Groupthink is a poor behavior that is characterized by the creation of poor decisions. The term “group think” refers to the act of thinking as well as making decisions in a group. The act results in the development of an unchallenged and low-quality decision (Janis, 1973). There are several ways through which groupthink can contribute to the indulgence and perpetration of unethical decisions. First, unethical decisions can be created during a groupthink through self-sensorship (Mihal & Timmons, 1991).
Self-censorship is an attribute developed by a decision maker who is part of a group whereby he/she classifies his/her own discourse out of fear of being prejudiced by others. In such cases, a groupthink decision maker can make a decision that is not entirely favorable in terms of its rationality and ethicality, so as to attain social acceptance from the rest of his/her group members. The second way group members can make an unethical decision is through adopting an illusion of unanimity (Mihal & Timmons, 1991). Unanimity in groupthink occurs when the majority of the group members exert pressure on fellow members who express doubts about a decision that is largely favorable to most members of the group.
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Ultimately, there are three strategies that are outlined by Lewis and Gilman’s (2012) publication, which can be employed by an individual to avoid as well as overcome groupthink. The strategies include creating ethical decisions that are grounded on good virtues and right moral character and considering the duty as well as principles that underlie even action during the decision-making process (Lewis & Gilman, 2012). The last strategy is analyzing the consequences of every action as well as the results of every activity or decision adopted during a decision-making process (Lewis & Gilman, 2012).
References
Janis, I. L. (1973). Groupthink and group dynamics: A social psychological analysis of defective policy decisions. Policy Studies Journal, 2(1), 19–25.
Lewis, C. W., & Gilman, S. C. (2012). The Ethics Challenge in Public Service: A Problem-Solving Guide. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Mihal, M. (Producer), & Timmons, K. (Writer/Director). (1991). Groupthink [Video]. The United States.
