Robbing Peter to Pay Paul Part II: Restrictiveness and Cohesiveness in Large Groups Using Group Support Systems

The construct of group cohesiveness has received limited study in the GSS domain. This paper draws upon previous work that looked at GSS impacts on group cohesion in small groups (5 members) and expands the investigation to the realm of large groups (over 20 members). We compare and contrast the findings in this study with a previous study of GSS restrictiveness and group cohesion done by Salisbury, Reeves, Chin, Bell and Gopal (1997) in the small group context. Findings indicate that the restrictiveness treatment does influence group cohesiveness, and that the effects are generally the same in large groups as in small groups

Development of a Web-Based Intelligent Agent for the Fashion Selection and Purchasing Process via Electronic Commerce

This paper describes a conceptual, web-based, intelligent fashion agent designed to assist the consumer in the fashion selection and purchasing process via electronic commerce. The agent is a hybrid system combining expert system software and web technology. Fashion selection is a complex process involving multiple objectives, criteria and alternatives that can be resolved by an expert system. Based on the development of the prototype Web-Based Interactive Fashion Expert (WIFE) system, problems with the conceptual system are identified and solutions proposed where applicable

Evaluation of employee assistance programs: A study of preferences based on the multiple constituency approach

Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are mechanisms that provide the workplace with systematic means for dealing with personal problems that affect employees' job performance. Numerous studies have focused on the structure and functions of EAPs to gauge the effectiveness and efficiency of operation primarily from a senior management perspective. While EAP adoption within organizations continues unabated, strong empirical support regarding the efficacy of EAPs is lacking. Researchers have failed to adequately apply rigorous research methods to the evaluation of EAPs. The result has been that the effectiveness of EAPs is poorly understood. This study purports to investigate the effectiveness of EAPs using a multiple constituency approach to evaluation. Effectiveness using this approach is defined from the perspectives of the constituents, who also define the activities and evaluation criteria of EAPs.Results of multivariate analyses of covariance using survey data from a field study of three Midwestern organizations suggests that significant differences in preferences for EAP activities and criteria exist based on job position in an organization and experience with the EAP. Blue collar workers (clerical and labor) rated those EAP activities related to career development, linkages to the union and the organization, program monitoring, and EAP special assistance significantly higher than white collar workers (managers, supervisors, professional/technical workers). Managers and supervisors rated general manager and supervisor training significantly higher than other constituent groups. EAP users preferred activities related to EAP counseling while nonusers preferred activities related to career development, program monitoring and linkages to the union and the organization. The significance and implications of these results for theory and practice, as well as future research directions, are discussed.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio