Cultural differences explaining the differences in results in GSS: implications for the next decade

Abstract

For the next decade, the “support” that comes from Group Support Systems (GSS) will be increasingly directed towards culturally diversified groups. While there have been many GSS studies concerning culture and cultural differences, no dedicated review of GSS researches exists for the identification of current gaps and opportunities of doing cross-cultural GSS research. For this purpose, this paper provides a comprehensive review utilizing a taxonomy of six categories: research type, GSS technology used, independent variables, dependent variables, use of culture, and findings. Additionally, this study also aims to illustrate how differences in experimental results arising from comparable studies, but from a different cultural setting, can be explained consistently using Hofstede's dimensions. To do so, we presented a comparative study on the use of GSS in Australia and Singapore and explain the differences in results using Hofstede's [G. Hofstede, Culture's Consequences—International Differences in Work-related Values, Sage, Beverly Hills, CA (1980).] cultural dimensions. Last, but not least, we present the implications of the impact of culture on GSS research for the next decade from the viewpoint of the three GSS stakeholders: the facilitators, GSS software designers, and the GSS researchers. With the above, this paper seeks (i) to prepare a comprehensive map of GSS research involving culture, and (ii) to prepare a picture of what all these mean and where we should be heading in the next decade.