Les paradoxes de la coopération

[The paradoxes of cooperation]

“How can you best mobilize collective intelligence?” is the question addressed in this book. For several decades, researchers in social and behavioral sciences have been studying group dynamics. Their works highlight surprising paradoxes. For example, how can a collective of individuals who are perfectly competent and moved by the best of intentions sometimes reach decisions that are so obviously erroneous or deliver results so disappointing? Why do some debates drift, leading to a radicalization of personal opinions at the expense of the collective thinking enrichment? These phenomena are all the more damageable that they largely remain unconscious. This is thus with interest that we follow the explanations of the authors, who analyze chapter after chapter the underlying psychological and social mechanisms. They also provide numerous advice to limit the risks of drift by adapting our managerial practices. A fascinating and beneficial book!