The Effects of Distributed Group Support and Process Structuring on Software Requirements Development Teams: Results on Creativity and Quality
Journal of Management Information SystemsPublished 1 December 1995
Rosalie J. Ocker, Starr Roxanne Hiltz, Murray Turoff, Jerry Fjermestad
Citations192
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score3.65
SNIP2.08
Generate an AI Snapshot to get a quick, structured summary of this paper.
Study Snapshot
ObjectiveStudy objective
MethodsResearch methodology
PopulationPopulation studied
Sample sizeSample sizes
OutcomesStudy outcomes here
ResultsStudy results comes here
LimitationsResearch study limitations comes here
A concise AI-generated summary of the paper will appear here once you click Generate AI Snapshot.
TL;DR
This 2×2 experiment is the first to look at the joint effects of a distributed asynchronous computer conferencing mode of communication (CC, as compared with face-to-face), and a structured process, on software design outcomes.
Abstract
:Previous research has indicated that the creative task of deciding upon the initial specifications for a software system can benefit from a structured process to guide group interaction in face-to-face meetings, and can benefit from computer support. This 2×2 experiment is the first to look at the joint effects of a distributed asynchronous computer conferencing mode of communication (CC, as compared with face-to-face), and a structured process, on software design outcomes. Subjects were teams of graduate students in computer science and business, who designed an automated post office as a course assignment. The quality of solution produced by the CC groups was judged to be marginally higher, while CC groups were rated as considerably more creative. There were no main effects for the structured/unstructured factor, or any significant interactions.
Keywords
PsychologySocial SciencesBusiness, Management and Accounting
Management ScienceOrganizational Information Requirements, Media Richness and Structural Design
9,556 Citations1986Richard L. Daft, Robert H. Lengel
Models are proposed that show how organizations can be designed to meet the information needs of technology, interdepartmental relations, and the environment to both reduce uncertainty and resolve equivocality.
Journal of Personality and Social PsychologyThe social psychology of creativity: A componential conceptualization.
3,759 Citations1983Teresa M. Amabile
Academy of Management ReviewToward a Theory of Organizational Creativity
3,353 Citations1993Richard W. Woodman, John E. Sawyer +1 more
Communications of the ACMA field study of the software design process for large systems
2,093 Citations1988Bill Curtis, Herb Krasner +1 more
A layered behavioral model is used to analyze how three of these problems—the thin spread of application domain knowledge, fluctuating and conflicting requirements, and communication bottlenecks and breakdowns—affected software productivity and quality through their impact on cognitive, social, and organizational processes.
Medical Entomology and ZoologyThe art of thought
1,994 Citations1926Graham Wallas
This chapter discusses the stages of control, self-consistency, and the role of language in the development of thought.
Advances in experimental social psychologyGroup Tasks, Group Interaction Process, and Group Performance Effectiveness: A Review and Proposed Integration
1,346 Citations1975J. Richard Hackman, Charles G. Morris
Psychological ReviewDifferential contributions of majority and minority influence.
1,217 Citations1986Charlan Nemeth
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision ProcessesGroup processes in computer-mediated communication
1,180 Citations1986Jane Siegel, Vitaly Dubrovsky +2 more
Findings suggest that social equalization was higher in computer-mediated groups in that group members participated more equally in discussions and exhibited more uninhibited behavior—using strong and inflammatory expressions in interpersonal interactions.
What is coordination theory and how can it help design cooperative work systems?
861 Citations1990Thomas W. Malone, Kevin Crowston
This paper describes one possible perspective—the interdisciplinary study of coordination—that focuses, in part, on how people work together now and how they might do so differently with new information technologies and proposes tentative definitions of coordination and analyzing its components in more detail.
Human-Computer InteractionThe Equalization Phenomenon: Status Effects in Computer-Mediated and Face-to-Face Decision-Making Groups
785 Citations1991Vitaly Dubrovsky, Sara Kiesler +1 more
A striking and unexpected result was that "first" advocacy was shared by high-and low-status members in discussions using electronic mail, which resulted in increased equality of influence across status and expertise.
