GDSS Group Decision

Support Systems
Definitions/Lingo
Decision Support Systems (DSS) are interactive
computer-based systems intended to help decision
makers utilize data to identify and solve problems
and make decisions.
Ie:
checklists/heuristics
mathematical models

Group Decision Support Systems
a DSS whose design, structure, and usage reflect
the way in which people cooperate to make a
particular decision or type of decision
an interactive, computer-based system which
facilitates the solution of unstructured problems
by a set of decision makers working together as a
group
consisting of a set of software, hardware,
language components, and procedures that
support a group of people engaged in a decision-
related meeting
What is a Group ?
refers to two or more (usually up to about
twenty-five) individuals whose mission is to
perform some task and who act as one unit
can be permanent or temporary
in one location or in several locations
can meet concurrently or at different time


Benefits of Groups
better than individuals at understanding
problems
people are accountable for decisions that they
participate in
better at catching errors
has more information (knowledge) than any
one member
more alternatives ==> better solutions
Benefits of Groups
synergy may be produced
working in group may stimulate the
participants and the process (cross-
fertilization)
committed to the implementation
Group:
Collection of individuals in which behavior
and/or performance of one member is
influenced by behavior and/or performance of
other members. (Gibson, 1991)
Problems with Groups
groupthink -- social pressures to conform
people begin to think alike and new ideas are
not tolerated
time-consuming, slow process
problems in coordination/poor planning
group dynamics
free-riders
fear to speak
domination
Problems with Groups
compromised solutions of poor quality
nonproductive time
socializing
getting ready
waiting for people
tendency to repeat what already was said
cost (time, money, energy)
Problems with Groups
make riskier decisions than they should/more
extreme (one way or the other)
incomplete or inappropriate use of
information
inappropriate representation in the group
size
New work arrangements
Virtual offices
Telework / Telecommuting
Hotdesking / Hoteling
Home workers
Mobile work
Virtual groups
Virtual fixed teams
Virtual mobile teams
Virtual communities
Developments in work settings
Many modern organisations are networking
organisations.
Many problems/tasks require people with different skills and experiences
Workforces are more distributed, and organizations are becoming more
virtual
Much work is done in groups
Groups often work inefficient
Dispersed cooperation is possible, but to make such
teams effective, knowledge is needed about:
the functioning of groups in general,
virtual groups, and
the possibilities of ICT support

Virtual teams
So: Virtual teams have advantages
But: Virtual teams have also problems:
Interpersonal communication is more difficult : No non-
verbal signals; no unplanned encounters; no context
awareness
And therefore : Difficulty in all kinds of group processes:
collaboration, coordination, developing trust, exchanging
knowledge

ICT tools have to match with the type of group and its task;
And they have to be supportive for the group processes

Global virtual teams
GVTs have even more problems:
Time zone differences
Language differences \ Cultural differences

Research suggests:
In individualistic cultures (EU, USA) people prefer direct
expression of opinions; In virtual groups they prefer
synchronous communication, through telephone,
video and chat.
In collectivist cultures (Asia, Africa) people are sensitive
to non-verbal signals and group relations. In virtual
groups people prefer asynchronous communication, to
be able to express themselves more carefully: e-mail

Group Decision Support
Systems (GDSS)
Group Support Systems (GSS)
Electronic Meeting Systems
Collaborative Computing

Evolved as information technology researchers
recognized that technology could be developed for
supporting meeting activities
Idea generation
Consensus building
Anonymous ranking
Voting, etc.
Definitions/Lingo
Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS) - An
interactive, computer-based system that facilitates
solution of unstructured problems by a set of
decision-makers working together as a group. It aids
groups, especially groups of managers, in analyzing
problem situations and in performing group decision
making tasks.
Group Support Systems has come to mean computer
software and hardware used to support group
functions and processes.

