I think you've hit the nail on the head, and more: any culture, corporate or other, which finds criticism to be anathemic will never and can never hold itself responsible for any of its failings, and will always resist change outright due to the fact that making a willing and positive change means admitting a lack of perfection.
The result hasn't just been a loss of billions, but a gradual and continual onset of stagnation and decay within Boeing, once one of the most trusted names in aeronautics.
glennf