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Challenger Launch DecisionGroup process in the
2010156 Piyush Tyagi2010195 Sahil Malhotra2010197 Saket Rathi2010279 Vaibhav Garg2010297 Sarita Choudhary2010298 Debashish Bagg
Challenger Disaster
Day before launch, engineers warn about O-rings
Never tested below 53ºF
Launch would be around 40ºF
Engineers’ warnings suppressed
O-ring warning never mentioned to higher-ups
“A launch should be canceled if there is any doubts of its safety” -NASA policy
ANALYSIS
• Groupthink• Group decision making• Group polarization• Inter and intra group communication
Groupthink
Probably most famous process loss Definition: people begin to value group
cohesiveness and solidarity more than the need to consider the facts in a realistic manner.
Can lead to disastrous decisions Challenger disaster (1986) Possibly, Columbia accident (2003)
The road to groupthinkAntecedents
Group is (already) cohesive Isolated Directive leader Stress Poor decision-making rules
Symptoms– Illusion of invulnerability – Moral certainty– Stereotyped view of out-group– Self-censorship– Direct pressure to conform– Illusion of unanimity– Mind guards
Defective decision making– Incomplete survey of alternatives– Failure to examine risks of favored alternative– Poor information search– Few contingency plans
Specific steps to avoid groupthink
Leader—remain impartial (if possible) Seek outside opinions Create subgroups Seek anonymous opinions
Intragroup communication
Executive Management
Employees
Learn
Start Here
New Paradigms
EndorseSelf-Discovery
EstablishCommunities ofPractice
Avoiding communication gap
Providing same platform for communication Same document being shared in all respective
stakeholders Signoff from all parties effected if there is an
implication felt to be implemented
Group polarization Original finding (Stone, 1962) seemed to
suggest “risky shift” (!!) Newer view: group polarization, not riskiness
perse Whatever way the group is leaning initially,
members tend to polarize further in that direction
Example from experience
Testing in software industry Multidisciplinary testing in Airbus design
Thank you