Human-Computer InteractionQuestions, Options, and Criteria: Elements of Design Space Analysis
784 Citations1991Allan MacLean, Richard M. Young +2 more
Academy of Management JournalELECTRONIC BRAINSTORMING AND GROUP SIZE.
688 Citations1992R. Brent Gallupe, Alan R. Dennis +4 more
Two concurrent experiments were conducted with groups of varying size; there were 2, 4, and 6-person groups in one and 6, and 12- person groups in the other, and the number and quality of groups was compared.
Human Communication ResearchExperiments in Group Decision Making Communication Process and Outcome in Face-to-Face Versus Computerized Conferences
656 Citations1986Starr Roxanne Hiltz, Kenneth Johnson +1 more
Communications of the ACMInside a software design team
525 Citations1993Diane B. Walz, Joyce J. Elam +1 more
A better understanding of the role and process of knowledge acquisition, sharing, and integration in software design has very real implications for managing large software projects, particularly in the areas of planning, staffing, and training.
MIS QuarterlyUsing a GDSS to Facilitate Group Consensus: Some Intended and Unintended Consequences
473 Citations1988Richard T. Watson, Gerardine DeSanctis +1 more
In a task requiring resolution of competing personal preferences, 82 groups - the largest sample size in the GDSS literature to date - were randomly assigned to one of three experiment conditions: a computer-based support system (GDSS), a manual, paper and pencil, support system; or no support whatsoever.
MIS QuarterlyComputer-Based Support for Group Problem-Finding: An Experimental Investigation1
424 Citations1988R. Brent Gallupe, Gerardine DeSanctis +1 more
Examination of the effects of group decision support systems (GDSS) technology on group decision quality and individual perceptions within a problem-finding context suggests that dissatisfaction maybe a stumbling block in user acceptance of these systems.
MIS QuarterlyA Study of Influence in Computer-Mediated Group Decision Making
342 Citations1988Ilze Zigurs, Marshall Scott Poole +1 more
The research reported in this article addresses the need for a closer, micro-level examination of group process by showing no significant difference between the overall amount of influence behavior attempted in computer-supported versus unsupported groups, although significant differences were found in the pattern of influence behaviors.
Journal of Applied PsychologyUnblocking brainstorms.
335 Citations1991R. Brent Gallupe, Lana M. Bastianutti +1 more
A new brainstorming technique--electronic brainstorming--that may reduce both production blocking and evaluation apprehension was assessed and ways in which electronic brainstorming can reopen a long dormant area of research and application are discussed.
European Journal of Social PsychologyCreative problem solving as a result of majority vs minority influence
326 Citations1983Charlan Nemeth, Joel Wachtler
Information Systems ResearchA Study of Collaborative Group Work With and Without Computer-Based Support
321 Citations1990Joey F. George, George Easton +2 more
The experiment found that GDSS groups were less likely to reach consensus, took more time to reach a decision, and had more e-mail communication problems than conventional manual group methods.
Human-Computer InteractionSmall Group Design Meetings: An Analysis of Collaboration
300 Citations1992Gary M. Olson, Judith Reitman Olson +2 more
Details of how real groups engage in a representative collaborative task - early software design meetings - are presented to provide detailed knowledge about how groups work, what they do well, and what they have trouble with.
Human-Computer InteractionA Process-Oriented Approach to Design Rationale
297 Citations1991E. Jeffrey Conklin, K. C. Burgess Yakemovic
MIS QuarterlyComputer Support for Meetings of Groups Working on Unstructured Problems: A Field Experiment1
274 Citations1988Sirkka L. Järvenpää, V. Srinivasan Rao +1 more
This preliminary study was conducted to learn about the consequences of computer support for teams working on unstructured, high-level conceptual software design problems in face-to-face group settings using a networked workstation technology and electronic blackboard technology.
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision ProcessesGroup discussion and first advocacy effects in computer-mediated and face-to-face decision making groups
250 Citations1992Suzanne Weisband
Whether the first group member to advocate a position in the group publically has disproportionate influence on the group decision, and whether group discussion by computer mail or face-to-face determines the extent of the first advocate's influence are examined.
