University Assignment: Group Dynamics, Groupthink, Abilene Paradox

This assignment delves into the psychological concepts of group dynamics, focusing on two key phenomena: groupthink and the Abilene Paradox. The paper defines groupthink as a psychological phenomenon where individuals within a group prioritize conformity and harmony over critical thinking, often leading to suboptimal or irrational decisions. It explores the causes, symptoms, and potential remedies for groupthink, such as incorporating diverse personalities and encouraging debates. The assignment also examines the Abilene Paradox, where a group collectively agrees to a course of action that no individual actually desires, due to miscommunication and a fear of dissent. The paper outlines the characteristics of the Abilene Paradox, including poor communication and lack of individual commitment, and proposes strategies to overcome it, such as fostering an environment of open communication and encouraging active listening. The analysis draws on various academic sources to support its arguments, providing a comprehensive understanding of these critical aspects of group behavior and their impact on decision-making processes.

Running head: GROUP DYNAMICS
GROUP DYNAMICS
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author Note:

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Table of Contents
Groupthink.................................................................................................................................2
The Abilene Paradox..................................................................................................................2
References..................................................................................................................................4

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Groupthink
The psychological phenomenon of ‘Groupthink’ happens in a group of individuals
when they tend to make decisions that are non-optimal or irrational out of an urge to conform
something or by the fear of standing out with a separate viewpoint (Bell). When the members
are driven by a particular common agenda or they want to maintain the harmony within the
group, they avoid rational thinking and gives priority to the common thought without
considering the ethical concerns.
Groupthink generally happens if any strong influential person succeeds in convincing
a group of members around his or her way of thinking. Furthermore, if the members are too
much inclined to each other, or there is an external pressure on a group, groupthink is a
common phenomenon to happen. The first symptom of groupthink is rationalisation. If the
members incorporate high cohesion amongst themselves around a point and believes their
derivation to be the best in spite of the other people having strong evidences against the fact,
it means the group is surely suffering from groupthink. Groupthink members also suffers
from stereotyping and considers their set of morals to be superior to anybody else.
To combat this issue, the first step is to form a group with different personality traits
(Rajakumar). Incorporating distinct personalities will help in sharing unique ideas and will be
an effective way to combat groupthink by rational thinking procedure. Encouraging debates
is also another way to avoid groupthink in team members. If the people place their own
distinct viewpoints in the debate by maintaining harmony, the group can certainly emerge out
with a rational outcome rather than a biased result.
The Abilene Paradox
According to the definition of Jerry Harvey, ‘The Abilene Paradox’ is the set of
common actions taken by a group of people that results in an outcome desired by none. This

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phenomenon occurs in groups where the individual people lack to understand each other’s
viewpoints and fail to communicate with each other (Turk). This inefficiency in
communication leads to generation of false arguments and thus the people involved take a
decision that is against everybody’s intent.
The group of members suffering from this ‘Abilene Paradox’ tends to incorporate
different viewpoints. Each individual possess a different opinion and thus fail to converge to
a common decision that will produce an effective outcome for the group. Due to the
difference of opinion, the members also lack commitment towards the group and each
individual fails as a team player (Dent). If a group is suffering from this psychological
phenomenon, the members avoid taking responsibility of actions and blame each other for the
overall failure.
If a group suffers from ‘The Abilene Paradox’, the first step to combat it is to create
an environment of harmony where people will that they are a part of the group and not an
outsider. If any individual tends to feel that he or she is an outsider to the group, he or she
will not be able enjoy taking part in the activities. The second step to recover from this
phenomenon is to take logical decisions while agreeing to the common decision of the group.
No individual should differ in their opinion just because they do not feel their value. The
most effective step is to possess a listening attitude towards the opinion of other members and
then provide with a feedback rather than arguing unnecessarily.

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References
Bell, R. Mark. "First Century Groupthink: An Exegetical Case Study." Allied Academies
International Conference. Academy of Organizational Culture, Communications and
Conflict. Proceedings. Vol. 21. No. 1. Jordan Whitney Enterprises, Inc, 2016.
Dent, Eric. "A tribute to the work of Jerry Harvey, an MSR pioneer." Journal of
Management, Spirituality & Religion 14.2 (2017): 103-104.
Rajakumar, Nolan. "Why Empirical Studies of the Groupthink Model have Failed." (2019).
Turk, Jessica Maree. "Inverting the Organisational Structure from Traditional to Employee
First: a Case Study Analysis." Newcastle Business School Student Journal 1.1 (2017):
62-67.