RECASTING JANISS GROUPTHINK MODEL - THE KEY ROLE OF COLLECTIVE EFFICACY IN DECISION FIASCOES

This paper advances an explanation for decision fiascoes that reflects recent theoretical trends and was developed in response to a growing body of research that has failed to substantiate the groupthink model (Janis, 1982), In this new framework, the lack of vigilance and prefer ence for risk that characterizes groups contaminated by groupthink are attributed in large part to perceptions of collective efficacy that u nduly exceed capability. High collective efficacy may also contribute to the negative framing of decisions and to certain administrative and structural organizational faults, In the making of critical decisions , these factors induce a preference for risk and a powerful concurrenc e seeking tendency that, facilitated by group polarization, crystalliz e around a decision option that is likely to fail. Implications for re search and some evidence in support of this approach to the groupthink phenomenon are also discussed. (C) 1998 Academic Press.