Chapter 13

Group Support Systems

Jeff Vonnahme
BSAD 145
Wednesday, April 10
 Outline

• Why are Group Systems Important

• Types of Group Support Systems
• Groupware on the Internet

• Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS) – systems

that support decision making by more than one
person, working together to reach a decision
 Why are Group Systems
Important?
• Teams may be the basis for future organizations
 Peter Drucker – organizations are becoming information based…future
organizations will be composed of specialists who direct their
performance through feedback from others
• Coordination theory may guide organizational design
 Malone (MIT) – lessons learned about how large groups coordinate
work can be applied to coordinating large groups of computing
resources
• Companies want to “manage” knowledge
 Attempts to capture knowledge (explicit vs. tacit)
 “The Rudy Problem”
Types of Group Support Systems

• Supporting Same Time/Same Place Groups

 Problems with meetings
 IT can help improve meetings
• Supporting Presentations and Discussions
 Davidson and Briggs – Use of GSS in a presentation-
discussion session held in a workshop setting
• Supporting Dispersed Groups
 Ongoing coordination by groups working at different times
and places
 Johansen’s Matrix
 Groupware on the Internet

• Major uses for web-based groupware

To support project team activities
To support education
To replace email listserv systems
(Wheeler, Dennis, Press)

• Advantages & Disadvantages

 CLJ
Cio.com “Real-Time Collaboration Tools”
http://www.cio.com/archive/040197/et.html

This article looks at the increasing need for immediate collaboration of several people when
making important business decisions. The answer for these needs? Group decision support
systems. The author lists new technologies such as convergence of data, audio conferencing
and videoconferencing as the gateway for the bringing together of far-away employees in
real-time setting. While some big companies are focusing on GDSSs, many are adopting
groupware applications. The most common today is Microsoft’s NetMeeting, which allows
users to share applications and communicate in real-time conferences. Other companies such
as 3M are restructuring their processes to promote interoperability. Technology like
PictureTalk helps to bridge different applications among users, allowing different programs to
communicate. Many companies are restructuring their networks to support these new
technologies. DataBeam has developed a system that works with the business network to tie
employees through web server and browser technology. Finally, new products such as
Cybercasting will be the wave of the future. This application looks to erase the technical
limitations of audio and videoconferencing. Whatever technology companies choose to
implement, it should be noted that applications providing compatibility across PC vendors
should be a top priority.
"Instead of having people travel for a two- or a three-week course, all you really want to do is
get people together to talk. It's not the same as a face-to-face experience, but it's rich and
interesting in its own way." - Ellen Isaacs (Electric Communities)
 CTQ
• Supporting dispersed groups is one of the most promising uses for ongoing
coordination by groups who work at different times and different places. This
technology can be used to stretch the workday to round-the-clock by passing work
from groups in one region to the next at the end of each one’s workday. [page 410]

• Would passing work from one employee to another have a negative effect on the
work being conducted? If so, how?
• Should large international companies restructure their networks to support a 24
hour cross-regional workday?
• Will these practices become the standard in the future due to the fact that companies
can finish projects in half the time?
• Should companies consider creating branches in Europe and Asia to enable this
competitive edge?
• Would these practices be particularly difficult to manage?
Any Questions?
Thank You!!