Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Special Design
The GSS approach acknowledges that special procedures, devices, and approaches are needed
in group decision-making settings. These procedures must foster creative thinking, effective
communications, and good group decision-making techniques.
Ease of Use
Like an individual DSS, a GSS must be easy to learn and use. Systems that are complex and
hard to operate will seldom be used. Many groups have less tolerance than do individual
decision makers for poorly developed systems.
Flexibility
Two or more decision makers working on the same problem might have different decision-
making styles and preferences. Each manager makes decisions in a unique way, in part because
of different experiences and cognitive styles. An effective GSS not only has to support the
different approaches that managers use to make decisions, but also must find a means to
integrate their different perspectives into a common view of the task at hand.
delphi approach
A decision-making approach in
which group decision makers are
geographically dispersed; this
approach encourages diversity
among group members and fosters
creativity and original thinking in
decision making.
Decision-Making Support
A GSS can support different decision-making approaches, including the
delphi approach
,
in which group decision makers are geographically dispersed throughout the country or the
world. This approach encourages diversity among group members and fosters creativity and
original thinking in decision making. Another approach, called
brainstorming
, in which
members offer ideas “off the top of their heads,” fosters creativity and free thinking. The
group consensus approach
forces members in the group to reach a unanimous decision. The
Shuttle Project Engineering Office at the Kennedy Space Center has used the consensus-
ranking organizational-support system (CROSS) to evaluate space projects in a group setting.
The group consensus approach analyzes the benefits of various projects and their probabilities
of success. CROSS is used to evaluate and prioritize advanced space projects. With the
nominal group technique
, each decision maker can participate; this technique encourages
feedback from individual group members, and the final decision is made by voting, similar
to a system for electing public officials.
brainstorming
A decision-making approach that
often consists of members offering
ideas “off the top of their heads.”
group consensus approach
A decision-making approach that
forces members in the group to
reach a unanimous decision.
nominal group technique
A decision-making approach that
encourages feedback from individ-
ual group members, and the final
decision is made by voting, similar to
the way public officials are elected.
Anonymous Input
Many GSSs allow anonymous input, where the person giving the input is not known to other
group members. For example, some organizations use a GSS to help rank the performance
of managers. Anonymous input allows the group decision makers to concentrate on the merits
of the input without considering who gave it. In other words, input given by a top-level
manager is given the same consideration as input from employees or other members of the
group. Some studies have shown that groups using anonymous input can make better deci-
sions and have superior results compared with groups that do not use anonymous input.
Anonymous input, however, can result in flaming, where an unknown team member posts
insults or even obscenities on the GSS.
Reduction of Negative Group Behavior
One key characteristic of any GSS is the ability to suppress or eliminate group behavior that
is counterproductive or harmful to effective decision making. In some group settings, dom-
inant individuals can take over the discussion, which can prevent other members of the group
from presenting creative alternatives. In other cases, one or two group members can sidetrack
or subvert the group into areas that are nonproductive and do not help solve the problem at
hand. Other times, members of a group might assume they have made the right decision
without examining alternatives—a phenomenon called
groupthink
. If group sessions are
poorly planned and executed, the result can be a tremendous waste of time. Today, many
GSS designers are developing software and hardware systems to reduce these types of prob-
lems. Procedures for effectively planning and managing group meetings can be incorporated
into the GSS approach. A trained meeting facilitator is often employed to help lead the group
decision-making process and to avoid groupthink. See Figure 10.18.
