| The Abilene Paradox and groupthink are two closely related group decision making phenomena. The Abilene Paradox, proposed by Jerry Harvey in a 1974 article, occurs when members of a group believe that they are agreeing with what the other group members want, but the group ends up with a decision that none of them wants. The article at this link explains how easily the Abilene Paradox occurs, as well as how to avoid it. Revisiting the Abilene Paradox: Is Management of Agreement still an Issue? Groupthink, a term coined by Irving Janis in 1972, describes a situation in which a group’s desire for conformity causes members to fail to evaluate the full range of alternatives, resulting in a dysfunctional decision-making outcome. This most easily occurs in very cohesive or isolated groups, or groups that feel under threat. Twelve Angry Men (1957) is a powerful portrayal of groupthink in film. Two famous examples of groupthink in history include: The presidential advisory group to President Kennedy that made a decision to invade Cuba in 1961, with potentially disastrous consequences (the Bay of Pigs invasion). The Challenger disaster, in which NASA officials disregarded an engineer’s concerns and decided to launch the space shuttle, leading to the death of all seven crew members. In Discussion Forum 6, post your response to the following discussion question. Reply to at least two classmates’ responses by the date indicated in the Course Calendar. Have you ever experienced groupthink or the Abilene Paradox? If so, please describe the situation including what you think was the cause of the problem. What could have been done to guard against the poor decision outcome? If you have not experienced these phenomena personally, do research to find and analyze a good example of groupthink or the Abilene Paradox (not one of those mentioned above). Discuss the cause of the groupthink and its consequences PLEASE USE THIS LINK: http://kathryndeiss.pbworks.com/f/Revisiting+the+Abilene+Paradox.pdf |
