Friday, November 7, 2008
Finally the whole academic blog bullshit is over. My entries from now on will be solely my thoughts and interests for it is no longer graded. Got a pathetic 75 marks for the work done below..Hmmm..On second thought i do not think that is too bad, i mean taking into account my insufficient posts and comments.
Till i write again..
:)
Whirled Through 8:52 PM
The Challenger space shuttle explosion.
This is an example of a situation where group communication failed. It is essential to understand group dynamics for a variety of reasons. Everyone participates in groups throughout the course of a lifetime, and these groups are often very goal-oriented.bSometimes a condition known as Groupthink can occur in groups that are extremely task-oriented and goal-driven. Groupthink is as "a mode of thinking people engage in when cohesiveness is high. Groupthink leads to poor decision making and results in a lack of creativity. Although Groupthink has been studied extensively, many people are unaware of its dynamics and the consequences that they might induce.
Groups can be beneficial when communication between departments is necessary in a business setting or when the consent of many people is required. Individuals can also benefit from group participation. Many people who work in groups are able to learn new skills, take risks, get feedback, and discover personal strengths and weaknesses.
Janis defines Groupthink as a "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 further states that "Groupthink refers to a deterioration of mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment that results from in-group pressures". Groupthink can lead to bad judgments and decisions being made. It serves as a simple way to deal with difficult issues.
The symptoms of Groupthink are clear. The "illusion of invulnerability" happens when a group thinks that they cannot go wrong. Confidence among the members of the group is remarkably high and is reflected in the decisions that they make. A "belief in inherent morality of the group" occurs when the group thinks tremendously of their morality. The group believes that it is doing the right thing in all circumstances. "Collective rationalization" is another symptom of Groupthink. Groups who experience this believe that nothing can be wrong with their plan even if there is significant evidence to prove otherwise. Groups often pay little attention to what outsiders have to say, and this can be detrimental.
"Self-censorship" occurs when group members don't share their ideas with the rest of the group because of fear of being rejected. The "illusion of unanimity" explains that silence can often be interpreted as acceptance. All of these are symptoms of Groupthink.
One way of preventing Groupthink is to make each member of the group a "critical evaluator". Group members will attempt to find problems in group solutions by evaluating them individually.
Leaders who assign tasks to a group must be impartial and must not lead the group to believe that a certain outcome is expected. Group members will not attempt to conform with beliefs of the leadership if they are unsure of what the leader wants. Problems arise because the leader often feels that there is no centralized control within the group.
Every group should include a specific member who has the job of playing "devil's advocate." This person should seriously question much of what the group members say. The "devil's advocate" must be willing to vocally share his ideas with the rest of the group. This strategy will force the group to take a second look at every decision that is made.
Having been a part of many groups myself, I believe that the best way to avoid Groupthink is to have an understanding and awareness of it. Groups that constantly question decisions are likely to never encounter Groupthink. Groupthink problems can be recognized by identifying a set of characteristics including an illusion of invulnerability, self censorship, and others.
Janis recommends many strategies for avoiding Groupthink. Groups can assign the role of critical evaluator to each member, divide into subgroups, invite experts to sit in on meetings, and so on. Groupthink is a problem that can have destructive consequences. If group members are aware of Groupthink and are constantly checking for it the damaging effects of this condition can be avoided.
Groupthink! Have you experienced it?
:)
Whirled Through 8:24 PM