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

: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 periodicall y that displayed the mean rank and degree of conse~sus for each Item. DL improved levels of consensus; in the absence of a leader, SF:improve level of agreement slightly. Statistical feedback as operationalized in this experiment was detrimental to the ability of a group to achieve collective mtelhgence, defmed 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 vanattons in outcomes.

• 저널Journal of Management Information Systems · 8(2) · 81–108
• 토픽Team Dynamics and Performance · Social Psychology
• DOI10.1080/07421222.1991.11517922
• 저자Starr Roxanne Hiltz, Kenneth Johnson, Murray Turoff