Page 301 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

284 Chapter 10

messaging to members of a group but is not meant for detailed messages that should
be documented. It is still recommended, before going to teleconference, that you hold
an extended face-to-face conference beforehand to form a sense of “groupness.” If
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you are in a virtual group, you have to find other ways to create this groupness, which
can include directly asking for personal stories from members during the virtual
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meeting, including more personal touches in the instant messages and so forth.
Teleconferences benefit from the establishment of guidelines for participation before
the conference and vigilant adherence to those rules. Rule creation and execution
may be more potent in the virtual context than we have imagined. 58

Computer Technology Designed for Group Problem Solving
Group Support Group support systems (GSS) or group decision support systems (GDSS) are
Systems (GSS) or computer-based hardware and software systems specifically designed to facilitate sound
Group Decision and efficient group problem solving. They also are called groupware computer-supported
Support Systems cooperative work (CSCW) or electronic meeting systems (EMS). Initially designed for
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(GDSS) use by face-to-face groups, these systems are available to virtual groups as well. One of
Computer-based us, working with a local school board that had hit an impasse in its decision making,
hardware and recommended the board members use GSS with a trained facilitator to help them
software systems find closure on a thorny issue. The fact that all possible options could be seen on the
designed to help screen, with members’ rankings and ratings visible to all, showed a particularly long-
groups improve a winded board member that consensus had already been achieved and further discus-
variety of group
outcomes, such as sion was not warranted. When members are anonymous, they can be less inhibited,
creativity, problem status differences can be reduced, quality of participation can be improved, and dom-
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solving, and decision inance by some members may be reduced. These board members better analyzed
making. and evaluated ideas while offering opportunities for everyone to contribute. GSS also
provided them documentation of discussions so essential for the reflective assessment
needed in good problem solving.
As you can see from this short example, GSS is designed to help groups perform
the functions of effective problem solving reviewed in this chapter: generating ideas,
organizing information, evaluating options, and making decisions. 61
Different GSS address different problem-solving processes. For example, some
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focus on just one step, such as the idea generation step of brainstorming. Others attempt
to improve the entire decision-making process by providing structure for the overall
process. Two of the most commonly known systems are GroupSystems and Software
Assisted Meeting Management (SAMM); both include modules to help groups in every
area of problem solving, such as group management, brainstorming, analysis, policy
formation, evaluation and voting, exchanging comments on topics, and so forth.
GSS are an effective way for group members to consistently reflect on and adapt
their problem-solving procedures. These systems have progressed so greatly over the
years, becoming easier to use and requiring less direction by trained facilitators. They
are designed to support group problem-solving and decision-making processes, not
replace them. Used well, they help members focus on what they should do, but often
don’t do if groups are not vigilant enough on their own.
Jessup and Valacich, in their extensive review of GSS research, concluded
that computer-supported decision making is as good as or better than traditional

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