Study : The Abilene Paradox: The Management of Agreement (Harvey, 1974)

1. What is the Abilene paradox? Describe some of the symptoms of organizations caught in the paradox.
2. Tell us about one of the case studies that Harvey (1974) describes on pages 67-69.
3. Harvey discusses 5 factors when analyzing the paradox. Discuss at least two of these and their importance in the paradox.
4. On page 73, Harvey discusses several terms that describe the risk factors of his model (A Possible Abilene Bypass). Discuss one of these as it relates to his model and to your understanding of these terms in social psychology.
5. How would someone go about diagnosing the paradox? What suggestions does Harvey make?
6. What are his recommendations for coping with the paradox?