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what is groupthink? Give concrete example of a situatio

what is groupthink? Give concrete example of a situatio

Principles of Management
Principles of Management
OER 2019th Edition
ISBN:9780998625768
Author:OpenStax
Publisher:OpenStax
Chapter2: Managerial Decision-making
Section2.6: Group Decision-making
Problem 1CC: Explain why group decision-making can be more effective than individual decision-making.
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Base on the picture below, what is groupthink? Give concrete example of a situation (your or other people's experience) where groupthink leads to positive outcome and negative results.

1Oward a particular decision before a discussion, it may be expected that their post-decision position deire for unanimity offsets their motivation to appraise altemative courses of action. Gpthink Framework," Human Relatiune, 1991, vol, 44, pp. 539-550, 225 Polarization can profoundly affect group decision making. If group members are known to lean o the fy so ships be even more extreme. Understanding this phenomenon may be useful for one who seeks to atfect cheir decision. ate to and g the Toup GROUPTHINK is discussed earlier, highly cohesive groups and teams often are very successful at meeting their goals, lchough they sometimes have serious difficulties as well. One problem that can occur is groupthink. According to Irving L. Janis, groupthink is "a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members' strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action." When groupthink occurs, then, the roup unwittingly makes unanimity rather than the best decision its goal. Individual members may perceive that raising objections is not appropriate. Groupthink can occur in many decision-making uituations in organizations. The current trend toward increasing use of teams in organizations may increase instances of groupthink because of the susceptibility of self-managing teams to this type of ce on esses, quent nflict rking - 9.5 ence, mine thought. 4 mong two need Symptoms of Groupthink The three primary conditions that foster the development of groupthink are cohesiveness, the leader's promotion of his or her preferred solution, and insulation of the group from experts' opinions. Based on analysis of the disaster associated with the explosion of the space shut- tle Chullenger in 1986, the effects of increased time pressure and the role of the leader in not stimulat- ing critical thinking were added to the original idea of groupthink symptoms." Figure 9.6 outlines the revised groupthink process. 35 prary. in it. ation, Time Docision- Making Defects Decision Group Characteristics Groupthink Symptoms Outcomes group ement at the more abers' Leadership Style uring their on. If n the lition, or the Pigure 9.6 THE GROUPTHINK PROCESS Graupthink can eecur hen a biybly cobesive group with a directite leader is under time pressure; it can reult in a defective deci icess and low probability of uccesful outemes. port a
Transcribed Image Text:1Oward a particular decision before a discussion, it may be expected that their post-decision position deire for unanimity offsets their motivation to appraise altemative courses of action. Gpthink Framework," Human Relatiune, 1991, vol, 44, pp. 539-550, 225 Polarization can profoundly affect group decision making. If group members are known to lean o the fy so ships be even more extreme. Understanding this phenomenon may be useful for one who seeks to atfect cheir decision. ate to and g the Toup GROUPTHINK is discussed earlier, highly cohesive groups and teams often are very successful at meeting their goals, lchough they sometimes have serious difficulties as well. One problem that can occur is groupthink. According to Irving L. Janis, groupthink is "a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members' strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action." When groupthink occurs, then, the roup unwittingly makes unanimity rather than the best decision its goal. Individual members may perceive that raising objections is not appropriate. Groupthink can occur in many decision-making uituations in organizations. The current trend toward increasing use of teams in organizations may increase instances of groupthink because of the susceptibility of self-managing teams to this type of ce on esses, quent nflict rking - 9.5 ence, mine thought. 4 mong two need Symptoms of Groupthink The three primary conditions that foster the development of groupthink are cohesiveness, the leader's promotion of his or her preferred solution, and insulation of the group from experts' opinions. Based on analysis of the disaster associated with the explosion of the space shut- tle Chullenger in 1986, the effects of increased time pressure and the role of the leader in not stimulat- ing critical thinking were added to the original idea of groupthink symptoms." Figure 9.6 outlines the revised groupthink process. 35 prary. in it. ation, Time Docision- Making Defects Decision Group Characteristics Groupthink Symptoms Outcomes group ement at the more abers' Leadership Style uring their on. If n the lition, or the Pigure 9.6 THE GROUPTHINK PROCESS Graupthink can eecur hen a biybly cobesive group with a directite leader is under time pressure; it can reult in a defective deci icess and low probability of uccesful outemes. port a