Definitions/Lingo
CSCW is an acronym for Computer Supported
Cooperative Work. It is the scientific discipline that
motivates and validates groupware design. CSCW is
technology independent which means technology is not
the major driving force behind the discipline. Instead,
CSCW is socially dependent. It looks at the way people
interact and collaborate with each other, and attempts to
develop guidelines for developing technology to assist in
the communication process.
Groupware is the hardware and software which
supports and augments group work. Groupware
applications are not meant to replace people in an
interactive situation.

Decision Making
in Groups
Some fundamentals of group decision
making
1. Groups
2. The Nature of Group Decision Making
a) Meetings are a joint activity
b) The outcome of the meeting depends on its
participants.
c) The outcome of the meeting depends on the
composition of the groups
d) The outcome of the meeting depends on the
decision-making process
e) Differences in opinion are settled either by the
leader or negotiation or arbitration
Potential Benefits of Working in a Group


Groups are better than individuals at understanding problems.
People are accountable for decisions in which they participate.
Groups are better than individuals at catching errors.
A group has more information (knowledge) than any one member. Groups
can combine that knowledge and create new knowledge. As a result, there
are more alternatives for problem solving, and better solutions can be
derived.
Synergy during problem solving may be produced.
Working in a group may stimulate the participants and the process.
Group members will have their egos embedded in the decision, so they will
be committed to the solution.
Risk propensity is balanced. Groups moderate high-risk takers and
encourage conservatives.


Potential Dysfunctions of Group Process (Process Losses)


Social pressures of conformity that may result in "groupthink" (where
people begin to think alike, and where new ideas are not tolerated)
Time-consuming, slow process (only one group member can speak at a
time)
Lack of coordination of the work done by the group and poor planning of
meetings
Inappropriate influence (e.g., domination of time, topic, or opinion by one
or few individuals; fear of speaking)
Tendency of group members to rely on others to do most of the work
Tendency toward compromised solutions of poor quality
Incomplete task analysis
Nonproductive time (socializing, getting ready, waiting for people)
Tendency to repeat what already was said
Large cost of making decisions (many hours of participation, travel
expenses, etc.)
Tendency of groups to make riskier decisions than they should
Incomplete or inappropriate use of information
Inappropriate representation in the group


Similarities Between GDSS and DSS
Both use models, data and user-friendly
software
Both are interactive with what-if capabilities
Both use internal and external data
Both allow the decision maker to take an active
role
Both have flexible systems
Both have graphical output
Why Use GDSS?
High level managers can spend 80% of their time
making decisions in groups. Applied correctly,
GDSS can reduce this time, arriving at a better
decision faster.
GDSS provides the hardware, software,
databases and procedures for effective decision
making.




Quality Team Roles and Responsibilities


Decision Support Needs
Members:
Identify problems
Generate and evaluate ideas
Develop and implement
solutions
Access to group problem-
solving techniques
Methods for encouraging
open participation by all
members
Leader:
Plans meetings
Coordinates team activities
Monitors and reports team
progress

Efficient use of team
meeting time (for example,
agenda management)
Documentation of team
decision-making processes
and outputs
Facilitator:
Promotes use of problem-
solving techniques
Encourages consensus
building
Serves as a liaison between
team and quality steering
committee


The Nominal Group Technique
(NGT)
(Delbec and Van de Ven)
NGT Sequence of activities
1. Silent generation of ideas in writing
2. Round-robin listing of ideas on a chart
3. Serial discussion of ideas
4. Silent listing and ranking of priorities
5. Discussion of priorities
6. Silent re-ranking and rating of priorities
Procedure is superior to conventional discussion
groups in terms of generating higher quality, greater
quantity, and improved distribution of information on
fact-finding tasks
NGT success depends on
Facilitator quality
Participants Training
NGT does not solve several process losses
Fearing to speak
Poor planning
Poor meeting organization
Compromises
Lack of appropriate analysis
The Delphi Method
(RAND Corporation)
Goal - To eliminate undesirable
effects of interaction among group
members
Experts do not meet face-to-face
Delphi Method Steps
1. Each expert provide an individually written
assignment or opinion
2. Delphi coordinator edits, clarifies and
summarizes the raw data
3. Provide anonymous feedback to all experts
4. Second round of issues or questions
5. Etc. Get more specific in each iteration, leading
to consensus or deadlock
Delphi Method Benefits
Anonymity
Multiple Opinions
Group Communication

