This document summarizes and discusses research on group support systems (GSS). It outlines the authors and their backgrounds working in information systems. It then describes GSS and the research methodology used to analyze recent GSS publications from 1990-1995. This included an analysis of focus areas, methodologies used, and settings. The document prioritizes several action items for future GSS research, including embracing new technologies, expanding beyond face-to-face meetings, emphasizing complex tasks, and exploring different theoretical perspectives. It concludes that GSS research draws upon computer science, behavioral science, and management to support group decision making.

1. A Pesquisa em SI sobre
GSS é Relevante?
Information Resources Management Journal
Winter 1998
Munir Mandviwalla and Paul Gray
Sistema de Apoio à Decisão
Prof. Jairo Dornelas
Equipe – João Gratuliano e Maria da Conceição
16 de novembro de 2005
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2. Starting Reflection
“What information consumes is rather
obvious: It consumes the attention of its
recipients . . . Human attention is the
scarcest resource.”
Herbert A. Simon,
economist, Nobel Prize winner
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3. The Authors
Munir Mandviwalla, Paul Gray
founding chair of is Professor
the MIS Emeritus and
department, Founding
and Executive Chair of
Director, Irwin Information
L. Gross Science at
eBusiness Claremont
Institute, Fox Graduate
School of Business and University. He specializes in
Management, Temple University information systems, particularly
holds a a Ph.D. in MIS also from decision support systems,
Claremont Graduate University. His knowledge management, data
research interests include warehousing and electronic
collaborative systems, electronic commerce.
commerce strategy, and the use of
prototyping for theory development
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4. GSS – Group Support Systems
• System to provide computer and communication
support for decision making in organizations.
• “...facilitate formulation and solution of unstructured
problems by a group of people” (DeSanctis and
Gallupe)
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5. Research Methodology
• “Introspective” approach
– Looking at the profession
– Actual research: recent publications (1990-1995)
• Analyze relevance in terms of:
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6. Research Methodology
7 (groups)
13 (gss)
13 (gss)
4 (+2 vt)
Actual Search (2001-2005) Scirius – Total: 48
(for this presentation) Proquest – Total: 244
Science Direct – Total: 25
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7. Research Methodology
The journal have different rates of publications, but
the average is relatively constant from 1990 to 1995.
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8. GSS Focus and Methodology
Theoretical
Conceptual
S Develop 5%
S Issues Archival 14%
14% 3% 3%
Case Study
S Design 11%
Frameork
6%
Survey
3% Field
9%
Lab Experiment
32%
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9. Analysis of GSS Research
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10. Action Items
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11. Action Items
GSS Research should:
(a) Estabilish linkages to referent disciplines
(b) Emphasize complex tasks and realistic subjects
(c) Emphasize experiments that use similar design and that
focus on a related topic so that results may be pooled for
meta-analytic studies
(d) Encourage the continued development and use of qualitative
methodologies
(e) Encourage theory-based and testable systems development
research projects and methodologies
(f) Embrace new commercially available technologies
(g) Research systems based on different perspectives
(h) Expand beyond face-to-face meetings
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12. Prioritized List of Action Items
(f) Embrace new commercially available
technologies
(h) Expand beyond face-to-face meetings
(b) Emphasize complex tasks and realistic
subjects
(g) Research systems based on different
perspectives
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13. (f) Embarce new commercially
available technologies
• Lotus notes and others have became well know in
industry.
• These (researched papers) compete for niche
markets.
Alerts Created more than 10 years ago
(before 1988)
The problem is that
only few organizations
actually use these
systems or systems
like that.
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14. GroupSystems
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15. GroupSystems meeting rooms
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16. GroupSystems meeting rooms
in Finland
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17. Supporting Lightweight Customization for
Meeting Environments
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18. (h) Expand beyond face-to-face
meetings
• GSS resaerch has almost exclusively focused on
text as a medium for interacton, even though,
drawing, graphic, audio, and video technology
have become commonplace in the industry.
• As a result... Ignore tasks taht include illustrations,
gestures,pattern recognition, body langue,
emotion, and so on.
• On 82 papers, 64 (78%) focused on face-to-face
meeting.
• Suggestion for NEPSI – A different interface to
GSS using some “game” interaction (RPG, Chess,
etc.)
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19. Electronic meeting systems
domain
From 2x2 (time and place)
to 2x3x2 (time, place and size)
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20. Beyond Meeting Rooms:
Community Bar
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21. (b) Emphasize complex tasks
and realistic subjects
• GSS research oversimplify group work
• Simple tasks conducted in academic settings
(opposed to business settings)
• Interaction effects are ignored
• Work is considered modular rather than overlaping
• Concentrate on preference and brainstorming
creativity tasks
• Organizations are often reluctant to provide access
to “real” subject or settings.
• On 67 arcticles, 58% involved the use of students
for subject and were conduct in academic settings.
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22. Case study: EMS for Councils
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23. COLAB
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24. COLAB: Boardnoter
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25. COLAB applications: Cognoter
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26. COLAB applications: Cognoter
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27. LiveBoard development: Tivoli
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28. Tivoli Screen
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29. Tivoli user interface
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30. (g) Research systems based on
different perspectives
• Unfortunately most of the systems in tabe 4, follow
a deterministic view.
• Determinism by definition limits the scope of
research.
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31. CaptureLab
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32. A chauffeured meeting
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33. Executives in CaptureLab
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34. Future: smart media spaces?
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35. Is IS research on GSS relevant?
Yes, because: No, if we consider:
• IS invented the concept
of decision rooms
• Developed HW and SW
to implement these
rooms
• The results of the
research studies have
illuminated imporant
human aspects (i.e. role
and use of brainstorm in
face-to-face decion
oriented meetings.)
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36. Discussion
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37. Discussion
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38. Conclusion
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39. Conclusion
Computer
GSS involve
3 sciences
Behavioral Management
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40. Links
• Grouplab University of Calgary – AB - Canada
– http://grouplab.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/papers/
• Department of Computer Sciences – Groupware
University of Tampere - Finland
(most illustrations in this presentation)
– http://www.cs.uta.fi/~ov/gw/intro/index.html
Saila Ovaska
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