Gdss and Groupware Technologies





Many of the decisions in today's workplace are made by groups of individuals Groups bring many advantages to the choice process: Multiple source of knowledge and experience A wider variety of prospectives Potential synergy associated with collaborative activity ◦ ◦ ◦



Some times too many decision makers result in either a bad decision or no decision at all 

Group in term of decision making can be dened as : a collective entity that is independent of the properties of its members



Multiparticipant decision maker (MDM !: An activity conducted by a collective entity composed of two or more individuals and characterised in terms of both the properties of the collective entity and of its individual members



"ecision structure# two types: ◦

$ollaborative 

◦

Group decision structure: %ormal participants and multiple decision maker 

&egotiation decisions



Maority decisions

&oncollaborative 

(eam decision structure: %ormal participants and single decision maker  



&egotiation decisions Maority decisions

)ndividual decision structure



The structure of an MDM is primarily based on the interaction and flow of communication among the various members.



Communication can be thought as any means by which information is transmitted to one or more members of the MDM.



Basic Types of Networks Structures 1. !. #. $.

heel Network "hain Network "ircle Network "ompletely "onnected Network



%ighly "entralised ◦ ◦

◦

◦



They are efficient to routine and recurring decisions. They tend to strengthen the leadership position of the central members. They tend to result in a stable set of interactions among the participants. They to produce lower average levels of satisfaction amongtend the participants.

%ighly Decentralised ◦

◦ ◦

They tend to produce higher average levels of satisfaction among participants. They facilitate nonroutine or nonrecurring decisions. They promote innovation and creative solutions.

1.

The importance of the &uality of the decision.

!.

The e'tent to which the decision maker possess the knowledge and e'pertise to make the decision.

#.

The e'tent to which potential participants have the necessary information.

$. (.

The degree of structuredness of the problem conte't. The degree to which the acceptance or commitment is critical to successful implementation.

).

The probability of acceptance of an autocratic decision.

*.

The degree of motivation among the participants to achieve the organisational goals.

+.

The degree of potential conflicts among the participants over a preferred solution.

1. Size ◦

◦

The most widely studied and conse&uential component of group decision making. Studies show that to as decrease. the si,e of a group increases- individual satisfaction tends s

the si,e increases- the less active members tend to become noticeably less productive.



/ogic suggests that the management of an MDM re&uiring consensus or ma0ority is easier when the si,e is small.

◦

◦

◦

Member cohesiveness decreases as MDM si,e increases. hen membership is high- subgroups and internal coalitions tend to form that serve redirect the focus of the participant away from the common goal. The increased likelihood for certain members of large MDMs to feel threatened reluctant to participate because the si,e magnifies the impersonal nature of the problem conte't. Despite the disadvantages when the si,e of the MDM increases- in certain situations such as &uantitative 0udgment in statistics- the larger the membership of the MDM- the more likley it is that the results of the 0udgment must be made.

◦

◦

◦

◦

◦

articipant interaction tends to decrease as si,e increase. ffective or emotional relationships tend to decrease as si,e increases. "entral- dominant leadership tend to increase as si,e increases. "onflicts is resolved with political rather than analytical solutions as si,e increases. Despite the disadvantages when the si,e of the MDM increases- in certain situations such as &uantitative 0udgment in statistics- the larger the membership of the MDM- the more likely it is that the results of the 0udgment must be made.

!. 2roupthink3 a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in4group. ◦



The more friendly and cooperative the members of a groupthe greater the likelihood that independent critical thinking will be suspended in deference to group norms.

5nfavourable outcomes associated with 2roupthink 1. Tends to prevent a complete open4mind analysis of opportunities in the development of ob0ectives. !. %olds back a meaningful search for information and tends to bias any searches toward a self fulfilling selectivity. #. /imits the participant6s ability to appraise possibilities associated with the cost of failure. $. Tends to eliminate the formation of incident of fallback position.

#. 7ther Social issues Conflict ◦

◦



The desire to be viewed as a 8good9 member and to be accepted by the other participants often leads to conflict avoidance.



Natural group dynamics such as struggle of power can result in some form of conflict.

Anonymity 

7ne common method used to control sources of potential conflict and to support other MDM processes is participant anonymity- i.e. vote.



:n many cases anonymity results in the generation of more and better information.

◦

◦

◦

◦

Tools used in MDM environment to support the processes and activities related to the decision making process. 5sual group meeting description ;.. < Gray 1981=. New technologies and telecommunications ;; MDM support technologies can be classified based on decision maker styles .

The four basic levels of MDM technology3 1. 7rganisational Decision Support System < ODSS=3  comple' system of computer based technologies4 including those that facilitate communication4 that provides support for decision makers. !. 2roup Support Systems