Abstract
This paper is designed to do four things. First, the paper discusses the importance of groupthink in contributing to unethical behavior. Second, the paper discribes how groupthink contributed to unethical behavior in three organizations (Beech-Nut, E. F. Hutton, and Salomon Brothers). Third, symptoms of groupthink (such as arrogance, overcommitment, and excessive loyalty to the group) will be presented along with two methods for programming conflict (devil's advocate and dialectic) into an organization and group's decisions. Finally, the paper introduces some prescriptions for reducing the probability of groupthink.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adler, H. J. and F. B. Bird: 1988, ‘International Dimensions of Executive Integrity: Who is Responsible for the World’, in S. Srivastva (ed.),Executive Integrity: The Search for Human Values in Organizational Life (Jossey-Bass, San Francisco), pp. 243–267.
ASA Banking Journal: 1987, ‘A Violation of Business Ethics or Outright Fraud?’ (July), 30–34.
Bales, R.: 1950,Interaction Process Analysis (Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass.).
Baum, L.: 1986, ‘The Job Nobody Wants’,Business Week (September 8), p. 60.
Callaway, M. R. and J. K. Esser: 1984, ‘Groupthink: Effects of Cohesiveness and Problem-Solving Procedures on Group Decision Making’,Social Behavior and Personality 12(2), 157–164.
Cosier, R. A. and C. R. Schwenk: 1990, ‘Agreement and Thinking Alike: Ingredients for Poor Decisions’,Academy of Management Executive 4(1), 69–74.
Drake, B. H. and E. Drake: 1988, ‘Ethical and Legal Aspects of Managing Corporate Cultures’,California Management Review (Winter), 120–121.
Goleman, D.: 1988, ‘Following the Leader’,Science (October),85, 18.
Harvey, J.: 1974, ‘Managing Agreement in Organizations: The Abilene Paradox’,Organizational Dynamics (Summer), 63–80.
Hodgetts, R. M.: 1990,Modern Human Relations At Work (4th ed.) (Dryden Press, Hinsdale, IL).
Huseman, R. C. and R. W. Driver: 1979, ‘Groupthink: Implications for Small-Group Decision Making in Business’, in R. C. Huseman and A. B. Carroll (eds.),Readings in Organizational Behavior: Dimensions of Management Actions (Allyn & Bacon, Boston).
Janis, I. L.: 1972,Victims of Groupthink (Houghton-Mifflin, Boston).
Janis, I. L.: 1982,Groupthink (Houghton-Mifflin, Boston).
Janis, I. L.: 1989,Crucial Decisions: Leadership in Policy Making and Crisis Management (Free Press, New York).
Janis, I. L. and L. Mann: 1977,Decision Making: A Psychological Analysis of Conflict, Choice, and Commitment (The Free Press, New York).
Jansen, E. and M. A. Von Gilnow: 1985, ‘Ethical Ambivalence and Organizational Reward Systems’,Academy of Management Review 10(4), 814–822.
Leana, C. R.: 1985, ‘A Partial Test of Janis's Groupthink Model: Effects of Group Cohesiveness and Leader Behavior on Defective Decision Making’,Journal of Management (Spring), 5–17.
Moorehead, G.: 1982, ‘Groupthink: Hypothesis in Need of Testing’,Group and Organization Studies (December), 434.
Schermerhorn, Jr., J. R., J. G. Hung and R. N. Osborn: 1991,Managing Organizational Behavior (John Wiley & Sons, New York).
Seneker, H.: 1986, ‘Nice Timing’,Forbes (January 27), 102.
Trevino, L. K.: 1986, ‘Ethical Decision Making in Organizations: A Person-Situation Interactionist Model’,Academy of Management Review 11(3), 601–17.
Siconolfi, M. and L. P. Cohen: 1991, ‘Sullied Solly: How Salomon's Hubris and a U.S. Trap Led to Leaders' Downfall’,Wall Street Journal (August 19), A1, A4.
Siconolfi, M., M. R. Sesit and C. Mitchell: 1991, ‘Collusion, Price Fixing Have Long Been Rife in Treasury Market’,Wall Street Journal (August 19), A1.
Van Fleet, D. D.: 1991,Behavior in Organizations (Houghton Mifflin, Dallas).
Welles, C.: 1988, ‘What Led Beech Nut Down the Road to Disgrace’,Business Week (February 22), 124–128.
Wolfe, D.: 1988, ‘Is There Integrity in the Bottomline: Managing Obstacles to Executive Integrity’, in S. Srivastva (ed.),Executive Integrity: The Search For High Human Values in Organization Life (Jossey-Bass, San Francisco), pp. 140–171.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Ronald R. Sims is Professor in the School of Business Administration at the College of William and Mary. His research interests include ethical behavior, experiential learning, employee and management training and development, and organizational transitions. His articles have appeared in a variety of scholarly and practitioner-oriented journals.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sims, R.R. Linking groupthink to unethical behavior in organizations. J Bus Ethics 11, 651–662 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01686345
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01686345