Journal of Applied Social PsychologyMinority Influence, Divergent Thinking and Detection of Correct Solutions
233 Citations1987Charlan Nemeth, Julianne L. Kwan
MIS Quarterly(Un)Structured Creativity in Information Systems Organizations
227 Citations1993J. Daniel Couger, Lexis F. Higgins +1 more
Six case studies show how analytical techniques and intuitive techniques have been used in several industries to solve a variety of IS-related problems and/or opportunities.
ACM Transactions on Information SystemsWork group structures and computer support: a field experiment
175 Citations1988J. D. Eveland, Tora K. Bikson
It is concluded that use of computer support for cooperative work results in both quantitative and qualitative changes but that effective participation in such electronically supported groups requires significant investments of time and energy on the part of its members to master the technology and a relatively high level of assistance during the learning process.
ACM Transactions on Information SystemsGroupwork close up
167 Citations1993Judith S. Olson, Gary M. Olson +2 more
It appears that the tool helped the supported groups keep more focused on the core issued in the emerging design, to waste less time on less important topics, and to capture what was said as they went.
Report on a development project use of an issue-based information system
150 Citations1990K. C. Burgess Yakemovic, E Jeffery Conklin
A field study is reported on a field study in which a simple structuring method was used over an extended period of time to record and allow retrieval of a significant quantity of precisely this kind of information, using very simple technology.
Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic CommerceComputer‐mediated communication requirements for group support
150 Citations1991Murray Turoff
Advantages of CMC include opportunity for group to exhibit "collective intelligence", asynchronous support of communication process, self-tailoring of communication structures by users and groups, and the integration into the communication system of other computer resources and information systems.
Information & ManagementEnhancing Computer-Mediated Communication: An experimental investigation into the use of a Group Decision Support System for face-to-face versus remote meetings
143 Citations1990R. Brent Gallupe, James D. McKeen
Use of a GDSS increased the time it took groups to reach a decision yet had no impact on the decision quality of the groups and there was a substantial interaction effect regarding choice shift.
Journal of Management Information SystemsThe Impact of Group Support Systems on Group Conflict and Conflict Management
136 Citations1993Shaila M. Miranda, Robert P. Bostrom
Overall, GSS-supported groups perceived lower amounts of issue-based and interpersonal conflict than did control groups and there were no significant differences for reported use of conflict management strategies and perceived productivity of conflict.
Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic CommerceUser‐centered design of collaboration technology
134 Citations1991Gary M. Olson, Judith S. Olson
This work has extensive studies of designers at work, developed the beginnings of a theory of distributed cognition, and is at the first stages of iterative testing and redesign of a prototype of a shared editor to support their work.
Management ScienceComputer Support of Groups: Theory-Based Models for GDSS Research
133 Citations1991V. Srinivasan Rao, Sirkka L. Järvenpää
This paper attempts to reconcile the inconsistencies by linking the ad hoc reasoning in the studies to existing theories of communication, minority influence and human information processing by linkages between the current work and other recently published integrations of empirical G DSS research and theories of GDSS.
Behaviour and Information TechnologyGroup processes in face-to-face and computer-mediated communication
127 Citations1991Lillemor Adrianson, Erland Hjelmquist
Results from an experiment investigating aspects of communicative processes and outcome, using face-to-face, and computer-mediated communication show that face- to-face communication induces more conformity and opinion change as compared to computer- mediated communication.
Computer-mediated communication for intellectual teamwork: a field experiment in group writing
112 Citations1990Jolene Galegher, Robert E. Kraut
Variations in communication needs vary over time and over tasks suggest that different communication modalities may be useful at successive stages in the life of a long-term project.
Accounting Management and Information TechnologiesThe influence of face-to-face versus computer-mediated communication channels on collective induction
84 Citations1993Bonita L. Daly
Significantly more hypotheses inconsistent with the evidence were proposed, fewer comments were exchanged, and more time was required by groups communicating via computer, as compared to face-to-face, when generating correct solutions to the rule induction task.
Journal of Management Information SystemsDispersed Group Decision Making Using Nonsimultaneous Computer Conferencing: A Report of Research
79 Citations1990Jill Y. Smith, Michael T. Vanecek
The results of the study suggest that groups using the ncc system were significantly less effective than ftf groups in solving the problem.
