(Above taken from YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37Mti_RNnF0)
If there’s one thing the gangsters in the video (above) agree on, it would be that groups function better than a single thug in the cold streets of Hong Kong. Why then? COM101 explains this phenomenon as Group Synergy, where the many people operate better than the individual. Achieving this, however, may prove difficult, as problems such as Group Dialectics, and Groupthink may impede.
Firstly, Group Dialectics explains that individual needs might come in the way of group needs. The self-seeking interests of the individual may cause disfunction of the group. As an individual uses a constant evaluation of his possible rewards in a group, there may come a point in time where the person sees little benefit in that group and, as a result, call it quits. Thus rewards may be a means to instill commitment and 
allegiance in a member of a group. In the movie, that Laughing character was being chased for his life frequently. Of course, with what little benefit (maybe even none) left, he wasn’t planning to stay in the gang for long.
Secondly, Groupthink may be a problem for a group too. It refers to the uncritical agreeing over matters just so to avoid disunity in a group. Take gangs for example. When the boss makes a silly idea, would you dare defy? Would you say, “boss, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard! You need to…”. Naturally, the sentence wouldn’t see an end to it. In gangs, you’d be swimming with the fishes or under soil for disagreeing with the boss. Group harmony, if you will, is priority.
So to prevent such problems, groups must frequently engage in effective group interactions and monitor for symptoms of Groupthink, such as shared stereotypes and collective rationalisation. That said, it would seem almost inevitable that gangs would collapse due to insurmountable levels of miscommunication. Yet such is not the case. Could you come up with a plausible explanation for this?
i think in gangs, an individual’s need is often linked to the group’s need. benefits such as protection, income and power comes from having strength in numbers. split them up and every member suffers. hence, many submit fully to the head in the hopes of maintaining this ‘harmony’.
Oh yes! That’s right.
Or maybe it could be, as William Schutz said, a need for inclusion and control (especially). Anyway your idea is under ‘group synergy’.
Groupthink,as explained, might not be that bad afterall. It keeps the group in unity, leading them to achieve. While that it might be a wrong decision sometimes, it should be be condone. Afterall, who doesn’t make mistakes? The group might not learn due to the presence of invulunerable thinking. But this can gives the group the ability to surge forward in times of difficulty.
With that, not every occurence is bad, it has it good points too. We can just brush aside groupthink. While we may need to avoid groupthink, we must also see the value in it, so that we can improve as a group.
Eh friend your english ah…
Anyway thanks for your comment! Appreciated.
I always thought Groupthink was a bad thing. It was, to me, a delusional barrier that exposes the group to be more and more vulnerable to mistakes, while at the same time the group wouldn’t realise it. Thanks!
In reality, and most of the time, it takes extraordinary skills and efforts to maintain group interacton and groupthink. Whether they are the mafias or street gangs, Spice Girls or ABBA, disagreements or differences would occur at some point in time, and members eventually end up going their separate ways, sometimes even in violent or most unpleasant circumstances.
Yes, you can say I don’t believe that groups can stay, or last, forever even if they practice all the good things of group synergy at the very beginning.
Oh really? That’s an interesting viewpoint. Why do you have such a belief that groups can’t stay? Is it because of media influence? The examples you gave, Spice Girls and so on, were from the media.
Anyway thanks party tart for your comment. I think that perhaps, for groups to stay for a long time, it may require either a very strong relationship between the members in the group, or a very lasting purpose for the group to continue, or both. That however, may be rather hard to come by.
Precisely! No media influenc
These things happen in reel life, and real life 
Groups continue to strive because they are still striving towards a common goal. Bands often breakup because individuals feel they have already achieved everything or sometimes they realise there is nothing more they can achieve together.
Till then, groups will continually iron out their issues by making compromises etc.
Hmmm… it seems to me that you are saying groups only occur because they need to acheive a certain goal? How about a close bunch of good friends that have no explicit purpose to attain? Why do they stay? Anyway thanks for your comment. Appreciated.
The need for acceptance perhaps?
