October 11, 2010

Chapter 18: Groupthink: The Desperate Drive for Consensus at Any Cost
Irving L. Janis (1971)  pp185-192

HEADINGS:
1. “Groupy” pp185 – 186
2. 1984 p186
3. Kill p186
4. Norms p186
5. Stress pp186-187
6. Symptoms pp187-190
7. Products p190
8. Support pp190 – 191
9. Pride p191
10. Remedies p191-192
11. How p192

The term groupthink was coined by Irving L. Janis. Through his research he developed a theory by which he accounted for individuals’ collective rationalization. To him, group think could have various negative effects such as the deterioration of mental efficiency, moral judgment, and reality testing. By thinking as a group, the group ignores alternative viewpoints. It is important for an organization to understand the problems that arise from groupthinking and reduce their influence by promoting critical evaluation, avoid stating clear preferences, outside experts should be encouraged to visit and challenge the views of the group members, group members should invest time in developing alternative scenarios. (Janis, 2005)

Chapter 47: Institutionalized Organizations: Formal Structure as Myth and Ceremony
John W. Meyer and Brian Rowan (1977)  pp505 -520

HEADINGS:
1.Prevailing Theories of Formal Structure p506-507
2. Institutional Sources of Formal Structure pp507 – 514
a. The Relation of Organizations to Their Institutional Environments pp509 – 510
b. The Origins of Rational Institutional Myths pp510 – 511
c. The Impact of Institutional Environments on Organizations pp511-514
3. Institutionalized Structures and Organizational Activities pp514-518
a. Types of Organization pp514-515
b. Structural Inconsistencies in Institutionalized Organizations pp515-516
c. Resolving Inconsistencies pp516 – 518
4. Summary and Research Implications pp518-519

Meyer and Rowan go through a series of examples in which myths have proven to influence institutions and their operating procedures. Overtime institutions develop rules that become rationalized by the organization. Rules help an institution gain legitimacy, stability and enhances its survival. In order to maintain legitimacy, institution sometimes becomes rigid as they try to reflect their funding myths rather than adapt to change. Loosely coupled parts of organizations are more likely to differentiate themselves from the rules institutionalized through organizational myths. The elaboration of rules in societies and states partly account for the increasing complexity of organizational structures. (Meyer & Rowan, 2005)

Works Cited

Janis, I. (2005). Groupthink: The Desperate Drive for Consensus at Any Cost. In J. Sharfritz, S. Ott, & Y. Suk Jang, Classics of Organization Theory (pp. 185-192). Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth.

Meyer, J. W., & Rowan, B. (2005). Institutionalized Organizations: Formal Structure as Myth and Ceremony. In J. Sharfritz, S. Ott, & Y. Suk Jang, Classics of Organization Theory (pp. 505-520). Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth.