Integrated essay

The passage explains the advantages of group thinking in solving up-coming problems or making effective decisions. However, the professor introduces some disadvantages of such method which may lead to disastrous decisions.

First of all, the professor states that groups have an inclination for conformity and each member try to conform to others' ideas. Moreover, the objections will be usually ignored in favor of conformity. He refutes the claim in the passage that indicates working together results in a broader spectrum of fresh ideas and intellectual faculties as well as better knowledge exchange.

Secondly, the lecturer suggests that people in a group may feel invulnerable to risks and errors. For example, in a case of prison break, the responsible team failed to catch the prisoner based on the flawed assumption that a team of experts would inevitably be superior to a single individual and they would easily catch the prisoner. This opposes to the passage claim that when members of a group share the responsibility they may take good and reasonable decisions with confidence.

Thirdly, the professor asserts that people tend to reassure each other about the soundness of the decisions they make. For example, the Ford company once introduced a new car model to the market that was a total failure and put the company in danger of bankruptcy. That was the fault of the managing team. Thus, the professor undermines the point in the passage that says individual in a group will learn from each other and become capable of achieving worthwhile goals.