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Related Experiment Videos

"Bipolar groupthink": assessing groupthink tendencies in authentic work groups

M Rosander1, D Stiwne, K Granström

  • 1Department of Education and Psychology, Linköping University, Sweden.

Scandinavian Journal of Psychology
|July 24, 1998
PubMed
Summary

This study explored groupthink in real work groups, identifying two variants: omnipotent and depressive. Different organizations showed varying degrees of these groupthink tendencies.

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Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Group Dynamics

Background:

  • Groupthink, a phenomenon of flawed decision-making in cohesive groups, has been understudied in authentic work settings.
  • Irving Janis's (1982) seminal work on groupthink provides a theoretical framework, yet empirical validation in diverse organizational contexts is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate regressive group processes, specifically groupthink, within real-world organizational teams.
  • To test the hypothesis that groupthink is a bipolar construct with distinct omnipotent and depressive variants.
  • To examine the prevalence and manifestation of these groupthink variants across different organizational types.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 308 participants across six diverse organizations.

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  • Utilized a validated groupthink questionnaire based on Janis's (1982) described symptoms.
  • Employed factor analysis to identify underlying constructs and validate the theoretical model.

    • Main Results:

    • The groupthink questionnaire demonstrated good reliability and construct validity.
    • Factor analysis supported the proposed bipolar model, distinguishing between omnipotent and depressive groupthink.
    • Significant variations in the degree and type of groupthink were observed across the six organizations.

    Conclusions:

    • Groups may possess inherent predispositions towards either omnipotent or depressive groupthink under stress.
    • A religious sect exhibited predominantly omnipotent groupthink, while a tech company and psychiatric team showed more depressive features.
    • Findings highlight the importance of considering specific organizational contexts when analyzing groupthink phenomena.