group·think [ groop thìngk ]
noun
Definition: unquestioning conformity: conformity in thought and behavior among the members of a group, especially an unthinking acceptance of majority opinions
Groupthink is a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas. Individual creativity, uniqueness, and independent thinking are lost in the pursuit of group cohesiveness, as are the advantages of reasonable balance in choice and thought that might normally be obtained by making decisions as a group.[1] During groupthink, members of the group avoid promoting viewpoints outside the comfort zone of consensus thinking. A variety of motives for this may exist such as a desire to avoid being seen as foolish, or a desire to avoid embarrassing or angering other members of the group. Groupthink may cause groups to make hasty, irrational decisions, where individual doubts are set aside, for fear of upsetting the group’s balance. The term is frequently used pejoratively, with hindsight.
Symptoms of groupthink
To make groupthink testable, Irving Janis devised eight symptoms indicative of groupthink (1977).
1.Illusions of invulnerability creating excessive optimism and encouraging risk taking.
2.Rationalizing warnings that might challenge the group's assumptions.
3.Unquestioned belief in the morality of the group, causing members to ignore the consequences of their actions.
4.Stereotyping those who are opposed to the group as weak, evil, biased, spiteful, disfigured, impotent, or stupid.
5.Direct pressure to conform placed on any member who questions the group, couched in terms of "disloyalty".
6.Self censorship of ideas that deviate from the apparent group consensus.
7.Illusions of unanimity among group members, silence is viewed as agreement.
8.Mind guards — self-appointed members who shield the group from dissenting information.
Groupthink, resulting from the symptoms listed above, results in defective decision making. That is, consensus-driven decisions are the result of the following practices of groupthinking[5]
1.Incomplete survey of alternatives
2.Incomplete survey of objectives
3.Failure to examine risks of preferred choice
4.Failure to reevaluate previously rejected alternatives
5.Poor information search
6.Selection bias in collecting information
7.Failure to work out contingency plans.
From CRM Learning: Preview their Groupthink Video based on the NASA's disasterous Challenger Mission. http://www.crmlearning.com/groupthink-2nd-edition
Click the following passage from http://pirate.shu.edu/~mckenndo/pdfs/The%20Space%20Shuttle%20Challenger%20Disaster.pdf to view the resulting research paper on Groupthink.
The Space Shuttle Challenger, with school teacher Christa McAuliffe aboard, exploded in flames on live television on January 28, 1986. Because of the intense public interest in the explosion and the fiery death of the astronauts, the Challenger case has been fully publicized.
The direct cause of the Challenger explosion was technical - faulty O-rings. But the Challenger also presented a case study in organizational communication and ethics, including the ethics of organizational structure and culture as it promotes or discourages necessary communication, the ethics of whistle blowing, and an excellent study of group think.
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