A group decision support system idea consolidation tool

Manual consolidation of ideas generated in a Group Decision Support System meeting can be a lengthy, inaccurate, and dissatisfying process. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate how an automatic idea consolidation program can reduce the time needed by group members to aggregate comments, inaccuracies of these comment groupings, and dissatisfaction with the comment consolidation process. A case study comparing the program\u27s results with those of two human subjects shows a time savings of 98.8%. Although the computer\u27s comment groupings were not identical with those of the subjects, they were logically consistent

The Temporal Dimension of Electronic Meetings: A Study of Synchronous and Asynchronous Idea Generation

Electronic meeting systems can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of group discussions, but relatively little research has investigated use of the technology in asynchronous environments. In this study, five groups of 10 students participated in synchronous legislative sessions and five groups of 10 met in asynchronous settings. Results showed that there were no differences in meeting process satisfaction, production blocking, evaluation apprehension, and total and relevant comments generated, but synchronous groups believed there was more participation and were more satisfied with the comments. Although there could be less feeling of social presence, use of asynchronous, distributed meetings might become more prevalent as groups seek to reduce travel

A Citation Analysis of the Evolution and State of Information Systems within a Constellation of Reference Disciplines

For the past two decades notions of cumulative tradition and reference disciplines have been a significant part of the introspective debates on the IS field. We provide an exploratory test on these notions using sociometric analysis. In doing so, we extend the work of Culnan and Swanson originally carried out about 25 years ago. By using the concept of a work point and reference points to identify where an IS article is published and the extent to which it draws from or contributes to other disciplines, we can position research in the IS field. First, a quantitative analysis of over 72,600 citations spread across 1406 IS articles in 16 journals over the period 1990-2003 reveals a distinct trend toward a cumulative tradition, a changing mix of reference disciplines, and a two-way relationship between IS and some of the more mature disciplines. Second, post-hoc content analysis provides a glimpse of how IS work is being utilized by other disciplines. Overall, our analysis indicates that IS is taking up a more socio-technical persona, building upon its own knowledge base, and repaying its debts by contributing to other disciplines. We interpret the movement towards building a cumulative tradition, and informing work in other disciplines as positive, as we strive toward being part of an intellectual network and establish centrality in areas that matter to us most

Can Information Systems Foster Emotional Intelligence? A Design Theory-Based Approach

Researchers in Information Systems (IS) have conducted extensive research into various kinds of collaboration systems over the last twenty-five years. A parallel stream of inquiry in psychology and management has developed research in organizational Emotional Intelligence, which contributes to the effectiveness of group interactions by increasing cooperation and reducing conflict. Collaboration systems present a special opportunity to introduce soft management functions such as Emotional Intelligence because they are designed as an intelligent channel of interaction between group members. This research used an Information Systems Design Theory approach to guide the integration of Emotional Intelligence functions into collaboration systems. Two artifact systems were constructed based on these designs, and the systems were utilized and compared in a lab exercise that required group interaction. The findings of the research provide validation of the design approach, evaluation of emotional communication effects, and implications for new dimensions of emotion-based subtext and advisory capabilities that enhance Emotional Intelligence

Exploring the concept of group interaction through action in a mobile context

Abstract. This paper explores the concept of interaction through action. The exploration is done empirically in the setting of bird hunting. Using qualitative research methods, we studied how a hunting group secure awareness in order to coordinate their actions and to collaborate. We analyzed the data using a modified CSCW-model and found that the methods for securing awareness and coordination are rather complex and that environmental constraints play important roles. Dealing with coordination and collaboration in a setting such as the one we study is not easy. Based on the empirical findings, we derive design implications to consider in the design of artifacts for supporting group activity grounded on the concept of interaction through action. A Forgotten Field Today the usage of information technology have increased and the IT support for group activities is highly developed. In organisations, groupware makes it possible to coordinate work and the communication infrastructure is very advanced. But it seems as if some human group activities are isolated from this evolution, the group activity of hunting for example. The activity takes place in a setting with a low frequency of artefacts and with lots of outer constraints such as variation in vegetation and weather. Group activities in the wild seem to have been left behind in the technological evolution. How do groups manage to coordinate their activities and secure collaboration between participants? Reviewing the literature on the topic we found some research that had explored HCI issues in wild settings 1 . Authors are mostly concerned with technical demands on artefacts to support individual activities in such environments In order to investigate the question empirically, we conducted an empirical study of a hunting group in northern Sweden. Using qualitative research methods, we studied how the group coordinate, communicate and collaborate in order to make the hunting session as fruitful and safe as possible. We analysed the data using the "CSCW framework&quot

