POL SCI 164A Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Groupthink, Military Operation Plan, Group Cohesiveness
30 Apr 2018
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Department
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PS164A Reading
Groupthink
CH 8: Generalizations - Who Succumbs, When and Why
Janis
- Groupthink not just American phenomenon
- Possible that future studies show that executives in America/ government
committees are more inclined to rely on group judgments and engage in
groupthink
Candidates from European fiasco
- 1914: French military high command ignored repeated warnings that Germany
had adopted the Schlieffen plan and adopted unrealistic military plan to launch
frontal assault against Germany’s most heavily fortified frontiers in the best
- Reliance on simplistic slogans about French elan
- Shared illusions about invulnerability
- 1938-9: British’s government attempt to appease Nazi Germany
- Contributed, unintentionally to the outbreak of WWII
- Members of Chamberlain’s inner circle influenced and support his view to
save Europe from war
- Ex. pressured Chamberlain to give in to Hitler’s demands for
neighboring territory
- Illusion about invulnerability
- Self appointed mindguard advised others to ignore inside information
about Hitlers’ war plan and plea for Britain to stand against Hitler rather
than collaborate with him
- Shows that defects are augmented when leader participates in cohesive
decision-making group in which loyalty to group norms take precedent
over independent critical judgment
Working assumption about who is susceptible
- Ex. chief executives dependent ion inner circle of advisers
- Also depends on personality disposition
- Conformity strongest in people most fearful of disapproval and rejection
- Homogeneity also an important factor
- Proposed general assumption: all policy makers are vulnerable whenever
circumstances promote concurrence-seeking
How widespread is groupthink?
- To estimate the percentage of groupthink causing fiascoes, need investigation
of variety of policy decisions made by groups of executives
Document Summary
Ch 8: generalizations - who succumbs, when and why. Possible that future studies show that executives in america/ government committees are more inclined to rely on group judgments and engage in groupthink. 1914: french military high command ignored repeated warnings that germany had adopted the schlieffen plan and adopted unrealistic military plan to launch frontal assault against germany"s most heavily fortified frontiers in the best. Reliance on simplistic slogans about french elan. 1938-9: british"s government attempt to appease nazi germany. Contributed, unintentionally to the outbreak of wwii. Members of chamberlain"s inner circle influenced and support his view to save europe from war. Ex. pressured chamberlain to give in to hitler"s demands for neighboring territory. Self appointed mindguard advised others to ignore inside information about hitlers" war plan and plea for britain to stand against hitler rather than collaborate with him.
