Abilene paradox

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The Abilene Paradox is a paradox in which a group of people collectively choose an action that is contrary to the personal preference of each group member.

The paradox is based on a typical failure of group communication , where each group member mistakenly believes that their own attitude contradicts those of the other persons and therefore does not raise any objections.

origin

The term Abilene Paradox was introduced in 1974 by Jerry B. Harvey , Professor of Business Administration at George Washington University , in his article The Abilene Paradox and other Meditations on Management . The name refers to an anecdote that Harvey uses to illustrate the paradox:

On a hot afternoon, a family in Coleman , Texas is playing dominoes on a patio when their father-in-law suggests they go to Abilene, 53 miles north, for dinner . The woman says, 'That sounds like a good idea.' Despite concerns about the long drive and the heat, the husband thinks he needs to put his interests in the group aside and says, 'Sounds good to me too. I just hope your mother wants to go with you. ' The mother-in-law says: 'Of course I want to drive. I haven't been to Abilene in a long time.

The ride is long, hot and dusty. When they arrive at the cafeteria, the food is as bad as the drive. They come home four hours later, completely exhausted.

One of them says dishonestly, 'It was a great trip, wasn't it?' The mother-in-law says that in truth she would have preferred to stay at home, but came along because the other three were so enthusiastic. The man says, 'I wasn't thrilled to do what we were doing. I just wanted to please the rest of you. ' The woman says, 'I only came with you to make you happy. I should have been crazy to want to go outside in the heat. ' The father-in-law finally says he only made the suggestion because he thought the others were bored.

The whole group is amazed that they decided to go on an excursion that neither of them wanted. They would all have preferred to stay at home comfortably, but refused to admit it when there was still time.

Groupthink

The Abilene Paradox is related to the concept of groupthink . It is explained by the social psychological theories of social conformity and perception, which suggest that people are often reluctant to go against the opinion of the group. Similarly, psychological theories describe how hidden motives can exist behind the statements and actions of people just because they are unable to express their feelings and desires openly.

Application of theory

Theory is often used to explain bad business decisions. Even decisions made jointly in management seminars are sometimes analyzed to determine whether they were actually wanted by the individual group members or whether they were just a result of group thinking.

See also

swell

  1. ^ J. McAvoy, T. Butler: The impact of the Abilene Paradox on double-loop learning in an agile team . In: Information and Software Technology . tape 49 , 2007, p. 552-563 , doi : 10.1016 / j.infsof.2007.02.012 .
  2. ^ J. McAvoy, T. Butler: Resisting the change to user stories: a trip to Abilene . In: International Journal of Information Systems and Change Management . tape 1 , 2006, p. 48-61 , doi : 10.1504 / IJISCM.2006.008286 ( inderscience.com ).
  3. ↑ Jerry B. Harvey: The Abilene Paradox and other Meditations on Management . In: Organizational Dynamics . 3, No. 1, 1974, p. 63. doi : 10.1016 / 0090-2616 (74) 90005-9 .

literature

  • Jerry B. Harvey: The Abilene Paradox and Other Meditations on Management . Lexington Books, Lexington, Massachusetts 1988.
  • Jerry B. Harvey: The Abilene Paradox . Jossey-Bass, San Francisco 1996.
  • Jerry B. Harvey: How Come Every Time I Get Stabbed In The Back, My Fingerprints Are on The Knife? Jossey-Bass, San Francisco 1999.

Web links