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

Open Models of Decision Support Towards a Framework

Aquesta tesi presenta un marc per als models oberts de suport a les decisions en les organitzacions. El treball es vehicula a través d’un compendi d’articles on s’analitzen els fluxos d’entrada i de sortida de coneixement en les organitzacions, així como les tecnologies existents de suport a les decisions. Es presenten els factors subjacents que impulsen nous models per a formes obertes de suport a la decisió. La tesis presenta un estudi de les distintes tipologies de models de suport a les decisions tenint en compte diferents tipus d’organitzacions. En el primer estudi, paper#, es presenta l’evolució de les tecnologies de suport a les decisions i l’avançament de les noves tecnologies per als models oberts. Aquest estudi proporciona una visió des d’una perspectiva evolutiva de la relació entre el coneixement expert i la seva utilització en les tecnologies de suport a les decisions. La investigació revela l’entorn canviant que la tecnologia ofereix a l’hora de adquirir coneixement per a la presa de decisions i obre horitzons sobre el nou paper que els experts tenen en aquests entorns. Es suggereix que un canvi significatiu en la presa de decisions es basa en el desafiament entre el paper tradicional dels experts i no experts. Per últim, aquest treball explora les oportunitats d’integració de la intel•ligència artificial en la tecnologia de suport a les decisions i quins beneficis addicionals poden aportar les eines d’ intel•ligència col•lectiva en la presa de decisions. El segon estudi, paper#2, investiga sobre la tipologia anomenada "agregada" dins del marc d’entorns oberts per al suport a la presa de decisions. S’utilitza un problema de predicció com a fil conductor per a posar en relleu la complexitat de la previsió de la demanda dins de la industria del cinema. S’analitza com es pot utilitzar la tecnologia per a millorar l’eficàcia en les decisions. La investigació compara dues tecnologies de suport a les decisions: sistemes experts i eines d’intel•ligència col•lectiva, i il•lustra com l’industria del cinema utilitza cada una d’aquestes tecnologies en la previsió dels ingressos de taquilla. Per últim, aquest article explora els beneficis de l’ integració d’aquestes tecnologies de suport per a l’obtenció de prediccions més precises. El tercer estudi, article#3, presenta un estudi longitudinal durant un període de 10 anys que utilitza IBM “Innovation Jams” como un context per a la col•laboració a gran escala dins de la tipologia anomenada "plataforma". Aquest article investiga el paper de les “Innovation Jams”, en el canvi organitzacional i com IBM es compromet amb un nou model d’innovació en les organitzacions. En ell es descriuen les “Innovation Jams”, que han impulsat la innovació i consolidat la pràctica de la innovació oberta en IBM. En aquest article s’utilitza el gènere musical d’una "jamband" com una metàfora per a descriure el desenvolupament emergent i l’ús de les “Innovation Jams”, com una manera d’entendre el canvi organitzatiu. Aquest estudi longitudinal ofereix una visió actualitzada de la recerca en “Innovation Jams”, mostrant com han evolucionat des d’un concepte, a una eina de gestió i finalment a un servei. L’article conclou amb una discussió sobre les implicacions dels resultats i com aquests permeten teoritzar sobre nous models d’ innovació i el canvi en les organitzacions. La recerca duta a terme en aquesta tesi ofereix un marc per als models oberts de suport a la decisió, i suggereix que, les fonts internes i externes de coneixement poden ser utilitzades, més enllà de la innovació del producte o serveis, per a la presa de decisions amb el suport de tecnologies emergents. Les contribucions teòriques d’aquesta tesi sostenen que les organitzacions ja no poden confiar en la tecnologia de suport a les decisions que únicament es centren en la reducció de la frontera entre els aspectes racionals i no racionals de la conducta social humana, sinó que pel contrari, han de considerar la xarxa dinàmica de la organització per al suport a la decisió. D’altra banda, les implicacions pràctiques d’aquesta tesi animen les organitzacions a pensar estratègicament sobre com les tecnologies emergents poden ajudar en la presa de decisions i també com els models de decisió resultants poden ser utilitzats per a navegar per l’entorn complex existent, i, a la vegada, forjar vincles més forts amb els clients, proveïdors i la xarxa de l’organització.Esta tesis presenta un marco para modelos abiertos de soporte a las decisiones en las organizaciones. El trabajo se vehicula a través de un compendio de artículos dónde se analizan los flujos de entrada y salida de conocimiento en las organizaciones, así como las tecnologías existentes de soporte a las decisiones. Se presentan los factores subyacentes que impulsan nuevos modelos para formas abiertas de soporte a la decisión. La tesis presenta un estudio de las distintas tipologías de modelos de soporte a las decisiones teniendo en cuenta distintos tipos de organizaciones. En el primer estudio paper#1 se presenta la evolución de las tecnologías de apoyo a las decisiones y el avance de las nuevas tecnologías para los modelos abiertos. Este estudio proporciona una visión desde una perspectiva evolutiva de la relación entre conocimiento experto y su utilización en las tecnologías de soporte a las decisiones. La investigación revela el entorno cambiante que la tecnología ofrece a la hora de adquirir conocimiento para la toma de decisiones y abre horizontes sobre el nuevo papel que los expertos tienen en estos entornos. Se sugiere que un cambio significativo en la toma de decisiones se basa en el desafío entre el papel tradicional de los expertos y no expertos. Por último, este trabajo explora las oportunidades de integración de la inteligencia artificial en la tecnología de soporte de decisiones y que beneficios adicionales pueden aportar las herramientas de inteligencia colectiva en la toma de decisiones. El segundo estudio, paper#2, investiga sobre la tipología llamada "agregada" dentro del marco de entornos abiertos para el soporte a la toma de decisiones. Se utiliza un problema de predicción como hilo conductor para poner en relieve la complejidad de la previsión de la demanda dentro de la industria del cine. Se analiza cómo se puede utilizar la tecnología para mejorar la