A leadership-studies professor analyzes the 1986 Challenger launch decision. Engineers at Morton Thiokol expressed O-ring concerns, but managers under schedule pressure overruled them. Within the management team, dissent was discouraged, illusions of unanimity prevailed, and the team had a strong sense of shared mission. The shuttle exploded 73 seconds after launch.
Which intervention is MOST likely to reduce groupthink in future launch decisions?
- A
Reducing the number of decision-makers to avoid confusion
- Bcheck_circle
Assigning a 'devil's advocate' role to actively voice dissent
- C
Limiting outside expert consultation to streamline decisions
- D
Increasing group cohesion to improve consensus
Explanation
Janis recommends structured dissent (devil's advocate, outside experts) to counter the cohesion-driven suppression of disagreement central to groupthink.