Question

First look up Group Think 5 on youtube then answer questions below:

Group think is the pressure and resulting conformity that is often created within a group setting, particularly when it appears there is an overwhelming consensus in the group. Watch the video about group think. Try to ignore the highly dramatized nature of the clip and focus on the effects of group think, whether in the example of Charles Manson and his followers, or in the Asch conformity experiment.

Discussion questions:

1. What’s a common example of group think? What types of cognitive and perceptual errors occur in this example?

2. In your opinion, why is it that group think can be so powerful?

3. What are some tactics you can use to avoid group think?

Answer 1

• 3.Groupthink occurs when the pressure to conform within a group interferes with that group's analysis of a problem and causes poor group decision making. Individual creativity, uniqueness, and independent thinking are lost in the pursuit of group cohesiveness, as are the advantages that can sometimes be obtained by making a decision as a group—bringing different sources of ideas, knowledge, and experience together to solve a problem.
• There are several things businesspeople can do to avoid groupthink: follow good meeting procedures, including the development of an agenda; aim for proper and balanced staff work; present competing views; and attend to correlative meeting problems, like exhaustion.
• A template for discussion might also be useful. One suggestion is to use an "options memo technique" in which information is presented as a problem statement, a list of options, and a preliminary recommendation.
• The group then looks at the preliminary recommendation with at least four questions in mind: 1) is the logic correct? (in selecting the preliminary recommendation from among the options); 2) is the judgment correct? (the logic may be fine, but the judgment may be poor); 3) are there any problems or errors remaining in the preliminary recommendation?; and 4) can the preliminary recommendation be improved?
• In order to prevent group isolation, it may be helpful to bring in new participants on a regular basis, use outside experts, and invite the group to meet off-site so that changes in settings and surroundings are a stimulant.
• To avoid groupthink, it is vital for the group leader to become a statesperson or conductor instead of a partisan virtuoso. Leadership almost always involves getting work done through others.
• High-quality decisions are not made through intimidation, whether intentional or unintentional. Some bosses have no idea why people do not speak up, while the reason they do not is because they are likely to be attacked.
• Bosses encourage the best performance from groups when they can alert them to the kind of review that is expected. If the leader can be clear, and temperate, there is a great likelihood that norms of disagreement will develop.
• Each member should discuss the group’s ideas with trusted people outside of the group.
• The group should invite outside experts into meetings. Group members should be allowed to discuss with and question the outside experts.
• At least one group member should be assigned the role of devil’s advocate. This should be a different person for each meeting.
• Due to time limit,remaining questions can be asked as another question,they will be answered,thankyou for your cooperation