A Qualitative Analysis of Structural Emergence and Ascendant Leadership in Technological Appropriation

Recent scholarship on the appropriation of advanced information technology in professional settings has utilized adaptive structuration theory (AST) to move beyond voluntaristic and deterministic perspectives on workplace interaction. Our study seeks to advance the paradigm of adaptive structuration in both theoretical and empirical terms. First, we make a case for a reconceptualization of the duality of structure in AST by integrating insights from William Sewell’ s (1992) perspective on this important facet of structuration. Sewell suggests that structures are composed of both schemata (transposable recipes for social action) and resources (animate or inanimate objects actors use to exercise power). Second, we reveal how this reconceptualization of the duality of structure can open up new avenues for research on the appropriation of group decision support systems (GDSS) among work teams. To this end, we analyze interaction fragments—i.e., conversational and gestural exchanges—observed in a sample (N = 10) of over 60 video recorded sessions of GDSS appropriation in quasi-experimental workgroups. In five of the workgroups, the technology was introduced by a facilitator (restrictive treatment); the other five groups were introduced to the GDSS by a chauffeur (non-restrictive treatment). Preliminary results, which we will continue to pursue with an analysis of the full slate of 60 video recordings, reveal how participants transpose culturally meaningful interaction strategies—schemata—to consolidate animate and inanimate resources in the GDSS environment. We term this process “ascendant leadership” and provide rich descriptions of the ways in which such power is exercised and contested across these two different treatment contexts

The effectiveness of virtual facilitation in supporting GDSS appropriation and structured group decision making

Since their introduction a quarter of a century ago, group decision support systems (GDSS) have evolved from applications designed primarily to support decision making for groups in face-to-face settings, to their growing use for “web conferencing,” online collaboration, and distributed group decision-making. Indeed, it is only recently that such groupware applications for conducting face-to-face, as well as “virtual meetings” among dispersed workgroups have achieved mainstream status, as evidenced by Microsoft’s ubiquitous advertising campaign promoting its “Live Meeting” electronic meeting systems (EMS) software. As these applications become more widely adopted, issues relating to their effective utilization are becoming increasingly relevant. This research addresses an area of growing interest in the study of group decision support systems, and one which holds promise for improving the effective utilization of advanced information technologies in general: the feasibility of using virtual facilitation (system-directed multi-modal user support) for supporting the GDSS appropriation process and for improving structured group decision-making efficiency and effectiveness. A multi-modal application for automating the GDSS facilitation process is used to compare conventional GDSS-supported groups with groups using virtual facilitation, as well as groups interacting without computerized decision-making support. A hidden-profile task designed to compare GDSS appropriation levels, user satisfaction, and decision-making efficiency and effectiveness is utilized in an experiment employing auditors, accountants, and IT security professionals as participants. The results of the experiment are analyzed and possible directions for future research efforts are discussed

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

Facilitator Effects On The Process Of GSS Appropriation: Opening The Black Box

Though technology support of group decision making has long been believed to increase the number of ideas generated and the overall quality of decisions, research on this topic has failed to provide consistent support of these outcomes. Facilitation of the group decision process by specially trained experts is believed to add even further to the benefits the technology brings. The effects of facilitation have been tested in many configurations, yet, here too, researchers have not been able to consistently identify the benefits. The literature shows that prior research in this area has been based on the outcomes of the group decision process focusing on the quantity of ideas generated and group member retrospective perceptions of the process. This suggests that researchers took a black box approach to studying the effects of facilitation in group support systems (GSS) adoption and use subsequently ignoring important aspects of group process and the effects of facilitation in that process. To that end, analysis has been done from the lens of adaptive structuration theory (AST) of 48 homogeneous decision groups in terms of setting, task, and prior relevant participant experience; an excellent environment in which to observe how group members act (make appropriation moves) to adopt and use GSS differently in differing facilitative contexts. This study found that process restrictiveness significantly affects the quantity and types of appropriation moves over the course of a decision task. An unprecedented finding was that different individual facilitators affect the quantity and types of appropriation moves even when holding the treatment restrictiveness constant. I also performed an original extension of the method suggested by AST by disaggregating appropriation moves into the source and target of interactions. This study successfully opens the black box of GSS facilitation and shows analysis of process reveals nuanced differences in factors that affect appropriation that have not been apparent from prior, outcomes-based analyses

