Explain the Abilene paradox and identify the factors that contribute to it.
What will be an ideal response?
Action anxiety: Group members know what should be done but are too anxious to speak up.
Negative fantasies: Action anxiety is driven in part by the negative fantasies members have about what will happen if they voice their opinions. These fantasies (“I’ll be fired or branded as disloyal”) serve as an excuse for not attacking the problem. Real risk: There are risks to expressing dissent: getting fired, losing
income, damaging relationships. However, most of the time the danger is not as great as we think. Fear of
separation: Alienation and loneliness constitute the most powerful force behind the paradox. Group
members fear being cut off or separated from others. To escape this fate, they cheat, lie, break the law,
and so forth. Psychological reversal of risk and certainty: Being trapped in the Abilene paradox means
confusing fantasy with real risk. This confusion produces a self-fulfilling prophecy. Caught up in the
fantasy that something bad may happen, decision-makers act in a way that fulfills the fantasy.
You might also like to view...
Negative inquiry is a technique to gain more information about vague criticism. Negative inquiry is a technique to gain more information about vague criticism
Annual-plan control requires making sure the company isn't overspending to achieve sales goals. The key ratio to watch is ________
A) stock turnover B) gross margin C) return on capital D) cash flow return on investment E) marketing expense-to-sales
Describe at least four of the different types of budgets that are frequently used.
What will be an ideal response?
Raytheon, a 24 billion USD defense contractor, incorporated into its Leadership Assessment Instrument the requirement of managers to maintain unequivocal commitment to honesty, truth and ethics in every facet of behavior and to conform with the letter and intent of company policies while working to affect any necessary policy change. This is an example of a
A. reward system that evaluates bottom line performance. B. reward and evaluation system that evaluates manager ethical behavior. C. 360-degree evaluation. D. leadership training program.