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To OB colleagues, a request for collaboration with information and comments:

Where cynicism prevails citizens mistrust authority and may band together even against civilizatory pursuits, like those of the highway police. This behaviour may have organizational overtones in business and I would like to know how  informal, spontaneous expressions of distrust of authority materialize across cultures.

Kindly share your experience with me. Below I describe the Brazilian phenomenon I have in mind in order to illustrate what I am in search of.

Flashing headlights on incoming cars when a sneaky highway patrol is spotted is common in Brazil, despite abnormally high accident rates in Brazilian highways. Charles Darwin, when traveling in Southern Argentine in the 19^th century already commented his surprise at the speed with which locals would offer cover to fugitives. It looks like, at least in Brazil and Argentina, locals mistrust authority and will want to protect the harassed even though they may be wrong.

It is not known how the flashing of headlights started, horns are not used, but flashing headlights by the Samaritan who has spotted a highway patrol will not stop until the well advised incoming driver gratefully acknowledges the information by flashing his own headlights once. Then the protocol has been established. The well-advised driver will then be able to drive orderly and in attention of hidden highway patrol officers until he spots them. After that he is relatively free to return to his standard driving without having been fined. He will also become the Samaritan to incoming drivers himself, returning to them the favor just received, warning incoming drivers of the danger ahead: a hidden highway patrol officer.