Video on Milgram Obedience
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- After watching the Video on Milgram Obedience Study and researching from my textbook, I have concluded that people would go far in obeying instructions that involve harming others. It is easy for a leader to use their authority to influence ordinary people in an organization into committing atrocities since authority ingrains in humans from the way the society brings us up. People tend to follow orders from leaders if they recognize the authority of the leader as morally right or legitimate. People learn in a variety of situations on how to respond to legitimate authority where such might include family, schools, and workplaces. The chief finding of Milgrams’ experiment was that adults could possess an extreme will to go to any length once an authority commands them. That means an organization might have some individuals allow their managers to direct their actions and then pass off the responsibility for the results to the leader who gave the orders. Simply put, they act as agents for their leaders’ will because they perceive the leader as qualified and legitimate to direct their behavior.
- “Groupthink” happens when teams or groups endeavor for uttermost harmony at the cost of effectual decision-making. The primary concern for members is to maintain the unification of the group than in arriving at the best decision. “Groupthink” therefore frown a member from thinking independently and overrides alternative ideas to ensure there is concurrence in the group. Members of such a group uphold unquestioned belief and are overconfident in the competence of the group that that even when the group makes unethical decisions, no one can question.
One of the causes of groupthink is group cohesiveness, which is directly proportional to apparent unanimity. In a bid to maintain cohesiveness, members of a tightly cohesive group tend to self-censor themselves and abandon a different perspective that could have otherwise been helpful in good decision-making. Just like how cohesiveness leads to a lack of diverse perspectives in groups, isolation denies the members of the group perspectives from individuals that are not group members. Groupthink also happens when the group leader is rigid and creates an atmosphere where members are not free to express their opinions. Last, yet importantly, decision stress can also lead to groupthink when the leader forces the team to make a principal decision in less time than it is necessary. Naturally, decisions require some time.
It is possible to challenge or minimize groupthink through the creation of trust and openness by group managers, and encouraging members of the group to express their ideas. Group leaders should also encourage diversity in the group, monitor group size, and make members understand that conflicts are sometimes allowed.
- Charismatic leadership and Rational-Legal leadership have both advantages and disadvantages. Some of the strengths of Charismatic leadership include the creation of an emotional appeal. For instance, in an organization, a charismatic leader inspires others, as the team members perceive a chance to reach their personal goals. A charismatic leader may allow an individual to accomplish a task that feels bigger than the individual does. It also gives individuals a chance to think differently and reduce turnover rates within an agency because people work feeling happier. However, one disadvantage of Charismatic leadership is the dependence upon the energy levels of organizational management. That can lead to exhaustion for the leader while trying to encourage others to follow a specific dream. Another disadvantage is that it poses a hindrance to new learning opportunities from taking place because people tend to abandon personal visions and follow those of their leaders.
Administrative procedures characterize Rational-Legal leadership. Top leaders make most of the decisions rather than involving others. The system fixes official duties, and everyone must adhere to the rules. Some of the advantages of Rational-Legal leadership include specialization and structure. Since the system assigns members, the specialized task to perform specialty is enhanced. Leaders also create a system by specifying responsibilities, which in turn sets the pace for the functioning of the agency. However, Rational-Legal leadership has a disadvantage in that it is rigid and follows inflexible rules, which could discourage innovation and creativity. Another disadvantage of this style of leadership is impersonality because it stresses mechanical ways of having tasks done. People give priority to the rules and regulations of the organization and abandon personal needs and individual’s emotions. Rational-Legal leadership also encourages paperwork, which ends up wasting time, space, and stationaries because every decision must be in writing and draft documents, as well as the originals, maintained.