Social influence effects on remote group interactions

This paper discusses the results of an experiment exploring the effects of information technology intervention on decision making groups. Specifically, the study examines the effects communication modality {remote vs. face-to-face) and information load on the types of social influence used by group members and the amount of group polarization or choice shift exhibited by group members. The findings suggest that face-to-face groups use more informational influence than remote groups and that this difference increases as information load increases. Also, face-to-face groups experienced greater choice shift than remote groups at high information loads

AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OFTHE EFFECT OF A GROUP DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM ON NORMATME INFLUENCE IN SMALL GROUPS

This research represents an attempt to determine the impact of a group decision support system (GDSS) on the ability of groups to influence the judgments of individual group members. The power of groups to influence individuals has been well documented in the social psychological literature. For organizations interested in promoting innovation and creative problem solving in group settings, this tendency can be quite troubling. In the past, researchers have looked at how certain types of GDSSs might lessen these types of group pressures in the generation of creative ideas. This research may be viewed as an extension of this work to the choice phase of decision making. In an experimental setting forty-eight subjects were combined on an individual basis with groups of confederates to test the normative influence of the groups on the choices made by the individuals. Three different communication modality configurations were employed to test the effect which this had on the influence of the group. Whereas negative group effects in the idea-generating phase may lead to good ideas not being considered, group effects in the choice stage can to lead poor decisions being adopted, perhaps with even more unfortunate results. Obviously, both of these effects represent serious threats to the effectiveness of decision-making groups; consequently, both represent areas for potential contribution of improved versions of GDSSs

Long-Term Effects of Group Decision Support Systems on Group Commitment: A Theoretical Model

Human knowledge is one of the scarce resources and strategic assets of organization. Turnover in organization has long been one of the major problems that most organizations are facing. Commitment is found to be a critical factor to sustain organizations\u27 competitive advantages. The organizational commitment is derived from group commitment within a particular organization. This paper introduces long-term variable (group commitment) of using GDSS and proposes a long-term effect of GDSS on group commitment. Socialization theory and team theory are used to explain the theoretical background underlying the model

The impact of technological support on groups: An assessment of the empirical research

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. © 1989

Use of GDSS and training of group members to improve decision-making: An empirical study

Using Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS) to enhance group work has been emphasized in several GDSS studies. Despite the volume of accumulated research, little attention has been paid to investigating the member training effects on group performance. Member training includes group task management techniques, such as constructive attitudes toward group task and decision-making by consensus. This empirical study evaluated the effects of using a GDSS and member training on group performance. The experiment found that groups with member training had better decision quality and GDSS groups demonstrated better decision quality

Discrimination of Structure and Technology in a Group Support System: The Role of Process Complexity

It is not clear whether improvements found with group technology are due to the structure embedded in the technology or the added benefit of the technology in managing information complexity. Process complexity is proposed as the explanatory factor in previous coafiicting results. Task complexity is clarified and a Process Complexity Model is proposed and tested. The principal factors manipulated are task complexity (complex and less complex) and technology (present or absent). Ill-structured policy tasks are employed and, in addition to other outcome variables measured, task outcome quality is quantified by comparing the reported results of policy experts ir, these \u27asks. Since small group size (three to four) may be the reason that previous experiments have not shown significant differences, group size is controlled using larger groups of seven or more members