![]() Unquestioned belief in the group’s inherent morality.Unwillingness to reconsider assumptions.Collective efforts to rationalize the group’s course of action.Symptoms of a group at risk of groupthink, according to Sims, are: Rather, it’s the result of a tight-knit, insulated group with a strong leader, potentially in a stressful situation with little hope for finding a satisfactory solution other than the one presented to them, or the one favored by the group. What leads to a dangerous level of groupthink, however, isn’t an inherent weakness, or a collection of morally-lacking agents ready and waiting to conspire. We’d all like to believe that our groups and our communities are impervious to the effects of groupthink. Especially in today’s world, where a few private businesses hold an inordinate amount of power, the ability of a few select groups of people to maintain a clear ethical direction has never been more important. More mundane, but no less important, is the effect groupthink has on businesses and corporations every day. Sims quotes Irving Janis, who developed the theory of groupthink:Īll these groupthink dominated groups were characterized by strong pressures toward uniformity, which inclined their members to avoid raising controversial issues, questioning weak arguments, or calling a halt to soft-headed thinking. Today, the ability of a few select groups of people to maintain a clear ethical direction has never been more important. Sims cites famous historical blunders attributed to the toxic effects of pressured group decision making, including Neville Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement of Hitler President Truman’s advisors’ support of escalating war in North Korea, despite warnings from China about their inevitable strong reaction President Kennedy’s inner circle’s support of the infamous Bay of Pigs invasion, despite its slim chance of success and President Johnson’s advisors’ advocating the decision to head into Vietnam, despite intelligence reports advising that it was unlikely to defeat the Vietcong. In the Journal of Business Ethics, author Ronald Sims examines the extent of damage that groupthink can create, and more importantly, how to identify it and stem it in our own circles. It’s a not uncommon phenomenon sometimes referred to as “groupthink.” When the social pressure to maintain harmony becomes greater than the individual’s dedication to the task the group is pursuing, that can ultimately cost the group dearly. It’s one of the primary objectives of every community-but there can always be too much of a good thing.
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