From Elsmar Cove Quality Assurance and Business Standards Wiki
Go To B
A
Abilene paradox - based on a story of a group of people that ended up agreeing to go to abilene, when in reality none of them wanted to go. A book by the same name [1974] describes the phenomenon in teams or task groups that causes people to say and do things in order to gain or keep approval of others in the group. This, and the tendency to focus on differences rather than points of agreement may cause a group to fail to recognize they are each after the same goals. The need to be accepted as part of the group may result in a "collective self-deception that leads to self-
Acceptance Sampling - Statistical quality control technique used in deciding to accept or reject a shipment of input or output.
Accountability - Holding an individual or group subject to blame or penalty for the results of specified tasks, functions or results. The risk can be that the individual or group, while having responsibility to make a contribution to the task or result, cannot control all of the factors affecting the outcome and may be blamed (or credited) undeservedly for effects of other factors.
