Ch 8: Teams and Networks: Collaboration in the Workplace

Decision-Making Processes

Pg. 245 - 248

Within the section, “Communicative Dimensions of Teamwork” the text covers the “Decision-Making Processes” which provides a good review of “Groupthink.” Groupthink is a serious issue that if left unchecked can lead organization down an erroneous path that moves them further and further away from the mission of their organization. Many times these organizations wind up taking on self-serving issues for the members of the group. The issue in the previously mentioned example arises when an organization initially starts out as a public interest group however their actions gradually change towards self interest. I have observed group think takeover an organization and turn people who at one time were well meaning individuals, into a small group of people who only have their own vision in mind when making decisions. This organization (which shall remain unnamed) has, over the course of time, came up with ideas, veted them amongst themselves and assumed that they were in the public interest. As time has gone on these folks have turned more and more to themselves and for a while even made no effort to reach out to other members of the community for their opinion. Proof of the development of groupthink was evident when an outside group asked the members of this organization for their opinion on a proposal. The members of this “unnamed organization” claimed that the proposal was not welcomed by the community. After the outside group commissioned an independent study. It was found that the community, which the “Unnamed Organization” claimed to represent, was actually in favor the proposed project. After following this unmanned organization I have found that this group engaged in exactly the opposite of what the book calls for in order to avoid falling onto groupthink.