eficacia en las decisiones. La investigación compara dos tecnologías de soporte a las decisiones: sistemas expertos y herramientas de inteligencia colectiva, e ilustra cómo la industria del cine utiliza cada una de estas tecnologías en la previsión de los ingresos de taquilla. Por último, este artículo explora los beneficios de la integración de estas tecnologías de apoyo para la obtención de predicciones más precisas. El tercer estudio, artículo #3, presenta un estudio longitudinal durante un período de 10 años que utiliza IBM “Innovation Jams”, como un contexto para la colaboración a gran escala dentro de la tipología llamada "plataforma". Este artículo investiga el papel de las “Innovation Jams”, en el cambio organizacional y como IBM se compromete con un nuevo modelo de innovación de la organización. En él se describen las “Innovation Jams”, que han impulsado la innovación y consolidado la práctica de la innovación abierta en IBM. En este artículo se utiliza el género musical de una "jamband" como una metáfora para describir el desarrollo emergente y el uso de las “Innovation Jams”, como una manera de entender el cambio organizativo. Este estudio longitudinal ofrece una visión actualizada de la investigación en “Innovation Jams”, mostrando cómo han evolucionado desde un concepto, a una herramienta de gestión y finalmente a un servicio. El artículo concluye con una discusión sobre las implicaciones de los resultados y como ellos permiten teorizar sobre nuevos modelos de innovación y el cambio en las organizaciones. La investigación llevada a cabo en esta tesis ofrece un marco para los modelos abiertos de apoyo a la decisión, y sugiere que el uso de fuentes internas y externas de conocimiento pueden ser utilizadas más allá de la innovación del producto o servicio para la toma de decisiones con el soporte de tecnologías emergentes. Las contribuciones teóricas de esta tesis sostienen que las organizaciones ya no pueden confiar en la tecnología de apoyo a las decisiones que únicamente se centran en la reducción de la frontera entre los aspectos racionales y no racionales de la conducta social humana, sino por el contrario, deben considerar la red dinámica de la organización para el apoyo a la decisión. Por otra parte, las implicaciones prácticas de esta tesis alienta a las organizaciones a pensar estratégicamente acerca de cómo las tecnologías emergentes pueden ayudar a la toma de decisiones y también cómo los modelos de decisión resultantes pueden ser utilizados para navegar por el entorno complejo existente y, a su vez, forjar vínculos más fuertes con los clientes, proveedores y más amplios de la red de la organización.This thesis presents a framework for open models of decision support through a compendium of papers that links research on the inward and outward flows of knowledge to the organization and decision support technologies. The framework presents underlying factors driving new and more open models of decision support. A typology of decision support models is offered considering types of problems organizations and managers charged with decision-making face. Thesis essay #1 suggests a perspective of the changing landscape for decision support technology and the advancement of new technology for open models of decision support. This study provides insight from an evolutionary perspective of expertise that has shaped the field of decision support technologies. The investigation sets out to reveal the changing landscape of expertise in supporting decision-making using technology and sheds light on the new role that experts will play in organizational decision-making. It suggests that a significant change in how decision-making is being supported which challenge the traditional role of experts and non-experts. Finally, this paper explores opportunities for decision support technology integration and the added benefits artificial intelligence can bring to collective intelligence tools. Thesis essay #2 investigates the ‘aggregate’ typology within the open model decision support framework. A forecasting problem is used to highlight the complexity of demand forecasting in supply-chain management within the film industry and how technology is leveraged for effective supply-chain management decisions. The investigation compares two decision support technologies: expert systems and collective intelligence tools and illustrates how the film industry uses each in forecasting box-office revenue. Finally, this essay explores the combined benefits in integrating each support technology for more accurate forecasting. Thesis essay #3 is a longitudinal study over a 10 year period that uses IBM Innovation Jams as a context for large-scale collaboration within the ‘platform’ typology. This essay investigates the role of innovation jams on organizational change as IBM learned to engage with a new model of organizing innovation. It describes the role innovation jams have played in shaping the practice of open innovation at IBM. This essay uses the musical genre of a “jamband” as a metaphor to describe the emergent development and use of innovation jams as a way to understand organizational change. This longitudinal study brings innovation jam research up-to-date and presents innovation jams as they evolved from a concept, a management tool, and service. The essay concludes with a discussion on the implications of the findings for theorizing about new models of organizing innovation for organizational change. Research conducted in this thesis offers a framework of open models of decision support that suggests that the use of internal and external sources of knowledge can be leveraged beyond product or service innovation, to include decision-making supported by emerging technology. Theoretical contributions of this thesis argues that organizations can no longer rely on decision support technology that solely focus on bridging the boundary between rational and non-rational aspects of human social behavior but instead, must consider the larger dynamic organizational network for decision support. Moreover, practical implications of this thesis encourages organizations to think strategically about how emerging technology can support decision making and the resulting decision support models to navigate the complex environment they work in and in turn, to forge stronger links with customers, suppliers, and the wider organizational network

