Abilene Paradox

What is Abilene Paradox ?

  
The ‘Abilene Paradox’ is the phenomenon where the collective decision of a group is in direct conflict with the decision of its individual members.
 
It was introduced by Jerry Harvey, Professor of Management at George Washington University.
 
This phenomenon happens due to the innate human need of belonging to a group and the desire to conform socially. Hence, even if the individuals feel that the collective decision is incorrect, they will not reject it for fear of being isolated.
 
The management and higher-ups in a group should make sure that an ‘Abilene Paradox’ doesn’t occur as it leads to poor decisions which will affect the company in the long run.

More HR Terms

Medical Leave of Absence

A medical leave of absence is also known as the sick leave. It refers to the period when employees get immediate permission of taking leave

Performance Improvement

What is Performance Improvement? ‘Performance Improvement’ refers to the set of actions taken by an organization to improve the efficiency of a particular process or

Basic Competencies

What is Basic Competencies ?    ‘Basic Competencies’ or ‘Core competencies’ are the set of skills or capabilities that sets a company or an individual

Contact Us

Contact Us

We use cookies on our website to provide you with the best experience.
Take a look at our ‘privacy policy’