10 Examples of Group Harmony

John Spacey, April 22, 2020

Group harmony is a lack of disagreement and discord in a social group such as a society, community, organization, department or team. The following are illustrative examples.

Saving Face

Saving face is the practice of not directly pointing out the failures and bad ideas of others in order to avoid embarrassing them. This is an element of culture whereby it is considered socially unacceptable in some cultures to directly embarrass people. Saving face promotes group harmony but has negative implications for decision making, performance and risk management. For example, a copilot that hesitates to question a pilot when they know they are making a serious error that threats the safety of an aircraft.

Collectivism

Collectivism is the prioritization of the group over the individual. This is a fundamental element of worldview that differs by culture. For example, the belief that an individual should fulfill a role imposed by society without complaint in order to ensure group harmony.

Groupthink

Groupthink is the aggressive adoption of an ideology by a group whereby anyone who fails to adhere to the language and content of the ideology is quickly labeled and outcast. This is a form of group harmony that is enforced with social coercion.

Abilene Paradox

Abilene paradox is the tendency for decisions made by groups to be fully irrational because they represent a process of social compromise designed to preserve group harmony as opposed to rational thought.

Risk Aversion

Generally speaking, decisions made by groups that prioritize group harmony are risk adverse such that they prioritize safety, security and preservation of the status quo.

Mediocrity

Mediocrity is a state of being satisfied with being fed, entertained and safe. The mediocre stick to the safety of the group and do everything they can not to stand out. They fear outsiders, risk takers and independent thinkers and actively defend group harmony from such individuals.

Paternalism

Paternalism is an approach to government and leadership that views members of the group as children who have limited capacity to understand things or act in their own best interests. Paternalistic governments prioritize safety, security and risk avoidance and tend to govern every aspect of life such that freedoms are limited.

Tolerance for Disagreement

Tolerance for disagreement is an ability to engage in lively debate and disagreement without becoming overly negative, emotional or dramatic. In theory, this allows for brave conversations whereby decisions are actively challenged and validated while maintaining group harmony.

Culture

Culture is a set of norms, expectations and values that emerges through the shared experiences of groups. This greatly benefits group harmony. For example, norms of politeness that help to avoid disagreements between people.

Civility

Civility is the ability to disagree with ideas while remaining respectful of people, culture and society. This is a basic principle that allows for productive debate without creating social discord.