Groupthink in project management

Published 15 Mar 2017

Groupthink refers to a situation whereby all the participants in the project are equipped with the necessary understanding of the progress of the project with a view of developing the best approach to achieve the set objectives. It involves communicating in one language. It therefore requires clear definitions of the objectives of the project. All the members working in the separate units as well as the divisions are harmonized together for the purpose of the solution of the problem at hand. They are therefore capable of solving the blame game whose detriments results to detraction from the search of the solution to the problem the success as well as the frustrations of the individuals in the group are acknowledged.

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The individuals in the group are motivated to make consultations among them in a spirit of sharing the though as well the ideas inherent in each member as a basis of their development as well as implementation. This eliminates the possibility of the members to work in vacuum The members work towards the goal of the elimination of conflict among them whereby a consensus is attained without the requirement for a critical testing the analysis as well as the evaluation of the ideas. The process requires that the members evade the promotion of the viewpoints that are external to the comfort zone with respect to the consensus thinking. Any attempt to fool or anger a particular member of the group is viewed as jeopardy to the good intentions of the entire group (Giddiness, 2006).

Importance of groupthink

The closeness of the group members is instrumental for the elimination of the possibility of breaking the existing cohesions. It is important in a situation that the organization posses structural faults and there is a requirement for the insulation among the members of the group. The organizational leadership should posses the traditional of impartiality. The members of the group should posses homogeneity, a social background as well as ideology. Group thinking is in most of the situations promoted by a situational context that is provocative, exposure to high degrees of stress as well as external threats, exposure to some failures in the recent past, exposure to difficult scenarios in the process of the process of decision making as well as exposure to moral dilemmas (Giddiness, 2006).

Symptoms of groupthink

There is an existing belief that is unquestionable with regard to the morality among the members of the group. This is responsible for a tendency of ignorance of the members of the consequences of the actions of the members. There is also a tendency of stereotyping the opposing members of the group as stupid, weak, evil, impotent as well as disfigured. There is also a tendency to rationalize the warnings which are viewed to pose a challenge to the assumptions of the group. There also exist mind guards in these groups who are responsible from protecting the group from attempts of dissenting information (Vaughan, 2005).
In conclusion the possibility of making hasty decisions that are irrational occurs due to the inherent fear of shaking the balance o the team the values of the group are expedient, right as well as good.
Group thinking therefore involves a type of thinking by a particular group of people regarding a cohesive as well as an in-group issue whose unanimity is highly cherished at the expense of possible alternative action causes.

References

  • Giddiness, Anthony (2006). Essential ideologies. N Y.: Norton & Company press.
  • Vaughan, Diane. (2005). Challenger Decision, Culture, and Deviance. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press.
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