Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2018 A Study of Groupthink in Project Teams John Reaves Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Databases and Information Systems Commons, and the Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Management and Technology This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by John Reaves has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Anthony Lolas, Committee Chairperson, Management Faculty Dr. Diane Stottlemyer, Committee Member, Management Faculty Dr. Howard Schechter, University Reviewer, Management Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2018 Abstract A Study of Groupthink in Project Teams by John A. Reaves MAIS, George Mason University, 1995 BS, Radford University, 1989 Proposal Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University March 2018 Abstract Project teams advance a common goal by working together on projects that require a diverse set of skills and are difficult for 1 person to complete. In this study, there was an exploration of the antecedents to groupthink in project teams from the perspectives of project managers. Many companies use project managers to complete critical objectives; avoiding groupthink is crucial to their success. The purpose of this research was to understand why project teams are susceptible to groupthink and what precautions managers can take to avoid it. The conceptual framework utilized in this study was Janis’ concept of groupthink, which is reaching consensus without adequate examination of ideas. The study was a qualitative, phenomenological design involving semistructured phone and face-to-face interviews with 16 project managers from a variety of industries with at least 10 years of experience and who hold a project management professional designation. The main research question was: how does groupthink occur and how can project managers mitigate the adverse consequences of groupthink? Data analysis consisted of open sentence analysis and axial coding of patterns in the data using NVivo 11. The key research finding was that project managers with more experience are better at mitigating groupthink. Project managers expressed that groupthink can lead project teams to advance flawed decisions that may cost people their jobs or result in loss of life. This study may affect positive social change by preventing flawed decisions that could adversely impact society. Future researchers should explore possible ways that project managers can develop strategies that can identify and prevent groupthink from occurring. A Study of Groupthink in Project Teams by John A. Reaves MAIS, George Mason University, 1995 BS, Radford University, 1989 Proposal Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University March 2018 Dedication I dedicate this research to all project managers around the world: skilled leaders who often go unrecognized and unappreciated for the critical contributions they make to society, their employers, and the teams they manage. I also dedicate this research study to the best family that one could ask for. Thank you, Denise, Francis, Kayla, and Micah for allowing me to complete important research to aid project managers in recognizing groupthink and in doing all they can to avoid allowing groupthink to prevent projects from accomplishing their intended goals. Acknowledgements My PhD journey was filled with numerous twists and turns that I believe were necessary to complete this final product. This document would not have been possible without the divine spirit that exists on high. First, I thank my loving wife, Denise, for her unwavering support, even in times when I did not deserve it. Second, thanks to my wonderful kids, Francis, Kayla, and Micah, for offering words of encouragement and laughter when I needed it. To my mother, Frances Reaves, for inspiring me to think out of the box and to keep running until the race is finished. Thanks to my in-laws, Lois and Ray Goodall, for their support and guidance. Thank you to Walden University for allowing me to take this journey and for not pulling the rug from under my feet when I needed to take breaks. Thank you to Dr. Lolas, my dissertation chair who shepherded me through the dissertation process, for providing a wonderful example of what it means to help others accomplish their academic goal, and to Dr. Stottlemyer, my original dissertation chair, for believing in my research when others did not. Special thanks to Dr. Schechter for his insights into the research. Thank you to Dr. Korrapati, who served as my advisor and professor for several courses at Walden University, for telling me that as long as I finish the program, it does not matter when it occurs. A special thanks to the employers and situations that I experienced that led me to conduct research on groupthink in project teams. Table of Contents List of Tables .......................................................................................................................v List of Figures .................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Background of the Study ...............................................................................................4 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................8 Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................................10 Research Questions ......................................................................................................12 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................12 Nature of the Study ......................................................................................................14 Definitions....................................................................................................................19 Assumptions .................................................................................................................20 Scope and Delimitations ..............................................................................................21 Limitations ...................................................................................................................22 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................23 Significance to Practice......................................................................................... 24 Significance to Social Change .............................................................................. 25 Summary and Transition ..............................................................................................27 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................30 Literature Search Strategy............................................................................................31 Conceptual Foundations...............................................................................................35 i Literature Review.........................................................................................................36 Groupthink Overview ........................................................................................... 39 Groupthink Theory................................................................................................ 40 Groupthink and Temporary Organizations ........................................................... 42 Groupthink and Focus Groups .............................................................................. 43 Groupthink and Cohesion ..................................................................................... 44 Groupthink and Dysfunctional Teams .................................................................. 51 Groupthink, Conflict, and Team Performance ...................................................... 53 Groupthink, Decision-making, and Project Teams ............................................... 56 Summary and Conclusions ..........................................................................................59 Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................62 Research Design and Rationale ...................................................................................63 Role of the Researcher .................................................................................................67