A bad workplace culture is a hazard in itself. But even a mediocre one can contribute directly to a disaster.  NASA won awards for being the “best place to work” among U.S government agencies. But the Space Shuttle Columbia failure, which resulted in the loss of seven astronauts and countless resources, was directly related to cultural factors.   Two cultural attributes, one big problem at NASA Overall, NASA was a great place to work — smart people, lofty goals supporting the national interest, research-based projects with the best technology available, innovative, exciting, worthy. But ironically, two aspects of NASA’s culture paved the