...What is Groupthink? Groupthink occurs when a decision is swayed within a group based on bias or opinions of particular entity or subset. Many decisions in an organization are made not by an individual, but rather by groups of individuals (Sauter, 2010). The goal of groups is to help make decisions within a company based on research, discussions and brainstorming various ideas to come up with the ideal solution based on reasoning. When groupthink occurs, members ignore limitations or impropriety of their analyses as well as possible consequences of their choice process (Sauter, 2010). Decisions become swayed towards the bias despite personal knowledge or feelings and in many cases simply because of an underlying friendship. Hoggs and Haines (1998) wrote that “research has failed to clarify the causal role of group cohesiveness in groupthink because of a failure to distinguish cohesiveness from friendship”. An example of this occurred recently in a decision support group. The group is made up of various department heads and some of their supervisors. The topic of what departments charge activity should be listed on the weekly flash reports was brought up by the billing director. She noticed that the report was missing a few departments and wanted to get the group to agree that the missing departments needed to be included. The billing supervisor even agreed and was very disappointed that three departments were not included on the report for the past year. As everyone looked...
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...Managing the Work of Teams and Individuals Thomas Wingham 8th December 2011 Contents * Introduction * Groupthink * Causes * Remedies * General Group Problem Solving (GGPS) Model * Risky Shift Phenomenon * Causes * Remedies * Conclusion * Recommendations * Reference List * Appendices Introduction In this report there will be an evaluation of Groupthink. Janis eight causes of Groupthink and what the remedies are. Aldag and Fuller’s model of groupthink and how it is different from Janis’s model. There will also be an evaluation of Risky Shift Phenomenon, this will include the causes and the remedies of Risky Shift Phenomenon. Groupthink Irving Janis says Groupthink occurs when “a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of “mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment”” (Janis, pg 9.) Groupthink - Causes According to Janis there are eight causes of Groupthink. Illusion of invulnerability; creates too much confidence that encourages extreme risks. Collective rationalization; members warned about something but do not take any notice. Belief in inherent morality; members believe in their goal and ignore all moral consequences. Stereotyped views of out-groups; negative views of enemy make effective responses to conflict seem unnecessary. Direct pressure on dissenters; members cannot argue with group views without being under pressure. Self-censorship; deviations...
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...Groupthink in a Family Trust This is a concept application paper of the term groupthink as applied to the decision making process of a family trust. The paper is broken into to three major parts. First section of the paper is to explain the concept of groupthink, what it is defined to be. The second part of the paper is an analysis of my personal experience with groupthink within a family trust. The third part of the paper proposes a remedy other than argument and debate which would act as a “group antihistamine” against this phenomenon called groupthink. Defining Groupthink Groupthink as defined by Irving Janis in his book entitled Victims of Groupthink, in it is stated to be “the tendency of a group to conform to ideas simply because the general sense of the group has moved in a particular direction and members of the group feel committed to continue in the same unchallenged line of thought.” Consequently it is the practice of thinking and making decisions in a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibility. Groupthink is an occurrence where by a group comes to a unanimous decision about a possible action despite the existence of facts that points to another more fruitful corrective course of action. In groupthink the members of the group place emphasis on everyone agreeing therefore there is a threat when a member is not in consensus. Unfortunately it results in more optimum solutions not being fully considered because of intimidation tactics...
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...Groupthink can lead to people making rather irrational decisions due to the belief that a group cannot be wrong (Janis, 1972). History has shown that some decisions made through groupthink have ended up being tragic. 12manage (2009) points out that some of the symptoms of groupthink are illusion of invulnerability, belief in inherent morality of the group, collective rationalization, out-group stereotypes, self-censorship, illusion of unanimity, direct pressure on dissenters, and self appointed mind-guards. This symptoms can be solved through appointing a devil’s advocate; encouraging everyone in the group to be a critical assessor; avoiding stating one’s stance initially as the group leader; setting up independent factions; dividing the group...
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...Groupthink although it may not seem like a very serious problem definitely can be. Groupthink is when you and the members of your group are all a bit too like minded which can cause individuality and creativity to be discouraged. With individuality and creativity is where you can get original and successful content but take that away with everyone in the group to just conforming to what everyone else thinks can be disastrous. In many groups I’ve come to be in I notice groupthink. It’s a strange thing usually there's one person who specifically takes charge and the rest of the group just tends to nod in agreement the whole time. Even if the person has very little knowledge about what they are talking about, they are the most outspoken of the...
