overconfidence and generated stupidity to the organisation.
Secondly, we’ve learnt that even in case of individual stupidity, a team can succeed in Sense-making by extending its focus from a disconnected collecition of Individual minds to a Collective Mind, a shared mental model which frames situation, behaviour and actions through structure, norms and roles (Weick E.K. and Roberts K.H., 1993). On AF447 there wasn’t any collective mind as Dobuois took the decision (without Robert, the first mate, participating in the group) to pass
AF447 represents a very extreme situation with catastrophic consequences (The Case of AirFrance 447). However frequently an Organisation is under pressure (deadlines, clients, crisis etc) and in these moments the Decision-making process and its core Sense-making must be clinical and efficient to avoid collapse and to maintain Organization Intelligence and Team Effectiveness. What can we learn from the case? What are the key-pillars of Sense-making which can lead team to effectiveness?
Firstly, Situational Awareness is crucial and a lack of it can change the course of action in few minutes. Human Cognition, constituted by Recognition, Belief and Understanding, affects directly and is strictly related to Situational Awareness (Learmount D., Flightglobal, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARybu2kHeZ8). Human Cognition is actually influenced by PESTLE factors (Buchanan D.A. and Huczynski A.A., 1985) and it reveals itself at two different levels: individual and team. Hence, without a clear Cognition at Individual level (first stage of Sense-making process), Organisational Intelligence and Team Effectiveness struggle to blossom. For instance we know that on the day of crash Captain Dubois wasn’t in an appropriate psychophysical condition to lead the team to its goals through a clear cognition because he had joined a party all night before without rest (Pieces a Conviction – TV France 3; le Figaro 2014). He strayed from overconfidence and generated stupidity to the organisation.
Secondly, we’ve learnt that even in case of individual stupidity, a team can succeed in Sense-making by extending its focus from a disconnected collecition of Individual minds to a Collective Mind, a shared mental model which frames situation, behaviour and actions through structure, norms and roles (Weick E.K. and Roberts K.H., 1993). On AF447 there wasn’t any collective mind as Dobuois took the decision (without Robert, the first mate, participating in the group) to pass
References: MBA Organisational Behaviour , The Air France 447 Case, 2014-15; Learmount D., 2011, Flightglobal, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARybu2kHeZ8 Buchanan D.A. and Huczynski A.A., 1985, Organizational Behaviour, p.694-96, 15; Pieces a Conviction – TV France 3; le Figaro 2014; Weick E.K. and Roberts K.H., 1993, Collective Mind in Organizations: Heedful Interrelating on Flight Decks; Rochlin, 1997, OFE 2014-15, slide session 3.