The Social Construction of Knowledge in Mission-Critical Environments: Lessons from the Flight Deck

This volume analyzes real in-flight communications to explain the dynamics of knowledge construction. With the use of a grounded theory approach, real-life scenarios for in-depth interviews with aviation informants were developed and analyzed using discourse analysis. The study revealed aspects of tacit knowledge and expertise behavior that develop in mission-critical environments. Among the findings, the author discovered:• Silence is an interactional element and a substantial contributing factor to both completed flights and aviation incidents/accidents• Hesitation is an early reaction when situational awareness is lacking • The aviation sub-cultures contain several distinct micro-cultures which affect professional responsibility and decision making in micro-environments• Human errors should be acknowledged, discussed and repaired by all actors of the flight model • Non-verbal communication in institutional settings and mediated environments is instrumental to safe and efficient operations The results suggest fruitful applications of theory to explore how knowledge is generated in highly structured, high-risk organizational environments, such as hospitals, nuclear plants, battlefields and crisis and disaster locations. Katerinakis explains the emergent knowledge elements in communication command with messages “spoken-heard-understood-applied," from multiple stakeholders... The interplay of theory and real-flight examples, with key interlocutors, creates a valuable narrative both for the expert reader and the lay-person interested in the insights of hospitals, nuclear plants, battlefields, safety and rescue systems, and crisis and disaster locations.Ilias Panagopoulos, PhDCommand Fighter Pilot, Col (Ret)Senior Trainer, Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) Training OrganisationSafety Manager, NATO Airlift Management ProgrammeIn this path-breaking work, Theodore Katerinakis brings the study of human communication to the airplane cockpit as a knowledge environment. Toward that end, drawing on his own experience with the Air Force and Aviation Authorities and interviews with flight controllers and scores of pilots, Katerinakis both builds on moves beyond human factors research and ecological psychology… It is a work of theoretical value across disciplines and organizational settings and of practical importance as well. His lively narrative adds to translational research by translating knowledge or evidence into action in mission-critical systems.Douglas V. Porpora, PhDProfessor of Sociology&DirectorCommunication, Culture and Media Drexel University

About the Author

Theodoros Katerinakis combines industrial with academic experience in information theory, banking, organizational culture, and critical environments. He holds a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Drexel College of Arts and Science, with emphasis on mission critical environments, organizational culture and communities of practice. His Drexel MSc in Communication Science focused on cooperative networks and ethics, negotiation management and decision-making. His military service in Hellenic Air Force (HAF) and U.S. Navy covers COC/OPS and crisis management, as well as language security in HCAA. His early career included bank auditing, document management, and internal organization. His Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) degree in Applied Informatics concentrated on decision support systems and business informatics, with additional education on EU Jean Monnet Programme, Financial Engineering, and Scientific Research - R&D. Dr. Katerinakis has spent years as an Adjunct Faculty in Communication, Sociology, Language and International Business at Drexel University in Philadelphia, USA. His research is published by Sage, Palgrave-McMillan, Routledge, LIT Verlag, and has edited/prepared master classes DVDs on business resilience, as well as authored three other books. His research covers knowledge intelligence, information theory, network theory, grounded theory, banking, and e-learning didactics. As a member of Drexel On-line Council, he is preparing new courses and research proposals.