Groupthink is one of the biggest obstacles to team decision making. Using the article Groupthinkby Irving Janis (Week 8, Groups and Teams), construct a team decision making scenario in whichthe team or team members demonstrate one symptom of groupthink. Make sure to define thesymptom and clearly identify how/why the group behaviour(s) illustrates that symptoms (2 points).Then, using content from Week 5 (Judgment and Decision Making), explain one bias or heuristicthat is related to or influences the groupthink symptom you discussed. In other words, whatdecision-making bias that influences individuals (from Week 5) contributes to the groupthinksymptom you wrote about? Make sure to explain why/how (2 points).Finally, using content from the Week 8 lecture or tutorial readings (including the Janis reading),explain one strategy you would implement as a manager to mitigate the symptom of groupthinkyou identified

Sure, let's construct a scenario and go through the steps.

Scenario: A marketing team in a tech company is deciding on the strategy for the launch of a new product. The team leader is very enthusiastic about a particular approach and expresses his opinion strongly. The rest of the team, despite having reservations and alternative ideas, agree with the leader's approach without much discussion.

The symptom of groupthink demonstrated here is self-censorship. Self-censorship is when members of the group withhold their dissenting views and counterarguments out of fear of upsetting the consensus or causing conflict.

This behaviour illustrates self-censorship because the team members are not voicing their concerns or alternative ideas due to the strong opinion expressed by the team leader. They are censoring their own thoughts and ideas to maintain harmony in the group.

The confirmation bias, a concept from Week 5, is related to this symptom of groupthink. Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. In this scenario, the team members may be more likely to agree with the team leader's approach because it confirms their bias towards maintaining group harmony and avoiding conflict.

As a manager, one strategy to mitigate the symptom of groupthink would be to encourage open communication and critical thinking within the team. This could be done by creating a safe space for team members to express their ideas and concerns without fear of retribution or conflict. Additionally, the manager could implement a "devil's advocate" role in team meetings to ensure that different perspectives are considered and discussed. This strategy is supported by the Week 8 lecture and Janis' reading, which suggest that promoting open dialogue and critical evaluation can help to prevent groupthink.