Plus, Avoids
Dominant Behavior
Groupthink
Stubbornness
Delphi Method Limitations
Slow
Expensive
Usually limited to one issue at a time
Time/Place Framework
Time
synchronous
asynchronous
Place
same place
different place
Time/Place Framework
Same Time/Same Place
decision room
Same Time/Different Place
telephone conferencing, video conferencing
Different Time/Same Place
project/team rooms, shared offices
Different Time/Different Place
email, workflow management systems
Important Characteristics
of a GDSS
Specially Designed IS
Goal of Supporting Groups of Decision
Makers
Easy to Learn and Use
May be designed for one type of problem
or for many organizational decisions
Designed to encourage group activities
Attempts to minimize process losses
Characteristics of GDSS
Special Design
Ease of use
Specific and general support
Suppressing negative group behavior
Supporting positive group behavior

Typical GDSS Meeting
Characteristics
Organizational commitment/support
Trained facilitators or may be user driven
User training
Anonymity
Appropriate tasks
Dedicated decision rooms
GDSS Time/Place Environment
Same-Time
Same-Place
(Most widely used GDSS-
computers with projectors, voting
tools)
Same-Time
Different-Place
(team room, tools, audio
conferencing, screen sharing, chat)
Different-Time
Same-Place
(audio/video conferencing,
document sharing)
Different-Time
Different-Place
(voice mail, email, bulletin boards)
Advantages of GDSS
Anonymity drive out fear leading to better decisions
from a diverse hierarchy of decision makers
Parallel Communication eliminate monopolizing
providing increased participation, better decisions
Automated record keeping no need to take notes,
theyre automatically recorded
Ability for virtual meetings only need hardware,
software and people connected
Portability - Can be set up to be portable laptop
Global Potential - People can be connected across the
world
No need for a computer guru although some basic
experience is a must

Disadvantages of GDSS
Cost infrastructure costs to provide the hardware and
software/room/network connectivity can be very
expensive
Security especially true when companies rent the
facilities for GDSS; also, the facilitator may be a lower-level
employee who may leak information to peers
Technical Failure power loss, loss of connectivity, relies
heavily on bandwidth and LAN/WAN infrastructure
properly setup system should minimize this risk
Keyboarding Skills reduced participation may result due
to frustration
Training learning curve is present for users, varies by
situation
Perception of messages lack of verbal communication
could lead to misinterpretation
Typical GDSS Process
1) Group Leader (and Facilitator?) select software, develop
agenda
2) Participants meet (in decision room/Internet) and are
given a task.
3) Participants generate ideas brainstorm anonymously
4) Facilitator organize ideas into categories (different for
user-driven software)
5) Discussion and prioritization may involve ranking by
some criteria and/or rating to the facilitators scale
6) Repeat Steps 3, 4, 5 as necessary
7) Reach decision
8) Recommend providing feedback on decision and results
to all involved

GDSS: Part of GSS or
Electronic Meeting Systems
(EMS)
An information technology (IT)-based environment that
supports group meetings, which may be distributed
geographically and temporally. The IT environment
includes, but is not limited to, distributed facilities,
computer hardware and software, audio and video
technology, procedures, methodologies, facilitation,
and applicable group data. Group tasks include, but are
not limited to, communication, planning, idea
generation, problem solving, issue discussion,
negotiation, conflict resolution, system analysis and
design, and collaborative group activities such as
document preparation and sharing (p. 593, Dennis et al.,
1988).
GDSS Settings
Single Location
Multiple Locations