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...Throughout history, we have seen how groupthink has effected the actions of many. Groupthink occurs when a decision is made by a group of people because they are pressured into believing that something is morally correct. Groupthink causes many to believe there are no alternative solutions in certain situation causing them to act in a certain way. It is most effective when a group has little or no outside influences on it and when the members of the group have similar backgrounds. Groupthink has a great number of symptoms, this include symptoms such as illusion of invulnerability, collective rationalization, belief in inherent morality, stereotyped views of out-groups, first pressure on dissenters, self-censorship and illusion of unanimity...
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...Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Details: Date of Submission: The Theme of Groupthink in “The Sisterhood of the Night” and “The Lottery” In “The Sisterhood of the Night” by Steven Millhauser and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, groupthink is a central theme that authors used to explain their main idea. Groupthink is a phenomenon in psychology occurring to individuals where their desire for conformity within their group results in a deviant outcome. This means that the members consider minimizing their conflict while trying to reach a consensus decision without evaluating the alternatives critically. “The Sisterhood of the Night” and “The Lottery” presents this concept in details with relevant examples trying to depict the use of the theme. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is a fiction story explaining the idea of the modern community in arbitrarily stoning one of their own for the purpose of satisfying a ritual. Their idea, in real situation, is unbelievable. From the setting, “The Lottery” is in unidentified American town having some annual tradition. Every year, residents of the town play a lottery that happens in the main square. The residents of the place have no memory of the exact procedure followed or the origin of the process (The Dangers in Human Group Animal Instinct). Likewise, they do not bother replacing the decaying black box used for many years containing the lottery tickets. They are too lazy to enquire on the situation but rather...
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...Case Study Letterman or Leno: A Groupthink Analysis of Successive Decisions Made by NBC By analyzing two consecutive decisions made by the same group of executives at National Broadcasting Company (NBC) Neck (1996) explored the role leadership played in enhancing groupthink in the first case and mitigating it in the second. When Johnny Carson, the 30-year host of The Tonight Show (NBC’s flagship late-night television show), retired, the NBC executive group was faced with two decisions. Who would take over from Carson: Jay Leno or David Letterman? The second decision involved determining what to do with the late night star that didn’t take over the show. In the first decision, all the antecedents of Janis’ groupthink model were present. The decision-making group, led by Bob Wright (President of NBC), was cohesive, insulated from outside opinion, homogeneous and under stress to make the right decision. Wright’s view was that Leno would be a better host and he actively voiced his opinion at the outset, “…NBC had established over 30 years an audience that expected certain things, and Jay Leno looked like the perfect successor to that, while David Letterman remained the ideal performer for the 12:30 show.” No one in the group challenged the leader’s view and NBC chose Leno over Letterman. This decision proved disastrous for NBC as Letterman accepted a contract with CBS for his Late Show and competed head to head with Leno’s show and won the competition in both ratings and advertising...
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...The Groupthink Theory “Researchers have studied the influence of group pressure on individual members” (Byars and Rue, 2007, 238). As defined by Byars and Rue “when group members lose their ability to think as individuals and conform at the expense of their good judgment, groupthink occurs. Members become unwilling to say anything against the group or any member, even if an action is wrong” (Byars and Rue, 2007, 238). “Keeping a group together under any circumstance is a goal in itself. Groups with this goal believe that the group is indestructible and always right. Group members justify any action, stereotype outsiders as enemies of the group, and pressure unwilling members to conform (Byars and Rue, 2007, 238). In 1972, Irving L. Janis presented a set of hypothesis that he extracted from observing small groups performing problem-solving tasks; he collectively referred to these hypotheses as groupthink (Janis, 1972). He defined groupthink as “a quick and easy way to refer to a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members’ strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action” (Janis, 1982, 9). Groups are usually successful because group members bring varied ideas, collective knowledge, and they tend to be focused while working together. Groups can be advantageous to both individuals and businesses. They are valuable to individuals because they are able...
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...relationship between groupthink and unethical behaviour among group members. The first part of this essay will define unethical behaviour and the phenomenon of “groupthink”. It will describe how groupthink arises from extreme elevated negative group cohesion. It will outline the behaviour of groupthink dynamics (such as self-importance, over commitment, and excessive devotion to the group) and how groupthink dynamics contributes to unethical behaviour. Next, the essay will identify how groupthink has contributed to the unethical behaviour in the highest levels of decision making. The second part of this essay will identify the role and definition of the devil’s advocate, and how the devil advocate promotes positive communication. Finally, the essay will discuss the importance and the effectiveness of utilizing the devil’s advocate within group decisions for changing unethical behaviour within groupthink. Belonging to a group can promote negative cohesion as it promotes the probabilities of low quality decision making resulting in unethical behaviour among group members. The Oxford University Press (2015) defines unethical behaviour as “lacking moral principles; unwilling to adhere to proper rules of conduct”. Decision making in groups can be hindered by elevated cohesiveness and conformity resulting in the phenomenon called “Groupthink” it can transpire in the highest levels of decision making to the basic levels of social association (McCauley, 1989). Groupthink is the effects...
