1. Groupthink
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Reading (45 seconds)
Groupthink
One process by which groups may make bad or irrational decisions is known as groupthink. Individual members of a group attempt to conform their opinions to what they believe to be the group consensus even though the result may be negative. There are many reasons why groupthink happens. These include the desire to be liked, fear of losing a job, or even not wanting to be the one employee delaying a decision that seems inevitable. These kinds of implicit pressures to conform lead group members to ultimately make decisions that each, by himself or herself, might normally not make.
Listening
Preparation time: 30 seconds
speaking time: 1 minute
Texts
So, let me tell you about my own experience with this when I was working for a computer company a couple of years ago.
So, one day a coworker and I suggested we should give our computers a design makeover. Make them look more up-to-date. Market researches were showing that new customers said they would be more interested in buying our computers if they looked cooler. Our technology was advanced but the outside design looked really old-fashioned.
At first, more than half of the group supported us. There were a few senior managers there though who didn’t support the design change. One of the senior managers said, “Our focus has always been on technology. Changing the look is an unnecessary cost.” Almost immediately, some of our supporters changed their minds. Even my coworker changed his mind. When I asked him why after the meeting, he told me he didn’t want to make a bad impression on the senior managers. He thought that disagreeing with them might jeopardize his chances of getting a promotion by not looking like a team player.
What about me? I hate to admit it, but after a few hours of discussion I started wondering if it was worth everyone’s time to argue about this. As more people sided with the senior management, I started to feel like I was the only one holding up the vote. Everyone else seemed to think change wasn’t necessary so I voted against my own idea in the end. So we unanimously decided to stay with the current old looking design. But this decision ended up costing us a lot of money. That same year, our competitor came out with a new design that attracted some of our customers and prevented us from profiting on potential new customers.
Explanation
Summery of the reading passage
The title of the reading: Groupthink
The definition of groupthink – One process by which groups may make bad or irrational decisions is known as groupthink.
(A summary of the lecture)
The professor was working for a computer company a couple of years ago.
The professor and a coworker suggested their computers needed a design makeover because new customers would be more interested in buying their computers if the computers looked cooler.
At first, many members of the group supported the idea but one of the senior managers opposed, saying that changing the look cost the company unnecessarily.
Then, the supporters started to change their minds because they did not want to give a bad impression to the senior manager.
Finally, the professor voted against his own idea.
But this decision turned out to be a bad one because that same year, a competitor of the company that the professor worked at came out with a new design that attracted some of the customers from the professor’s company.
(Sample answer)
The reading passage discusses the phenomenon of groupthink, wherein groups collectively brainstorm or share ideas, sometimes leading to poor or irrational decisions.
In the accompanying lecture, a professor illustrates this concept with a personal anecdote from his time working for a computer company. The professor and a coworker proposed a new design for their computers, believing it would attract more customers. Initially, many group members supported the idea. However, a senior manager voiced opposition, citing unnecessary costs. Subsequently, the supporters began to reconsider their stance to avoid discord with the senior manager. Unfortunately, this decision proved detrimental as a competitor introduced a new design that year, enticing customers away from the professor’s company.
This example highlights how group dynamics, particularly the desire for consensus and conformity, can lead to suboptimal outcomes.
Groupthink
One process by which groups may make bad or irrational decisions is known as groupthink. Individual members of a group attempt to conform their opinions to what they believe to be the group consensus even though the result may be negative. There are many reasons why groupthink happens. These include the desire to be liked, fear of losing a job, or even not wanting to be the one employee delaying a decision that seems inevitable. These kinds of implicit pressures to conform lead group members to ultimately make decisions that each, by himself or herself, might normally not make.
Listening
Preparation time: 30 seconds
speaking time: 1 minute
Texts
So, let me tell you about my own experience with this when I was working for a computer company a couple of years ago.
So, one day a coworker and I suggested we should give our computers a design makeover. Make them look more up-to-date. Market researches were showing that new customers said they would be more interested in buying our computers if they looked cooler. Our technology was advanced but the outside design looked really old-fashioned.
At first, more than half of the group supported us. There were a few senior managers there though who didn’t support the design change. One of the senior managers said, “Our focus has always been on technology. Changing the look is an unnecessary cost.” Almost immediately, some of our supporters changed their minds. Even my coworker changed his mind. When I asked him why after the meeting, he told me he didn’t want to make a bad impression on the senior managers. He thought that disagreeing with them might jeopardize his chances of getting a promotion by not looking like a team player.
What about me? I hate to admit it, but after a few hours of discussion I started wondering if it was worth everyone’s time to argue about this. As more people sided with the senior management, I started to feel like I was the only one holding up the vote. Everyone else seemed to think change wasn’t necessary so I voted against my own idea in the end. So we unanimously decided to stay with the current old looking design. But this decision ended up costing us a lot of money. That same year, our competitor came out with a new design that attracted some of our customers and prevented us from profiting on potential new customers.
Explanation
Summery of the reading passage
The title of the reading: Groupthink
The definition of groupthink – One process by which groups may make bad or irrational decisions is known as groupthink.
(A summary of the lecture)
The professor was working for a computer company a couple of years ago.
The professor and a coworker suggested their computers needed a design makeover because new customers would be more interested in buying their computers if the computers looked cooler.
At first, many members of the group supported the idea but one of the senior managers opposed, saying that changing the look cost the company unnecessarily.
Then, the supporters started to change their minds because they did not want to give a bad impression to the senior manager.
Finally, the professor voted against his own idea.
But this decision turned out to be a bad one because that same year, a competitor of the company that the professor worked at came out with a new design that attracted some of the customers from the professor’s company.
(Sample answer)
The reading passage discusses the phenomenon of groupthink, wherein groups collectively brainstorm or share ideas, sometimes leading to poor or irrational decisions.
In the accompanying lecture, a professor illustrates this concept with a personal anecdote from his time working for a computer company. The professor and a coworker proposed a new design for their computers, believing it would attract more customers. Initially, many group members supported the idea. However, a senior manager voiced opposition, citing unnecessary costs. Subsequently, the supporters began to reconsider their stance to avoid discord with the senior manager. Unfortunately, this decision proved detrimental as a competitor introduced a new design that year, enticing customers away from the professor’s company.
This example highlights how group dynamics, particularly the desire for consensus and conformity, can lead to suboptimal outcomes.