Common Group Activities
Information Retrieval
Information Sharing
Information Use
Three Levels of GDSS Support
Based on DeSanctis and Gallupe
Level 1: Process Support
Level 2: Decision-making Support
Level 3: Rules of order
Level 1: Process Support
support the basic communication process
between participants
electronic messaging
network linking the PCs
public screen
anonymous input of votes and ideas
solicitation of ideas or votes
summary and display of ideas and opinions
format for an agenda
Level 2: Decision-Making Support
decision modeling and group decision
techniques aimed at reducing uncertainty
and noise that occur in the group decision
process
adds capabilities for modeling and decision
analysis
planning and financial models
decision trees
probability assessment models
resource allocation models
Level 3: Rules of Order
characterized by machine-induced group
communication patterns
control the pattern, timing, or content of
information exchange
special software containing rules of order is
added
rules determining the sequence of speaking, the
appropriate response, or voting rules
GDSS Technology
GDSS Technology Options
1. Special-purpose electronic meeting facility
(decision room)
2. General purpose computer lab
3. Web (Internet) / Intranet or LAN-based
software for any place / any time
Components
Hardware
Software
People
Procedures
GDSS Hardware
1. Single PC
2. PCs and Keypads
3. Decision Room
4. Distributed GDSS
GDSS Software
Modules to support the individual, the
group, the process and specific tasks
Typical Group Features
Numerical / graphical summarization of ideas,
and votes
Programs calculating weights for alternatives;
anonymous idea recording; selection of a
group leader; progressive rounds of voting; or
elimination of redundant input
Text and data transmission among the group
members, between the group members and the
facilitator, and between the members and a
central data / document repository.
People
Group Members
Facilitator (Chauffeur)

Procedures (that enable ease of
operation and effective use of the
technology)
The Decision
(Electronic Meeting) Room
12 to 30 networked personal computers
Usually recessed
Server PC
Large-screen projection system
Breakout rooms
Need a Trained Facilitator for Success
Cool Rooms
Source: Ventana Corp., Tuscon, AZ, http://www.ventana.com
US Air Force
Cool Rooms
IBM Corp.
Source: Ventana Corp., Tuscon, AZ, http://www.ventana.com
Cool Rooms
Murraysville School District Bus
Source: Ventana Corp., Tuscon, AZ, http://www.ventana.com
Why Few Organizations
Use Decision Rooms
High Cost
Need for a Trained Facilitator
Software Support for Conflict Issues,
NOT Cooperative Tasks
Infrequent Use
Different Place / Different Time Needs
May Need More Than One
GDSS Software
Comprehensive GDSS Software
.GroupSystems for Windows (Ventana Corp.)
.VisionQuest (Collaborative Technologies
Corp.)
.TeamFocus (IBM Corp.)
.SAMM (University of Minnesota)
.Lotus Domino / Notes (Lotus Development
Corp.)
.Netscape Communicator (Netscape
Communications Corp.)
Emerging Web-Based GDSS
.TCBWorks (The University of Georgia)
(http://tcbworks.cba.uga.edu:8080)
Advanced Tools
1. Alternative Analysis
2. Survey
3. Activity Modeler

Other Resources
People
Whiteboard
Handouts
Opinion Meter
Individual Resources
Briefcase (Commonly Used
Applications)
Personal Log
Event Monitor
Internet-Based GDSS
Many new GDSS are Web-based
e.g., TCBWorks (October 10, 1995)
Sample of Web-based GDSS
TCBWorks
Lotus Domino/Notes
Netscape Communicator
BrainWeb
InterAction: A Web-based Collaboration Tool
End of 1996, over 75 Web-based
groupware systems
See Groupware Central
More developments on Web-based GDSS
coming
(More) Complete List of Web-based GDSS Software

A representative sample of Web-based GDSS software is on the Book Web page
(http://www.prenhall.com/) They include:

