Question

tom is critical of the decisions made on his work team, and the team supports his behaviour by calling him 'the team cynic'; some managers outside the team have suggested tom should be replaced by someone who is more cooperative with the team. tom's behaviour contributes to the group's decision-making. question 8 options: a) positively b) morality c) corporate social responsibility d) groupthink e) groupshift

Answer 1

Tom's critical behavior within his work group can positively contribute to decision-making by helping to prevent groupthink, however it could also lead to groupshift.

Step-by-step explanation:

Tom is being labeled as 'the team cynic' due to his critical approach to the decisions made within his work group. Some outside managers believe he should be replaced by a more cooperative person. Tom's behavior could potentially contribute positively to the group's decision-making as it could prevent groupthink, where a group's desire for harmony leads to poor decision-making. The phenomenon of groupthink occurs when individuals conform to what they believe is the group consensus, leading to a lack of critical evaluation of alternative viewpoints and the suppression of dissenting perspectives.

To avoid groupthink, it's important for groups to seek outside opinions, conduct private voting, and encourage leader restraint in expressing views prematurely. Also helpful is conducting thorough research, weighing costs and benefits, and planning contingencies. On the contrary, Tom’s critical perspective can trigger a groupshift, moving the group towards more extreme views or actions, which is also a potential downside to his cynicism.