The Impact of Unlearning on Flight Operations Safety

In dynamic environments individuals must adapt themselves in new standards and business/operational settings resulting from the rapid and ongoing changes that occur. The knowledge possessed by those who are employed in high... [ view full abstract ]

In dynamic environments individuals must adapt themselves in new standards and business/operational settings resulting from the rapid and ongoing changes that occur. The knowledge possessed by those who are employed in high risk incident industrial contexts, as aviation flight operations, becomes quickly obsolete, for many reasons. As such, the acquisition of new knowledge and its effective implementation in daily tasks, routines, and activities becomes a necessity. However, the acquisition of new knowledge does not (alone) always promise safety and efficiency of operations. What also matters is that the knowledge acquisition should be followed by changes in existing beliefs and routines. An individual’s ability to change existing fixed beliefs and routines, defined as “unlearning” has been found in extant literature to be one of the most significant capabilities which contribute to superior performance and future organizational success. In this study we examine unlearning and evaluate its significance in flight operations efficiency and safety.