5. Direct pressure on a member who expresses strong arguments against any of the group's stereotypes common problems as well, including fatigue, prejudice, inaccurate information, information overload occurred prior to the ill-fated launch of the shuttle Columbia in 2003.) Finally, the group may not con making processes are flawed, one side can win a battle because of the poor decisions made by the other contingency plans. It should be noted that Janis contends that these defects may arise from other side's leaders. Nevertheless, decisions produced by defective processes are less likely to succeod Defects in decision making do not always lead to bad outcomes or defeats. Even if its own decisiot subjected to rigorous empirical examination. Research supports parts of the model but leaves some Although the arguments for the existence of groupthink are convincing, the hypothesis has not been 226 A group in which groupthink has taken hold exhibits eight well-defined symptoms: encourages extreme risk taking before recommitting themselves to past policy decisions 4. Stereotyped vieus of "enemy" leaders as too evil to warrant genuine attempts to negotiate weak or stupid to counter whatever risky attempts are made to defeat their purposes moral consequences of their decisions or as ton illusions, or commitments, making clear that such dissent is contrary to what is expected of loul members 6. Self-censorship of deviations from the apparent group consensus, reflecting each member's inclination to minimize the importance of his or her doubts and counterarguments 7. A shared illusion of unanimity, resulting partly from self-censorship of deviations, augmented by the false assumption that silence means consent 8. The emergence of self-appointed "mindguards," members who protect the group from adverse infur- mation that might shatter their shared complacency about the effectiveness and morality of their decisions7 Janis contends that the members of the group involved in the Watergate cover-up during President Richard Nixon's administration and re-election campaign-Nixon himself, H. R. Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, and John Dean-may have been victims of groupthink. Evidence of most of the groupthink symptoms can be found in the unedited transcripts of the group's deliberations.38 Decision-Making Defects and Decision Quality When groupthink dominates group deliberations, the likelihood that decision-making defects will occur increases. The group is less likely to survey a fil range of alternatives and may focus on only a few (often one or two). In discussing a preferred alterna- tive, the group may fail to examine it for non-obvious risks and drawbacks. The group may not reet- amine previously rejected alternatives for non-obvious gains or some means of reducing apparent cos even when they receive new information. The group may reject expert opinions that run counter to io own views and may choose to consider only information that supports its preferred solution. The dea sion to launch the space shuttle Challenger in January 1986 may have been a product of groupthink because due to the increased time pressure to make a decision and the leaders' style, negative informa tion was ignored by the group that made the decision. (Unfortunately, this same pattern may well have sider any potential setbacks or countermoves by competing groups and therefore may fail to develop and ignorance." questions unanswered. 0
Transcribed Image Text:5. Direct pressure on a member who expresses strong arguments against any of the group's stereotypes common problems as well, including fatigue, prejudice, inaccurate information, information overload occurred prior to the ill-fated launch of the shuttle Columbia in 2003.) Finally, the group may not con making processes are flawed, one side can win a battle because of the poor decisions made by the other contingency plans. It should be noted that Janis contends that these defects may arise from other side's leaders. Nevertheless, decisions produced by defective processes are less likely to succeod Defects in decision making do not always lead to bad outcomes or defeats. Even if its own decisiot subjected to rigorous empirical examination. Research supports parts of the model but leaves some Although the arguments for the existence of groupthink are convincing, the hypothesis has not been 226 A group in which groupthink has taken hold exhibits eight well-defined symptoms: encourages extreme risk taking before recommitting themselves to past policy decisions 4. Stereotyped vieus of "enemy" leaders as too evil to warrant genuine attempts to negotiate weak or stupid to counter whatever risky attempts are made to defeat their purposes moral consequences of their decisions or as ton illusions, or commitments, making clear that such dissent is contrary to what is expected of loul members 6. Self-censorship of deviations from the apparent group consensus, reflecting each member's inclination to minimize the importance of his or her doubts and counterarguments 7. A shared illusion of unanimity, resulting partly from self-censorship of deviations, augmented by the false assumption that silence means consent 8. The emergence of self-appointed "mindguards," members who protect the group from adverse infur- mation that might shatter their shared complacency about the effectiveness and morality of their decisions7 Janis contends that the members of the group involved in the Watergate cover-up during President Richard Nixon's administration and re-election campaign-Nixon himself, H. R. Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, and John Dean-may have been victims of groupthink. Evidence of most of the groupthink symptoms can be found in the unedited transcripts of the group's deliberations.38 Decision-Making Defects and Decision Quality When groupthink dominates group deliberations, the likelihood that decision-making defects will occur increases. The group is less likely to survey a fil range of alternatives and may focus on only a few (often one or two). In discussing a preferred alterna- tive, the group may fail to examine it for non-obvious risks and drawbacks. The group may not reet- amine previously rejected alternatives for non-obvious gains or some means of reducing apparent cos even when they receive new information. The group may reject expert opinions that run counter to io own views and may choose to consider only information that supports its preferred solution. The dea sion to launch the space shuttle Challenger in January 1986 may have been a product of groupthink because due to the increased time pressure to make a decision and the leaders' style, negative informa tion was ignored by the group that made the decision. (Unfortunately, this same pattern may well have sider any potential setbacks or countermoves by competing groups and therefore may fail to develop and ignorance." questions unanswered. 0
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