Group Facilitation and Group Support Systems

It is unlikely that a GSS, in and of itself, is sufficient to turn meetings into satisfying, productive events.

Abstract

Numerous studies have documented widespread dissatisfaction with the process and outcomes of group meetings (e.g., Mosvick & Nelson, 1987). In an effort to improve meetings, Group Support Systems (GSS) have been developed and have become commercially available in the last three years. The field research evidence on the effectiveness of these commercial systems has been very positive. For example, IBM has documented, through a cumulative comparison of person-hours expended, a 56 percent savings attributable to GSS use (Grohowski et al., 1990). However, it is unlikely that a GSS, in and of itself, is sufficient to turn meetings into satisfying, productive events. McGoff and Ambrose (1991), describing IBM's application of GSS to over 900 group sessions, note that,