A paradox in which a group of people collectively decide on a course of action that is counter to the preferences of any of the individuals in the group is what is described as Abilene paradox.
This AbileneParadox is described in TheAbileneParadox and other meditations on management (ISBN 0787902772 ) by Jerry B. Harvey.
A sunny afternoon, a family playing cards on a terrace. One of them thinks they should move - not that he cares, on the contrary, but he thinks the others want to - so he proposes a trip to Abilene. No fun, hot, bad food. Back home one of them admits that he had preferred to stay home. Everybody would have liked that, only they did not admit to it when it was still time to enjoy the afternoon.
Abilene paradox is a symptom of the inability to manage agreement - not the inability to manage conflict. Groups that suffer from the AbileneParadox display a number of characteristics:
- they agree individually in private about the nature of the situation or the problem facing the organization
- they agree individually in private about the steps that need to be taken to cope with the problem
- they fail to accurately communicate their desires and beliefs to one another
- failing to communicate, as a group they make decisions that make them take actions counterproductive for their intent
- as a result, they become frustrated
- the cycle of disability to manage agreement will repeat itself if not dealt with accurately through communication
Practical use of Abilene paradox
The theory is often used to help explain extremely poor business decisions, especially notions of the superiority of "rule by committee." A technique mentioned in the study and/or training of management, as well as practical guidance by consultants, is that group members, when the time comes for a group to make decisions, should ask each other, "Are we going to Abilene?" to determine whether their decision is legitimately desired by the group's members or merely a result of this kind of groupthink.