European Journal of Social PsychologyModelling courage: The role of dissent in fostering independence
77 Citations1988Charlan Nemeth, Cynthia Chiles
Communication ResearchGroup Decision Support Systems and Group Communication
76 Citations1993Marshall Scott Poole, Michael E. Holmes +2 more
Results suggested that the GDSS improved the organization of the decision-making process but that it may have led to less thorough and critical discussion.
Journal of Management Information SystemsLearning to Specify Information Requirements: The Relationship between Application and Methodology
76 Citations1993Iris Vessey, Sue Conger
It appears that research into the nature of applications, as well as methodologies, is warranted, since application knowledge is idiosyncratic and it may be necessary to include more than one application-knowledgable person on a systems development team.
Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic CommerceDistributed group support systems: Social dynamics and design dilemmas
67 Citations1991Starr Roxanne Hiltz, Donna Dufner +2 more
Journal of Management Information SystemsThe Effect of GDSS and Elected Leadership on Small Group Meetings
56 Citations1991Teck‐Hua Ho, K. S. Raman
Group support in the form of structure has potential to undermine leadership in small group meetings because leaders in manual and GDSS groups appeared to be less influential than their counterparts in baseline groups.
IEEE SoftwareMCC: Planning the Revolution in Software
37 Citations1985Ware Myers
MCC's Software Technology Program aims to make a dramatic improvement in the productivity of the software development process and the quality of the product.
Information Processing & ManagementInformation requirements specification I: Brainstorming collective decision-making approach
36 Citations1988Moshe Telem
This article describes a comprehensive, innovative approach integrating brainstorming and Theory Z principles, culminating in a maximal, rapid, and attainable IRS.
Distributed group support: a preliminary analysis of the effects of the use of voting tools and sequential procedures
31 Citations1994Dufner, Hiltz +1 more
The purpose of this experiment was to assess the effectiveness of a set of group decision support system tools called "List" and "Vote", and of alternative interaction management procedures, as mechanisms for coordinating distributed groups using a computer conferencing system.
Development in electronically-supported groups: a preliminary longitudinal study of distributed and face-to-face meetings
26 Citations1994Burke, Chidambaram Chidambaram
This longitudinal pilot study compared the developmental patterns of groups in three different electronically supported meeting modes: face-to-face, dispersed-synchronous and dispersed-asynchronous to suggest that electronically distributed work groups with adequate time and training/spl minus/ can become cohesive and perform effectively.
Enterprise Analyzer: electronic support for group requirements elicitation
23 Citations2002Robert M. Daniels, Jay Nunamaker +3 more
The paper describes the evolution of the Enterprise Analyzer concept as it matured throughout the two elicitation and refinement sessions, and develops new techniques, tools and procedures for group requirements elicitation.
Effects of problem formulation and process structures on performance and perceptions in a GDSS environment: an experiment
21 Citations2002Murali Venkatesh, Bayard E. Wynne
A laboratory study examined the effects of problem formulation and process structuring on group performance and member perceptions within a GDSS environment on a problem-solving task and suggested that simple advocacy groups had the more favorable process and outcome perceptions; worst perceptions were expressed by the full heuristic groups.
AIS Electronic Library (AISeL) (Association for Information Systems)Discrimination of Structure and Technology in a Group Support System: The Role of Process Complexity
16 Citations1994James Gerald Wood, John T. Nosek
The experimental results broadly support the hypotheses except for user satisfaction and confirm that when there is sufficient process complexity the benefits of the technology are unmistakable, deinonstrate that process complexity differentiates technology and structure.
Creativity in GDSS: an integration of creativity, group dynamics, and problem solving theory
15 Citations1992Niall W. Duncan, David Paradice
Examination of the concepts of creativity, group dynamics, and problem solving is examined in order to define how a GDSS supported environment can be made more amenable to creative problem solving.
Strategies for integrating creativity principles into the system development process
12 Citations1992Dennis F. Galletta, Jeffrey L. Sampler +1 more
Examples of how different techniques might be used at each stage of development, in light of five general functions performed at each stages, are presented.
Hawaii International Conference on System SciencesSoftware Tasks: Intellectual, Clerical ... or Creative?
4 Citations1994Robert L. Glass, Iris Vessey