An emotional aware architecture to support facilitator in group idea generation process

In an idea generation meeting, the facilitator role is essential to obtain good results. The emotional context of the meeting partially determines the (un)success of the meeting, so the facilitator needs to obtain and process this information. Thus, the facilitator role is to assist the participants to reach their goals, i.e., to generate ideas with quality. In this paper is proposed an emotional aware architecture whose aim is to assist the facilitator in the process of maximizing the results of the meeting.(undefined

Fostering an Internet-Based Learning Network for Community Health Through Action Research

Research has suggested that computer-supported coordination work (CSCW) systems can change the nature of collaboration among organizations, the patterns of workgroup processes, and the use of information and knowledge in problem solving (DeSanctis et al. 1991; Hutchison et al. 1995; Delisle 1989). Many factors can influence the performance of groups and CSCW systems, including individual characteristics (Massey and Clapper 1995), nature of tasks and technology used (Rice 1992) and such social factors as group influence and processes (Bettenhausen 1991). lso of interest are the effects of facilitation and support on user adaptation of the technology (Dickson 1993; Zigurs, Poole and DeSanctis 1988). One approach that may enhance the acceptance of CSCW systems is through action research. This is where the researchers and users collaborate to diagnose problems, plan and implement appropriate interventions, then reflect upon their experience for theory development, learning and improvement in an iterative fashion (Checkland 1991)

A Descriptive Framework for Electronic Meeting Systems Based on the UML Language

A descriptive framework has the purpose to identify the major components of a system and their relationships. This paper proposes a descriptive framework for electronic meeting systems. Our intention is to clarify and organize the conceptually and functionally distinctive components that we find in this technology. The proposed framework simplifies the evaluation of EMS functionality by organizations. The adoption of the UML language increases the potential of communicating EMS requirements to IS developers. The paper presents the evaluation grids of a collection of 10 EMS highlighting what framework components are supported and what components have been ignore

The Minnesota GDSS Research Project: Group Support Systems, Group Processes, and Outcomes

The Minnesota GDSS Research Project is a 20-year program of interdisciplinary research that has generated more than 80 articles, chapters, dissertations, and proceedings publications and has influenced other researchers who developed their own niches. Grounded in Adaptive Structuration Theory, which emerged and evolved as the research unfolded, the project studied the impact of technology characteristics (level of support, restrictiveness) and other support (training, heuristics, facilitation) on group processes and outcomes for a range of tasks (problem definition, decision making, planning). The project entailed a complex tapestry of a series of laboratory experiments and two major field studies. The basic theoretical framework, experimental strategy and design, field study design, and results are summarized, along with a discussion of the significance and implications of the project for contemporary theory and practice

Dimensions of Information Systems Success

The value added by an organization\u27s IT assets is a critical concern to both research and practice. Not surprisingly, a large number of IS effectiveness measures can be found in the IS literature. What is not clear in the literature is what measures are appropriate in a particular context. In this paper we propose a two-dimensional matrix for classifying IS Effectiveness measures. The first dimension is the type of system studied. The second dimension is the stakeholder in whose interests the system is being evaluated. The matrix was tested by using it to classify IS effectiveness measures from 186 empirical papers in three major IS journals for the last nine years. The results indicate that the classifications are meaningful. Hence, the IS Effectiveness Matrix provides a useful guide for conceptualizing effectiveness measurement in IS research, and for choosing appropriate measures, both for research and practice