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...Management at Work The Verdict on Groupthink In the 1957 movie Twelve Angry Men, Henry Fonda plays a mild-mannered architect who’s been selected to serve on a jury with 11 other white, middle-class, middle-aged men. Within the confines of the claustrophobic jury room, attitudes and preconceptions gradually begin to harden and the group’s decision seems increasingly like a foregone conclusion—guilty in a case of capital murder. Fonda, however, has his doubts and starts to suggest alternative interpretations of the case until, by movie’s end, he has steered the group to a more cogently considered decision. “My favorite part of a trial,” reports one Texas attorney, “is when the judge . . . tells the jurors that deliberations should involve discussions, the questioning of their beliefs, and a willingness to change their minds. I really want jurors to do that,” he says, but “I don’t think they do.” Like many lawyers, he doubts very seriously if the kind of deliberative decision making extolled in Twelve Angry Men goes on in many real jury rooms. David A. Mitchell and Daniel Eckstein, authors of “Jury Dynamics and Decision-Making: A Prescription for Groupthink,” aren’t so sure either. They characterize a jury as “a unique variety of an autonomous work group” -- “one in which group members are chosen, essentially at random, perform a function of great importance for which they generally have no direct training.” It’s a prescription, they suggest, for “group dynamics that are...
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...Abstract Groupthink can have has its positives and its negatives depending on who you ask and the mindset of the people working together. Groupthink happens most often when the group is already cohesive, is isolated from conflicting opinions and where the leader is open and directive. Groupthink is what takes place when group work happens. Groupthink happens most often when the group is already unified, is isolated from disagreeing sentiments and where the leader is open and directive. External opinions should be taken seriously or even having external people included in meetings. The group should be split into subgroups for reporting back and discussion. Individuals should be privately polled for personal opinions. “Antecedent factors such group cohesiveness, structural faults, and situational context play into the likelihood of whether or not groupthink will impact the decision-making process.”(Wikipedia) [1] According to Irving Janis, a research psychologist from Yale University performed the majority of the initial research on groupthink. His original definition of the term was, “A mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members' strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action” (Janis, 1972). [2] Some say Groupthink will not always work out for the best results because this eliminates personal creativity and ones own thinking. On the other hand some...
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...I chose to write about the sorority I am in and how groupthink occurs within our chapter. In any friend group, organization, or fraternity/sorority, I believe that groupthink does happen and it can either be bad or good. In my case, inside of our chapter there are many clicks and someone that is the main group leader can lead the group to think negative thoughts about a situation. The chapter as a whole, the executive board are who make the main decisions. So we go along with what they say and if anyone has anything to object they do. However, that usually never happens and the one person who would voice their opinion would be the minority influence. Whenever the executive board in way pressures us to make a decision, we automatically go with...
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...will look into the term “Groupthink” and how it correlates with Charles Manson and The Manson Family cult. Groupthink, as defined by social psychologist Irving Janis is, “a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members striving for unanimity override their motivation to realistic appraise alternative courses of action…Groupthink refers to a deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgement that results from in-group pressures” (Johnson & Weaver, 1992). Groups, such as the “The Manson Family”, tend to ignore alternatives and take unreasonable actions that degrade other groups. Manson and his followers, who have similar background’s, tend to be more vulnerable to groupthink especially when the group is protected from outside beliefs, and when there are no rules for decision making. Charles Manson and several of his followers were sentence to prison is 1969 for murder of eight people (Review In Brief, 1977). Manson was the leader of a group that some label as The Manson Family. He was said to have many followers in his group, some suggest close to one-hundred at one point who resided and often traveled together. Manson was the leader of what...
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...with all of your teammates you will eventually have to work in groups. This is where the term ‘groupthink’ comes into play. Group think is thinking as a group trying not to force your own individual opinions, biases, and creativity for sakes of the group. A mentality that says the group is more important than my individual self. The research conducted over this topic will give us a better understanding of groupthink and group decision making. This research will also argue and support if groupthink is said to be positive or negative according to many scholars. According to Richard West and Lynn H. Turner in their book called ‘Introducing Communication Theory Analysis and Application’ the definition of groupthink can be defined as: “… a way of deliberating that group members use when their desire for unanimity overrides their motivation to assess all available plans of action” (West & Turner, 2014, pp. 252). Irving Janis the man who coined the term groupthink and has done extensive research over the subject gives a bit of different but similar definition, which is defined as: “a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members’ striving for unanimity override their motivation realistically appraise alternative courses of action” (Harter, 2012, pp. 269). Most companies and organizations are heavily involved with groupthink when it comes to making critical decisions. The decisions are always made on behalf of the group’s...
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