Decision making based on quantitative and qualitative evaluations

This study emphasizes mainly on the influence of evaluations, both qualitative and quantitative, on decision making for many occasions that occur in business and technically oriented settings. Decisions made with a certain fuzzy as wen as technical behavior are structured by means of computer-assisted decision-making tools. Decision support tools assist decision makers in making crucial decisions. For instance the tool that has been designed for the purpose of this research will be used for selecting capital-intensive products. It is also intended to prove that with the help of decision support systems decision makers could make decisions by reducing fuzzy decision behavior about capital investments in organizational systems. Such tools consider more than one criterion in making a decision. \u27Me criteria for decision-making will range from the attributes of the system itself to the cost of the system. For each system under consideration for selection, each attribute will be analyzed and rated. Then a cumulative account of all the attributes for each vendor is brought together as a set. Though this set is produced by each decision maker there is little correlation between his decisions and the evaluation of the product. A product\u27s quantitative evaluation may warrant of a different kind of decision than a qualitative evaluation. An evaluation of a system leads to a decision. However when a decision is the one of selection, as is quite often the case, quantitative and qualitative evaluations may be done. Quantitative evaluations generally are performed based on statistical analysis of the system under consideration. A quantitative evaluation may be based also on algorithms designed for specific scenarios. On the other hand a qualitative evaluation may take place in settings that deal with a single system that must be evaluated and it\u27s evaluation recorded in language specific descriptive terms. 11-iis study discusses how decisions can be made using qualitative and quantitative evaluations for the object or situation under consideration

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