Question

Which of the following are most likely to cause a team to avoid groupthink?

I. The team holds a second-chance meeting.
II. Outside experts are invited to observe and react to the group process.
III. The team leader expresses an opinion at the outset of the meeting to save time.

a. I only
b. I and II only
c. I and III only
d. II and III only
e. I, II, and III

Answer 1

To avoid groupthink, teams should consider holding a second-chance meeting and inviting outside experts to provide feedback, while leaders should withhold their opinions until all members have spoken. The correct answer is b. I and II only.

Step-by-step explanation:

Groupthink can lead to poor decision-making in a team because it suppresses individual opinions and prioritizes consensus over the quality of decisions. Avoiding groupthink is crucial for maintaining diversity of thought and making sound team decisions. Certain strategies are known to mitigate the risks of groupthink:

• Holding a second-chance meeting can help to reassess decisions and offer another opportunity for dissenting opinions to be heard.
• Inviting outside experts to observe and react provides diverse perspectives and challenges the in-group bias.
• It is crucial that the team leader refrains from expressing an opinion at the outset of the meeting, as doing so can unduly influence the group's thinking and limit open discussion.

Based on these strategies, the options most likely to avoid groupthink are holding a second-chance meeting and inviting outside experts to participate in the group process. The leader expressing an opinion at the beginning of the meeting would likely contribute to groupthink, not prevent it. Therefore, the correct answer to the question about which actions are most likely to cause a team to avoid groupthink is option b. I and II only.