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EspañolABILENE PARADOX
The 'Abilene paradox' is a paradox in which a group of people collectively decide on a course of action that is counter to the preferences of any of the individuals in the group. It involves a common breakdown of group communication in which each member mistakenly believes that their own preferences are counter to the group's and do not raise objections.
It was observed by management expert Jerry B. Harvey in his article ''The Abilene Paradox and other Meditations on Management.''[1] The name of the phenomenon comes from an anecdote in the article which Harvey uses to elucidate the paradox:
The phenomenon may be a form of groupthink. It is easily explained by social psychology theories of social conformity and social cognition which suggest that human beings are often very averse to acting contrary to the
trend of the group. Likewise, it can be observed in psychology that indirect cues and hidden motives often lie behind peoples' statements and acts, frequently because social disincentives discourage individuals from openly voicing their feelings or pursuing their desires.
This anecdote was also made into a short film for management education. The theory is often used to help explain extremely poor business decisions, especially notions of the superiority of "rule by committee." A technique mentioned in the study and/or training of management, as well as practical guidance by consultants, is that group members, when the time comes for a group to make decisions, should ask each other, "Are we going to Abilene?" to determine whether their decision is legitimately desired by the group's members or merely a result of this kind of groupthink.
The "Abilene Paradox" is related to the concept of groupthink in that both theories appear to explain the observed behavior of groups in social contexts. The crux of the theory is that groups have just as many problems managing their agreements as they do their disagreements. This observation rings true among many researchers in the Social sciences and tends to reinforce other theories of individual and group behavior.
Researchers in this field have proposed various means by which groups can avoid such dysfunctional behavior . None have proven more effective than the inclusion of people with diverse backgrounds in the decision-making process . Groups so comprised tend to be more effective in avoiding the Abilene Paradox and tend to be able to make much better decisions overall.
★ Group polarization
★ Groupthink
★ Pluralistic ignorance
★ Prediction market
★ The Wisdom of Crowds
1. The Abilene Paradox and other Meditations on Management, , Jerry B., Harvey, Organizational Dynamics, 1974
Other references:
★ Harvey, Jerry B. (1988). ''The Abilene Paradox and Other Meditations on Management''. Lexington, Mass: Lexington Books.
★ Harvey, Jerry B. (1999). ''How Come Every Time I Get Stabbed In The Back, My Fingerprints Are on The Knife?''. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
It was observed by management expert Jerry B. Harvey in his article ''The Abilene Paradox and other Meditations on Management.''[1] The name of the phenomenon comes from an anecdote in the article which Harvey uses to elucidate the paradox:
The phenomenon may be a form of groupthink. It is easily explained by social psychology theories of social conformity and social cognition which suggest that human beings are often very averse to acting contrary to the
trend of the group. Likewise, it can be observed in psychology that indirect cues and hidden motives often lie behind peoples' statements and acts, frequently because social disincentives discourage individuals from openly voicing their feelings or pursuing their desires.
This anecdote was also made into a short film for management education. The theory is often used to help explain extremely poor business decisions, especially notions of the superiority of "rule by committee." A technique mentioned in the study and/or training of management, as well as practical guidance by consultants, is that group members, when the time comes for a group to make decisions, should ask each other, "Are we going to Abilene?" to determine whether their decision is legitimately desired by the group's members or merely a result of this kind of groupthink.
The "Abilene Paradox" is related to the concept of groupthink in that both theories appear to explain the observed behavior of groups in social contexts. The crux of the theory is that groups have just as many problems managing their agreements as they do their disagreements. This observation rings true among many researchers in the Social sciences and tends to reinforce other theories of individual and group behavior.
Researchers in this field have proposed various means by which groups can avoid such dysfunctional behavior . None have proven more effective than the inclusion of people with diverse backgrounds in the decision-making process . Groups so comprised tend to be more effective in avoiding the Abilene Paradox and tend to be able to make much better decisions overall.
| Contents |
| See also |
| References |
See also
★ Group polarization
★ Groupthink
★ Pluralistic ignorance
★ Prediction market
★ The Wisdom of Crowds
References
1. The Abilene Paradox and other Meditations on Management, , Jerry B., Harvey, Organizational Dynamics, 1974
Other references:
★ Harvey, Jerry B. (1988). ''The Abilene Paradox and Other Meditations on Management''. Lexington, Mass: Lexington Books.
★ Harvey, Jerry B. (1999). ''How Come Every Time I Get Stabbed In The Back, My Fingerprints Are on The Knife?''. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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