TCBWorks: Webware for Teams (from Alan Dennis at The University of
Georgia, Athens, GA; http://tcbworks.cba.uga.edu:8080)
Lotus Domino/Notes (from Lotus Development Corp., Cambridge, MA;
http://www.lotus.com)
Netscape Communicator (from Netscape Communications Corp.,
Mountain View, CA; http://www.netscape.com/)
CONSENSUS @nyWARE (from Group Decision Support Systems, Inc.,
Washington, DC; http://www.softbicycle.com/)
Beacon I nteractive Systems (from Beacon Interactive Systems,
Cambridge, MA; http://www.beaconis.com/)
Webthing (from Nick Kew; http://potox.com/~webthing)
Sound I DEAS (from New Star Technologies, Inc., Chesterfield, MO;
http://www.newstartech.com)
BrainWeb (from the faculty of Systems Engineering, Policy Analysis and
Management at Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands;
http://www.sepa.tudelft.nl/~gdr/brainweb/bw0.html)
Electronic Meeting Space: College Town (a virtual meeting space from the
Association for Computing Machinery: ACM)
BSCW: Basic Support for Cooperative Work on the World-Wide-Web
(from the Institute for Applied Information Technology, German
National Research Centre for Information Technology,
Richard.Bentley@gmd.de).
I nterAction: A Web-based Collaboration Tool (from J. Valacich and L.
Jessup, University of Indiana; http://www.indiana.edu/~iudis/).
Format of a GDSS Meeting
Idea Generation/Electronic Brainstorming
what are the problems with MSU parking ?
Idea Organization
organized the ideas into a list of key issues
Voting/Ranking
which are most important ?
Idea Generation
who can do the tasks ?
The GDSS
Meeting Process
1. Group leader meets with facilitator to
Plan the meeting
Select the software tools
Develop an agenda
2. Participants are gathered in the decision room and the
leader poses a question or problem to the group.
3. Participants type their ideas or comments
4. Facilitator searches for common themes, topics, and
ideas and organizes them into rough categories (key
ideas)
5. Leader starts a discussion and participants prioritize
the ideas
6. Top 5 to 10 topics are routed to idea generation software,
after discussion
7. Repeat the process
The Goal of GDSS and
Its Technology Levels
Goal - to improve the productivity and
effectiveness of decision-making meetings,
either
by speeding up the decision-making
process or
by improving the quality of the resulting
decisions
by removing the problems of group

Benefits of GDSS
supports parallel generation of ideas
supports larger groups
rapid and easy access to external information
parallel computer discussion
anonymous input
automatic documentation of the group
meetings
Examples of GDSS taken directly from http://cicero.com
1) One example of implementation of GDSS is at IBM. They, as well as many other corporations, initiated GDSS to
improve group meetings. A specific case involved a plant manager not being able to identify the cause of problems
with shop floor control. After having a meeting for two hours with plant personnel all that resulted were arguments and
bad feelings.
So after meeting with the company's GDSS facilitator, the manager decided to have ten plant employees, himself, and
two junior analysts participate in a GDSS program. They would use electronic brainstorming and voting to resolve the
shop floor control problem.
The manager and the facilitator decided the topic would be "What are the key issues in improving shop floor control?"
After brainstorming for 35 minutes and compiling 645 lines of suggestions, ideas and comments on how to improve
shop floor control, the manager found that he had gotten useful information about the issue for the first time.
A list was compiled of the comments and then the members of the group ranked them in order of importance. The
results were displayed and a discussion occurred for ten minutes. The manager thanked the participants and was given
a printout of all the discussion and results of the group vote (Aiken 3).
2) Another example is Hewlett-Packard. Their human-factors engineers work at locations all over the world. And they
meet in person only once a year. The rest of the time, they have frequent, ongoing meetings to discuss professional and
company issues. But they have these discussions through an electronic conference and final decision making is done
with the aid of GDSS (Sproull 121).

