How groupthink affects the effectiveness of groups Essay

How groupthink affects the effectiveness of groups - Essay Example This essay discusses that in 1952, William H. Whyte had coined a unique term in Fortune magazine, known as â€Å"groupthink†. This term reflected conformity culture that has shaped many business organizations. Groupthink has both positive and negative impacts on group effectiveness. The major goal of groupthink is to achieve consensus through conflict eradication. This approach tends to change workplace environment by shifting focus towards minimizing conflict rather than obtaining desirable results. Groupthink influences group members to act in harmony and this adversely affects individual thought process. Innovation is not a prime concern as per the concept of groupthink. This negatively affects the formulation of the high-performance group. Group effectiveness is mainly dependent on two aspects such as working as a team and facilitating high productivity level. High productivity level can be correlated with efficiently responding to fluctuating market demand and acquiring k nowledge on technological advancements. Group effectiveness is high only when group members are capable enough to understand external conditions and accordingly formulate strategic decisions. However, there are certain positive effects of groupthink in relation to sustaining harmony within a group. Group conflict can be considered as one of the reasons behind decreased team productivity. Groupthink attempts to eliminate this cause by cultivating a common ground of interests. Performance of a new organization is positively affected by groupthink.