BEYOND FIASCO - A REAPPRAISAL OF THE GROUPTHINK PHENOMENON AND A NEW MODEL OF GROUP DECISION-PROCESSES

This article provides a comprehensive evaluation of the group think phenomenon (I. L. Janis, 1971, 1972, 1982). Our evaluation indicates that research does not provide convincing support for the validity of the groupthink phenomenon or for the suggestion that groupthink characteristics lead to negative outcomes. This review, coupled with evidence from other literature suggested by a problem-solving perspective and a direct examination of groupthink implicit assumptions, guided the development of a new, more general model termed the general group problem-solving model. This model incorporates a variety of antecedent conditions, emergent group characteristics, decision process characteristics, and group decision outcomes. Following the review and model development, we discuss potential concerns relating to our model, address the allure of groupthink, and present implications of our analysis for group problem solving as well as directions for future research.