Constructing a GDSS and the
Determinants of Its Success
Constructing a GDSS
1. Construct (or Rent) a Decision Room
2. Acquire Software
3. Develop Procedures
4. Train a Facilitator
5. Put It All Together
Can
Use Someone Else's Facility
Rent One
Use a Dual Purpose Computer Lab
Determinants of GDSS
Success for a Decision
Room Setting
Same Time/Same Place Meetings
Trained Facilitator
Support
Participants Training
More on Critical Success
Factors for GDSS
1. Design
a) Enhance the structuredness of
unstructured decisions
b) Anonymity
c) Organizational involvement
d) Ergonomic considerations

2. Implementation
a) Extensive and proper user training
b) Support of top management
c) Qualified facilitator.
d) Execute trial runs
3. Management
a) Reliable system
b) Incrementally improve system
c) GDSS staff keeps up with technology
User involvement and participants
behavior are also important factors
Building Decision Rooms Using Off-the-
Shelf Software
GDSS Research Challenges
Differences in effectiveness between
field studies and lab experiments
Multi-methodological research
programs to understand key GDSS
issues
Understand the effects that these
differences have on the process and
outcomes of group meetings
Use this understanding to interpret
and apply the conclusions of
experiments to organizations GDSS
use
Research Models
1. GDSS Variables
2. GDSS Research Topics
Research Issues in GDSS


I. GDSS DESIGN
Human factors design (e.g., spatial arrangement, public screens,
informal communications channels)
Database design
User interface design
Interface with DSS
Design methodologies

II. APPROPRIATENESS OF GDSS
When should a GDSS be used and when should it not be used?
When is a GDSS preferred to a DSS?
Selecting the right GDSS design

III. GDSS SUCCESS FACTORS
Measures of success (e.g., reduction in group conflict, degree of
consensus, group norms)
Effects of hardware, software, user motivation, and top management
support on GDSS's success

IV. IMPACT OF GDSS
Communication patterns
Confidence in decision
Costs
Level of consensus
User satisfaction

V. MANAGING THE GDSS
Responsibility for GDSS in organization
Planning requirements for GDSS
Training, maintenance, and other support needed

Source: Based on G. DeSanctis and R. B. Gallupe, "Information System
Support for Group Decision Making," Unnumbered working paper,
Department of Management Science, University of Minnesota (undated).
Additional Topics
(Dickson [1991])
1. Tradeoffs of advanced features versus simplicity
2. Interface studies
3. Supporting groups with difficulties
4. Research on anytime/anyplace configurations
5. GDSS benefit identification
6. Level of support required
7. Embedded knowledge bases (Intelligent GDSS)
8. Training issues
9. Individuals characteristics
Research Direction
Categories
1. What groups do
2. Effects of GDSS on group work
3. Effects of GDSS on organizations
4. Effects of hardware on GDSS
performance
5. Effects of software on GDSS
performance
6. Cultural effects of GDSS
7. Training people to use GDSS
8. Cost-benefit analysis for GDSS
9. Critical success factors for implementation
in industry
10. Robustness of research results
11. Innovative uses of GDSS
12. Theoretical foundations of GDSS
13. Barriers to research
14. Research methodologies
15. Anytime / anyplace meetings
16. Other ideas and research topics.

Six Major GSS Scenarios
for Research
1. Anytime / Anyplace
2. Orchestrated Workflow
3. Virtual Team Rooms
4. Culture Bridging
5. Just-In-Time Learning
6. Window to Anywhere
Research Sampler
Er and Ng [1995]: Value of anonymity,
group dynamics, organizational settings,
social contexts and behavioral aspects
Valacich and Schwenk [1995]: Value of a
devils advocacy (a cognitive conflict
technique) enhanced decision making
performance
Bryson et al. [1994]: Value of special voting
approaches
Anson et al.[1995]: Human facilitation
impacts
Miranda and Bostrom [1997]: Impacts of process and
content meeting facilitation across traditional and GDSS
environments on meeting processes and outcomes
Lim et al. [1994]: Effect of lack of leadership in a GDSS
meeting
Yellen et al. [1995]: Impact of individuals characteristics on
GDSS outcome
Dennis et al. [1996]: Effects of time and task decomposition
on electronic brainstorming to produce more and more
creative ideas
Dennis et al. [1997]: Effects of multiple dialogues versus
single dialogues for electronic brainstorming to reduce
cognitive inertia
Chidambaram [1996]: Individuals using GDSS technology
over time tend to feel more cohesive as a group than
groups not
Groups whose members are dispersed and possibly
communicate in different times
Intranets, the Internet and Web-based GDSS
Best Uses Of GDSS
Complex decision making
For Large Groups a meeting of 2 or 3
people does not justify GDSS
investment


