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Bays of Pigs Invasion - Edited
Bays of Pigs Invasion - Edited
resulted in great failure. This event is used to as a perfect example of Irvin Janis’ Groupthink
theory (Schmidt, 2016). According to Janis, Groupthink is a form of collective thinking where
the members of a group agree on something without evaluating various alternatives. Janis
contends that Groupthink acts as a barrier to efficient decision making within a group. In
addition, the theorist asserts in a group that is driven by Groupthink, various characteristics are
identical to the members of such groups such as the belief that they are morally upright,
stereotypes that opponents are inferior, presence of a key decision-maker who acts as a barrier to
The effect of Groupthink on Bays of Pigs invasion is that it led to the failure of the
American invasion in Cuba. It is documented that the plan to invade Cuba was conceptualized by
President Eisenhower and when the administration of President Kennedy assumed leadership, it
adopted the plan and decided to execute it without questioning it (History.com Editors, 2018).
President as the chief decision-maker rejected opposing opinions from the likes of Senator
Willian Fulbright who later came to support the plan. Moreover, Kennedy’s team saw the then
president of Cuba, Fidel Castro, as unable to lead to successful military operation due to
perceived weak air force and his inability to cease public unrests in his country. However, Fidel
Castro was able to fight them at the Bays of Pig in Cuba (History.com Editors, 2018). The
American invaders would later surrender and many were imprisoned in Cuba by Castro’s
administration.
While Groupthink has led to many failures, it is not always negative. It might depend on
the chief decision-maker. If the key decision-maker is competent enough and conversant with the
BAYS OF PIGS INVASION 3
matter at hand, then the results are more likely to be positive. Also, Groupthink encourages
harmony, cooperation, and removes the possibility of external influence meaning that it can post
positive results in various places if used effectively. Be-that-as-it-may, there are more failures
Groupthink can be avoided through two major approaches. One is allowing the members
of a group to air their opinions whether opposing or proposing and holding a consensus to decide
on the best opinion (Schmidt, 2016). The second approach is avoiding to underrate the
opponents by carrying out an in-depth analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent
References
History.com Editors. (2018, September 20). Bay of Pigs Invasion. HISTORY.
https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/bay-of-pigs-invasion
https://www.britannica.com/science/groupthink