The marketing team of Hanchloe, Inc. was trying to decide whether to go ahead with the new marketing campaign or not, as they received inputs that the campaign may be perceived as racist just one day before the campaign was about to go live. The team leader called an ad hoc emergency team meeting, and the team members deliberated for six hours, discussing the cost involved in the campaign, and whether they were targeting the right platforms to reach their target audience. But, they still could not reach a decision. Which barrier to group problem solving were they facing?

Answer: Lack of planning

Explanation: A barrier to group problem solving is a situation that prevents a group of individuals from finding a successful solution to a problem. Barriers are usually caused by social, physical and cognitive blocks.

There is a lack of planning here, as the marketing team only conducted further research and received input on the campaign a mere day before it was scheduled to be released. Moreover they were unable to reach a resolve during the emergency meeting, proving the inadequate problem solving techniques that are in place. The discussions they were having in the meeting were also limited, as they were only discussing the financial aspects of launching vs not launching the ad, and not focusing more on the social consequences as well.