Group Decision Support: The Effects of Designated Human Leaders and Statistical Feedback in Computerized Conferences.

Author List: Hiltz, Starr Roxanne; Johnson, Kenneth; Turoff, Murray;
Journal of Management Information Systems, 1991, Volume 8, Issue 2, Page 81-108.
Twenty-four groups of five professionals and managers used computer conferences to reach agreement on the best solution to a complex ranking problem. Two software tools for structuring the conferences were employed in a two-by-two factorial design. Groups with "designated leadership" (DL) used software support to elect a discussion leader. Groups with"statistical feedback" (SF) were presented with tables periodically that displayed the mean rank and degree of consensus for each item. DL improved levels of consensus; in the absence of a leader, SF improved level of agreement slightly. Statistical feedback as operationalized in this experiment was detrimental to the ability of a group to achieve "collective intelligence," defined as a group decision better than the prediscussion decision of any of its individual members. Characteristics of the individuals and groups were also associated with variations in outcomes.
Keywords: Computer-Mediated Communication Systems; Group Decision Support Systems
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#257 0.323 group support groups meeting gdss decision systems meetings technology study electronic ems task process communication computer-supported outcomes quality consensus face-to-face
#265 0.177 collaborative groups feedback group work collective individuals higher effects efficacy perceived tasks members environment writing experiment did task intelligence compared
#74 0.091 high low level levels increase associated related characterized terms study focus weak hand choose general lower best predicted conditions implications
#2 0.065 leadership leaders effective leader roles authority assume slow responsibility structure recognize responsibilities look size inevitable attain trend held articulate dominate
#77 0.065 information systems paper use design case important used context provide presented authors concepts order number various underlying implementation framework nature
#31 0.056 problem problems solution solving problem-solving solutions reasoning heuristic theorizing rules solve general generating complex example formulation heuristics effective given finding