Academia Research In GDSS
1998 - GDSS and incentive structure (1)
Group-based incentives resulted in more
participation than individual-based incentives
Group based incentives found to result in
superior performance in GDSS-supported
decision-making groups

Academia Research In GDSS
1998 - Examining the conflicting results of GDSS
research (2)
Organizations in the global business environment are much
more interested in groupware systems that include group
activities not necessarily in the same place or at the same
time.
It is becoming more important to coordinate conflicts and
collaborate in work with others in the distributed
environment amplifying the need for GDSS in
geographically separated group.
Unlike facilitator-driven GDSS, user-driven GDSS users show
less satisfaction with the initial use of the system.
Regardless of the different technical design configurations,
softwares and tasks, GDSS was consistently shown to have a
positive effect on the decision making process.

Academia Research In GDSS
1996 - The effects of a group decision support
system on culturally diverse and culturally
homogeneous group decision making (3)
GDSS may offer a conducive environment for improving group
decision making in both culturally homogeneous and diverse
groups. Groups that used GDSS produced significantly higher
number of non-redundant, realistic ideas than groups that did
not use a GDSS.
Culturally diverse groups significantly outperformed
homogeneous groups on number of ideas generated.
This study suggests that there is reason to believe that, if
carefully managed, the benefits of a culturally diverse workforce
can heavily outweigh the disadvantages.
Paradigm Shift?
Early computers were used primarily for
computations such as plotting the paths of missiles.
As businesses began to adopt computer technology,
the use of computers shifted to more for data
storage and retrieval rather computational. Recently,
computers have been extensively used for
communication. For example Email and the advent
of the internet has created exponential growth in
the use of the computer in the last part of the
decade. We seem to be in the primary stages of a
paradigm shift, where the background of culture and
tradition which guides the way people use
computers is changing.

Future Implications of GDSS
Integrating into existing corporate framework
GDSS brings changes which must be managed
GDSS will incorporate Artificial Intelligence and Expert
Systems the software will learn and help the users
make better decisions
Decreasing cost will allow more organizations to use
GDSS
Increasing implementation of GDSS with the customer
Customer voice their needs in non-threatening
environment



Future Implications of GDSS
GDSS may play a large role in the future of the virtual
companies
GDSS can help the virtual companies do business in the
global business environment
GDSS can help promote a culturally diverse work
environment
Telework seems to make a lot of sense using GDSS
Choosing The Right GDSS
Consider the following;
Decision Task Type
Group Size
Location of members of the group
Available Software
TeamWave Software - Workplace Screen Shots Cool Demo

Group Systems offers a collection of software tools to support
group activities such as brainstorming, information gathering,
idea organization, voting, preference aggregation, and
consensus building. In addition to these tools, there are
supplementary resources which aid the project teams in the
course of the GDSS session. Two of these resources are 1)
Opinion Meter, which helps you gauge group opinion on an
informal basis; and 2) Handouts, which allow the group leader
to post files on other relevant information to support the
team.

