(This case is hypothetical)

There was a group of 16 people who were known as Heaven’s group. This group used to produce Crocin tablets, which is a pain reliever. This was a very well known drug of the Heaven’s group. The sale of Crocin was approximately 500 tablets a day.

Once there were 12 deaths in Madras. It was proved that these deaths were caused due to Cyanide present in the drug, which the people consumed. The government told the Heaven’s group to recall Crocin from all the parts of the city, but the group tried to prove the government wrong by denying it, because if they would have agreed to it then they would incur a loss of 100 Crore rupees. They would also be answerable to the shareholders. This would totally destroy the company’s reputation.

The tablets were tested and it was proved that there was Cyanide present in the Crocin tablets. The group was arrested and a case was filed against them. The company had to close down.

Before the group denied it, they had a meeting in which arose a problem of Groupthink. As the chairman of the Company was scared for the losses they would have had to incur, the loss of Public confidence, etc. he took the decision to deny their fault. The group members knew that this was a wrong decision and many of them did not agree to it, but as they thought that everyone was agreeing to the decision, they did not oppose the decision.

GROUP THINK:

We don’t really understand any group, yet alone the actions of the group commit suicide. But if we assume that Heaven’s Group was a group like any other, then we can speculate about the factors that may have led it to make such a wrong decision.

When people want to make important decisions they form a group. Groups can draw on more resources than an individual. Groups can also generate more ideas and possible solutions by discussing the problem. Groups can also pressure individual members to accept the solution, even if they have doubts. People generally feel that a group’s decision will be superior to an individual’s decision.

Groups however, don’t always make right decisions. Juries sometimes render verdicts that run counter to the evidence presented. Community groups take radical stances on issues before thinking through all the ramifications. Groups can stumble but groups that make wrong decisions require special explanation. One such explanation is Groupthink. A distorted style of thinking that renders group members incapable of making a rational decision. Groups think is considered a disease that infects healthy groups, rendering them inefficient, unproductive and irrational.

Q) Did Heaven’s group suffer from Groupthink?

1. Cohesiveness: Groupthink only occurs in cohesive groups. Such groups have many advantages over groups that lack unity. People enjoy their membership much more in cohesive groups, they are less likely to abandon the group, and they work harder in the pursuit of the group’s goals. But extreme cohesiveness can be dangerous. When cohesiveness intensifies, members become more likely to accept the goals, decisions and norms of the group without reservation.

Conformity pressures also arise as members become reluctant to say or do anything that goes against the grain of the group, and the number of internal disagreements so necessary for good decision making decreases.

2. Isolation: Group thinks groups work in secret. They avoid leaks by maintaining strict confidentiality and working only with people who are members of the group.
3. Biased Leadership: A biased leader who exerts too much authority over the group members can increase conformity pressures and railroads decisions. In group think groups, the leader determines the agenda for each meeting, sets limit on discussion, and can even decide who will be heard.
4. Decisional Stress: Groupthink becomes more likely when particularly time pressures stress the group. When groups are stressed, they minimize their discomforts by quickly choosing a plan of action, with little arguments. Through collective decisions, the group members can rationalize their choice by exaggerating the positive consequences, minimizing the possibility of negative outcomes, concentrating on minor details and overlooking major issues.
5. Over Estimation of the Group: Groups that have fallen into the trap of groupthink are actually planning fiascoes and making all wrong decisions. Yet the members usually assume that everything is working perfectly. They are happy and confident.
6. Biased Perceptions: During groupthink, members respond to people who oppose their plan with suspicion. They often adopt ideas that are completely inconsistent with reality, and yet they rationalize their beliefs.
7. Defective Decision making Strategies: Groups usually make decisions by sharing information, weighing alternatives, discussing costs and benefits and seeking new information. When a group experiences group think, it locks into a plan of action and does not waive from it. It no longer uses effective decision making strategies.

Conclusion: