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1391 groupthink happens when premature concurrence seeking behaviour occurs

1392 Janis original conception:

Grpthink occurs when a prevocational situation context exists

i.e. a stressful context leading to anxiety and fear

so grpthink becomes a way to find mutual support

J said this was only possible if the grp was already cohesive

Also, a set of structural conditions contributed to grpthink, incl

closed leadership (a leader pushing his/her solutions)

& lack of methodical decision mkg procedures

1394 THE LITERATURE ON GRPTHINK:

grpthink does happen, but the triggers are unclear, and variable, i.e. not asimple cause-effect model as J said

clearest predictors of grpthnk are closed leadership & lack of methodicaldec-mkg procedures

no finding s to support a link betw grp cohesion and grpthink symptoms the role of stress and anxiety hasnt been researched concurrence seeking behaviour might have more than 1 cause Hart 1991 > type 1: pessimistic symptoms, e.g. avoidance Type 2: optimistic symptoms, e.g. over confidence Whyte 1998: over confidence and high self-efficacy cancel out stress SO

provocative situational context of Js model not relevant

McCauley 1998: grpthink caused by norms focussed on the preservation ofharmony rather than preservation of critical thinking SO grpthnk not caused

by cohesive grps wanting certainty (as J had said)

1396 Stress and anxiety can have a neg effect on decision mkg:

1. Information processing is poorer2. May lead to excessive risk-taking3. Grp becomes more focussed on reducing anxiety than on solving problem at

hand

1398 In Js model, anxiety reduction is evident in the symptoms of:

Rationalisation Censorship Pressure on dissenters Mind guarding

(cf. Teale et al. symptoms 4, 6, 7, 8)

SO premature concurrence seeking happens when grpthink is motivated by need to

reduce anxiety

1399 link betw concurrence seeking and symptoms of grpthnk possible behaviours table- check for these in case study

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1400 presence of anxiety by itself is enough to trigger grpthink grp does not need to be cohesive

This anxiety is not mitigated by other possible structural factors of open leadership &

methodical decision mkg procedures

SO anxiety contributes to bounded rationality of decision makers

1401-02 solutions?

A greater awareness of emotions (i.e. anxiety) (p1401) Better group leadership (open style) & methodical dec-mkg (p1402)

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