Toward a Theoretical Model of Consensus Building

On many groups, like those conducting IS/IT requirements negotiations or those conducting risk and control selfassessments, decisions cannot be made by decree because team members are co-responsible peers. In such situations, teams must build consensus to gain commitment from all involved. Although consensus has been widely studied, no causal model of the cognitive mechanisms that give rise to consensus has yet emerged. Such a model might be useful for evaluating, for developing effective and efficient strategies for building consensus in a group and for making sense of the models and results in the current consensus literature. In this paper we derive the logic of Consensus Building Theory (CBT). We then illustrate how the mechanisms of the causal theory could be incorporated into a process model of consensus building. We derive a set of diagnostics for discovering the causes of conflict in a group, and we propose strategies based on CBT for attempting resolution of conflicts

Extending the Contextual and Organizational Elements of Adaptive Structuration Theory in GSS Research

This paper addresses the variance in findings across Group Support Systems (GSS) studies by suggesting an expanded consideration of organizational and contextual elements in Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST). We propose a model of structuring tactics at three levels of abstraction: the meeting level, activity level, and real time intervention level. We illustrate this model with three specific purposeful structuring tactics — agendas, design patterns, and micro-processes —and present related propositions. In addition to reviewing the more familiar tactics of agenda setting and group facilitation, we illustrate an approach to creating GSS value based on invoking particular social structures. We accomplish this through consideration of a design pattern language for collaboration processes drawn from the Collaboration Engineering literature. We conclude by discussing how this model of structuring tactics advances theory and practice in the GSS domain

Empirical evaluation of procedures to generate flexibility in engineering systems and improve lifecycle performance

The design of engineering systems like airports, communication infrastructures, and real estate projects today is growing in complexity. Designers need to consider socio-technical uncertainties, intricacies, and processes in the long-term strategic deployment and operations of these systems. Flexibility in engineering design provides ways to deal with this complexity. It enables engineering systems to change in the face of uncertainty to reduce impacts from downside scenarios (e.g., unfavorable market conditions) while capitalizing on upside opportunities (e.g., new technology). Many case studies have shown that flexibility can improve anticipated lifecycle performance (e.g., expected economic value) compared to current design and evaluation approaches. It is a difficult process requiring guidance and must be done at an early conceptual stage. The literature offers little guidance on procedures helping designers do this systematically in a collaborative context. This study investigated the effects of two educational training procedures on flexibility (current vs. explicit) and two ideation procedures (free undirected brainstorming vs. prompting) to guide this process and improve anticipated lifecycle performance. Controlled experiments were conducted with ninety participants working on a simplified engineering systems design problem. Results suggest that a prompting mechanism for flexibility can help generate more flexible design concepts than free undirected brainstorming. These concepts can improve performance significantly (by up to 36 %) compared to a benchmark design—even though users did not expect improved quality of results. Explicit training on flexibility can improve user satisfaction with the process, results, and results quality in comparison with current engineering and design training on flexibility. These findings give insights into the crafting and application of simple, intuitive, and efficient procedures to improve lifecycle performance by means of flexibility and performance that may be left aside with existing design approaches. The experimental results are promising toward further evaluation in a real-world setting.National University of Singapore (Faculty Research Committee via MOE AcRF Tier 1 grant WBS R-266-000-061-133)Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems DivisionMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Systems Design and Management ProgramMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Real EstateMitre CorporationNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of CanadaFonds québécois de la recherche sur la société et la cultureMIT-Portugal ProgramSUTD-MIT International Design Centre (IDC)Cambridge-MIT InstituteFondation Desjardin

An Experimental Methodology to Evaluate Concept Generation Procedures Based on Quantitative Lifecycle Performance

This study presents an experimental methodology to measure how concept generation procedures can affect the anticipated lifecycle performance of engineering systems design concepts. The methodology is based on objective and quantitative measurements of anticipated lifecycle performance of the design concepts. It merges cognitive and computer-aided techniques from the fields of collaboration engineering, creativity, and engineering design. It complements the body of existing techniques relying on subjective expert assessments, and other objective metrics not explicitly measuring anticipated lifecycle performance (e.g. development time and cost). Application of the methodology is demonstrated through evaluation of design procedures generating flexibility in engineering systems design. Experiments had ninety participants generate creative design alternatives to a simplified real estate development design problem. Thirty-two teams of two to three participants performed the collaborative design exercise. An online Group-Support System interface enabled efficient data collection and analysis. A computationally efficient mid-fidelity model was used to evaluate flexible design concepts quantitatively based on real options analysis techniques.Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Real EstateNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of CanadaMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems DivisionSingapore University of Technology and Design. International Design Cente

How Interactive Whiteboards Can be Used to Support Collaborative Modeling

Abstract: Modeling is a key activity in system analysis and design. Users as well as stakeholders, experts and entrepreneurs need to be able to create shared understanding about a system representation in various phases of a design process. In each of these phases it is important to align views and ensure that differences in understanding of the system are resolved. Visualization is of high importance in this process and thus a logic approach is to involve stakeholders in collaborative modeling. Technology like interactive whiteboards may provide new opportunities in the support of collaborative modeling. In this paper we offer insights from an exploratory research on experiences in using interactive whiteboards in collaborative modeling, based on semi-structured interviews

Collaboration 'Engineerability'

Collaboration Engineering is an approach to create sustained collaboration support by designing collaborative work practices for high-value recurring tasks, and transferring those designs to practitioners to execute for themselves without ongoing support from collaboration professionals. A key assumption in this approach is that we can predictably design collaboration processes. In this paper we explore this assumption to understand whether collaboration can, in fact, be designed, and elaborate on the role of thinkLets in the engineering of collaborative work practices. ThinkLets are design patterns for collaborative interactions