Groupthink is a form of psychic prison (Morgan, 2006).

Groupthink is a form of psychic prison (Morgan, 2006).

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Groupthink is a form of psychic prison (Morgan, 2006). “Groupthink is a process of rationalization that sets in when members of a team or group begin to think alike. It can be fostered by an organization’s culture or managers who do not tolerate dissent” (Sims & Sauser, 2013, p.79). I have experienced groupthink in the workplace.

Several years ago I worked for a firm that designed and manufactured conveyor systems. Company employees began a challenging project involving the integration of two systems. The first system was a conveyor system that internal personnel had worked with for years. The second system was a complex set of robotics that the internal personnel had never encountered before.

The management team was a cohesive group. Based on past experiences, the conventional thinking was that internal personnel were capable of learning any new system and completing the project on time and within budget. This conventional thinking was not questioned by members of the management team even though no one really understood the complexity involved with the robotics system. The project was completed over budget and after the scheduled completion date.

In hindsight, the firm may have been more successful if the management team had admitted that internal personnel were deficient in understanding the complex robotics technology. The management team could have hired external consultants that were familiar with the robotics technology. The external consultants could have provided insight to those that created the time line and the budget. The consultants could have also provided training to the internal staff which would allow the staff to quickly learn about the robotics technology.

The concept of groupthink, a form of psychic prison, can be useful in understanding the behavior of the management team. The management team was overly optimistic and overestimated the firm’s abilities (Sims & Sauser, 2013). Even if an individual manager had doubts, he did not voice a dissenting opinion and silence can be misinterpreted as consent (Sims & Sauser, 2013). Bad decisions can result when there is pressure to conform and “individual members suspend their own critical judgment and right to question” (Sims & Sauser, 2013, p.75). When warning signals arise, they are collectively ignored (Bénabou, 2012).

An improvement to the work environment would be to foster open communication where the culture is tolerant of healthy debate. When a complex issue arises it is important to get all of the facts, even when some of the facts may be unfavorable.

References:

Bénabou, R. (2012). Groupthink: Collective delusions in organizations and markets. The Review of Economic Studies, 80(2), 429-462. doi:10.1093/restud/rds030

Morgan, G. (2006). Images of organization. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Sims, R. R., & Sauser, W. I. (2013). Toward a better understanding of the relationships among received wisdom, groupthink, and organizational ethical culture. Journal of Management Policy and Practice, 14(4), 75-90.

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