Call me cynical. (:
When you roam the streets of Hong Kong stirring up trouble, it would definitely be in one’s interest to form alliances – people who can back you up! There is a saying that two heads are better than one, and I think that the more people in a gang the stronger the gang is, which probably explains why individuals would rather belong to gangs.
They should be mindful to appoint a Devil’s advocate too to prevent groupthink and hence not collapse.
Thanks Rachel.
You just illustrated fair-weathered friends
In mafia gang, I think what the individual would initially want from it is recognition and power, this might initially cause group dialectics as they let their own personal gains take priority of the gang’s priority. However, they might suppress their own selfish needs and conform to the gang’s code of conduct as they will want to impress the ones with higher authority to make their way up in the gang, but end of the day, that is to fulfill their own desires and wants. Slowly, their loyalties towards the whole gang grows and this might have triggered Groupthink as they feel obliged to follow what the Big Boss says/do, or they might even end up as being “brainwashed”.
I don’t feel that communication is important within gangs as it seems that they can hardly quit from a gang. They’re forced to stay within the gang if not they will face dire consequences. Not only are their lives being threatened, they might endanger the lives of the family members as well. Gang members tend to be more unscrupulous and they would do to any lengths to get their goals at time. Hence I think it is not easy for a group to just breakdown
Oh quite the contrary! Communication in gangs are important! I suppose the underlying difference is in the way/styles they communicate to each other. But indeed, it may be as you highlighted, not so important in sustaining a gang (since quiting one may lead to fatality).
Hi there! =)
Personally, I think that even though groupthink is very prominent as they possess the symptoms like pressure on dissenters and believing in group’s own morality, the reason why they are still able to operate is that the pressure they are giving to those who form their own thinking is so great to the extent that it forced others to conform to their group’s beliefs. Thus, due to this fear instilled in them, they remained in their respective gangs even though there are obvious problems in their way of communication.
Oh the point you made is what COM101 describes as ‘pressure on dissenters’. Thanks!
Take the Mafia, for example. Their ways are heavily rooted in tradition ad they have a strict adherence to hierarchy. Under the Don (the head, or Godfather), there’s the Consigliere, who serves as his advisor/lawyer. Then comes the Underboss, who is the official second in command. After that comes the Caporegimes, who lead their own Soldiers and act out the Mafia’s everyday activities and rackets. Finally comes the Associates, who aren’t official members of the Mafia,but still hold some ties to them and assist as contacts, dealers and such. Conflict is lessened due to their high regard for rank. Even if they are ordered to do something they disagree with, they do it anyway, out of respect and fear.
The Mafia are also governed by a long history of traditions and rules, and as long as they adhere to these rules, do not dishonour the family name and do not disobey authority, then anything else goes. If there are any members who are out of line, there are no disagreements, arguments or such. These people are simply eliminated. Brutal, but efficient. It’s not that these organizations do not have internal conflicts (they have loads, actually), it’s just that these problems are “offed” quickly.
Hey Russell one game too many for you eh? What have you been playing? Mafia in Facebook? Haha. It’s not everyday someone can quote the ranks of the Mafia family in such detailed fashion.
Thanks anyway. Your explanation of traditional norms and ‘offing’ a problematic member was really informative. Although I can’t help but feel it came straight out of video game concept. haha. But thanks anyway, really.
I hate Mafia for Facebook. I find the constant alerts and requests quite annoying. What I know of the Cosa Nostra is from my love of The Godfather Trilogy. Three of the best movies. Ever. That, plus I got interested, so I did a bit of research, and that is how the Sicillian Mafia is actually structured.
I think for gangs, they will always experience groupthink as the members believe that they can do no wrong. The members embrace the behaviour of the group, and cut themselves off from the rest of the society. They also believe in their group’s own morality and have pressure on dissenters too. For instance, if someone wish to leave the gang, he/she may get penalized or punished. Or from what we usually see on television, get themselves killed as the group will see it as a form of betrayal. Hence, I think groupthink is inevitable in gangs.
Wow it seems many people agree that pressure on dissenters is the core reason why gangs do not break-up. I suppose fear and intimidation holds them together.
we need groups, but i think we need to make a group happen! individuality shoul never be forgotten! In a positive sense, we need to exercise our views so as to ensure that the group does not fall short or anything.