Summary
Many benefits to work groups, but many process losses
Delphi method and the Nominal Group Technique (NGT)
Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS), Group Support
Systems (GSS), electronic meeting systems (EMS),
computer-supported cooperative work, collaborative
computing, groupware, etc. - various computer support
for groups
GDSS attempts to reduce process losses and increase
process gains
GDSS over the Internet and Intranets, anytime/anyplace
Group DSS over a LAN in a decision room environment
Idea generation, idea organization,
stakeholder identification, topic
commentator, voting, policy formulation,
enterprise analysis and negotiation
support system
NSS can aid in resolving conflicts in groups
GDSS can fail
GDSS research is very diverse
Web-based group-ware for
anytime/anyplace collaboration
The Internet and Intranets - major role in
distributed GDSS
What is Groupware?
A Software specifically designed
To support group working
With cooperative requirement in mind

Groupware is not
Just tools for communication
Synonymous with CSCW (Computer-
Supported Cooperative Work)
What is Groupware?
Tools (hardware, software, processes) that support
person-to-person collaboration
This can include e-mail, bulletin boards,
conferencing systems, decision support systems,
video and workflow systems, etc
Some common groupware acronyms:
Group Support Systems (GSS)
Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS)
Electronic Meeting Systems (EMS)
Bulletin Board Systems (BBS)
Group Collaboration Systems (GCS)
Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) systems
Groupware system
Classification of Groupware
Groupware can be classified by
when and where the participants are working
the function it performs for cooperative work
The Time/Space Matrix
Classify groupware by:
when the participants are working at the
same time or not
where the participants are working at the
same place or not

Common names for axes:
time: synchronous/asynchronous
place: co-located/remote
The Time/Space Matrix

Co-located

Remote

Synchronous
Face to face
communication

Telephone

Asynchronous

Post-it Notes

Letter
The Time/Space Matrix

Co-located

Remote

Synchronous
Meeting rooms Video
Conference,
Video-wall etc

Asynchronous

Argumentation tools

Email &
Electronic
conference
Shared work surfaces, editors etc
Co-authoring systems & calendars
Three types of interaction
All collaboration technology always implies:
1. Human - computer interaction
2. Human - database interaction: (information
seeking)
Internets
Intra-net
Group networks
3. Mediated interpersonal interaction
(communication)
A Simple Classification of Groupware
(adapted from Johansen, 1991)
Time
Location
Same
Different
Same
Different
GDSS;
Support for
FtF Meetings,
Email,
Bulletin board,
Comp. Conf
Teleconferencing,
Instant Msg
Chat, Whiteboard,
Video
Email,
Bulletin board,
Comp. Conf
Web based CS
Classification by Function
P P
Understanding
Dir. Communication
A
Control &
Feedback
What interactions does a tool support?

Computer-mediated communication:
Direct communication between participants

Meeting & decision support systems:
Common understanding

Shared application & artifacts:
Control & feedback with shared work objects
Classification by Function
Disproportionate effort
Who puts in the effort is not who gets the
benefit
Example: Shared diary:
Effort: secretaries & subordinates, enter data
Benefit: for managers, easy to arrange meetings
Results: falls into disuse
Solution:
Coerce use !
Design in symmetry
Free rider problem
Even if no bias still problem
Possible to get benefit without doing work
If everyone does it, system falls into disuse

Example:
Electronic conferences: can read but never
contribute

Solutions:
Strict protocols (e.g. round robin)
Increase visibility rely on social pressure
Critical mass
Early telephone system:
Few subscribers none to ring
Lots of subscribers never stops ringing !

Electronics communications similar:
Benefit proportional to number of subscribers
Early users have negative cost/benefits
Need critical mass to give net benefits

How to get started?
Look for cliques to form core user base
Design to benefit an initial small user base
Organizational Issues
Groupware effects organizational structures

Communication structures reflect line management
often physical location also

Email cross-organisational communication
Disenfranchises lower management disaffected staff and
sabotage

Technology can be used to change management
style and power structures
But need to know that is what we are doing.
Invisible worker
Telecommunications improvements allow:
Neighborhood work centers
Home based Tele-working

Many ecological & economic benefits
Reduce family commitments but:
Management by presence doesn't work
Presence increases perceived worth problems for
promotion

Barriers to Tele-working are managerial/social not
technological