Abstract
In this paper we analyze the empirical findings on the impacts of technological support on group. We define and differentiate two broad technological support systems for group processes: Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS), and Group Communication Support Systems (GCSS). We then present a framework and method for analyzing the impacts of such information systems on groups. We develop the framework from the literature of organization behavior and group psychology and apply it to literature of MIS. We then review the empirical research and findings concerned with the impacts of GDSS and GCSS on groups, and we compare and contrast these findings. Finally, we conclude by discussing the implications of our analysis on the focus of attention and design of future research. Five Major implications stem from our analysis: (1) there is lack of research on some important “formal” factors of groups, (2) there is a paucity of research on the impacts of GDSS and GCSS on the informal dimension of groups, (3) there is a need to move away from laboratory settings to field study in organization settings, with “real” manager, (4) more research is needed on stages of group development and on how they affect the impacts of GDSS and GCSS on groups, and (5) more research is needed to understand how the structure imposed by the technological supports affect group processes.
Highlights
The study of group meetings has proven to possess both scientific and practical relevance
Overall, it seems that Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS) research provides relatively consistent findings both within groups of variables and across groups of variables
The changes in group process and in the task related outcomes increase the satisfaction of group members with the group processes
Summary
The study of group meetings has proven to possess both scientific and practical relevance. From Concordia University and a M.Sc. in management from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales, Montreal His current research interests include the organizational implications of computing, especially with regard to the centralization/decentralization of decision making authority and middle managers; the strategic and political uses of computing; the use of information technology to support individual and group decision processes; and the implementation of information systems. His research interests include the management of information systems in organizations; the organizational, social and public policy implications of computing; and the strategic and political uses of computing His most recent books are Datawars (Columbia University Press, 1987), Wired Cities (G.K. Hall, 1987), and Change and Control in Organizational Computing (Jossey-Bass, forthcoming). Second we present a framework and method for analyzing the impacts of technological support systems on group processes and outcomes We develop this framework from systematic review of relevant literature in group psychology and organization behavior. This corresponds to "Group 7: Structured Group Decision Techniques" of Benbasat and Nault (1988), and to "Level 2" support of DeSanctis and Gallupe (1987). 2
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