Previous research shows that groupware improves the exchange of information within groups. However, the additional information does not often lead to better group decisions, probably because individuals fail to process the new information they receive. This study explored the use of groupware processes that required individuals in groups to categorize information, in order to induce group members to better attend to the new information received from others and to integrate it into their own individual decision-making processes. Different groupware processes had different effects on attention to and integration of information, and ultimately on decision quality. Groupware processes that provided categories to organize information and groupware processes that required the receiver of information to categorize information increased attention to information and integration of information, which led to improved individual decision quality.
This study investigated the effects of GSS use on the exchange and use of information with and without a majority/minority split of opinion in the group. When there was a distinct majority/minority, groups exchanged more information, made better decisions, and took no more time when they used a GSS than when they did not use a GSS. In this case, the GSS enabled the minority to overcome the group's inertia toward the majority preference. In the uniform treatment where there was no majority preference, groups exchanged more information but made worse decisions and took more time when they used a GSS than when they did not. The primary cause for the poor performance when using the GSS was that group members did not process and use information received during discussion.