Effectiveness of decision support systems

Attempts at supporting decision-making in ill-structured problem situations have focused on the development of decision support systems (DSS). In the present work the authors investigate whether these systems in fact improve decision-making. They report the results of an experiment investigating the impact of a DSS and a decision strategy on the quality of decision-making. They study the effectiveness of a DSS and a decision strategy. The positive influence of a decision strategy on the quality of decision-making is supported by the data. However, the impact of a DSS on the quality of decision-making received little or no support from the results of the experiments. The experiment suggests that teams using a DSS do not perform better than those not using it. The experiment shows that a DSS, even though its users have a positive opinion about it, does not cause them to make significantly better decisions. Decision quality does improve significantly, though, when decision-makers are guided in the way in which they structure their problem situation.<<ETX>>

[1]  Henry C. Lucas,et al.  The Impact of the Mode of Information Presentation on Learning and Performance , 1980 .

[2]  Henk G. Sol,et al.  Decision support systems: A decade in perspective , 1987, Decis. Support Syst..

[3]  Henry C. Lucas.  Performance in a Complex Management Game , 1979 .

[4]  Henry Mintzberg,et al.  The Structure of "Unstructured" Decision Processes , 1976 .

[5]  Ralph H. Sprague,et al.  Building Effective Decision Support Systems , 1982 .

[6]  P. Wortman,et al.  Pattern Recognition, Learning, and Thought , 1974 .

[7]  L. Beach,et al.  A Contingency Model for the Selection of Decision Strategies , 1978 .

[8]  F. van Schaik,et al.  Effectiveness of decision support systems , 1988 .

[9]  Ralph H. Sprague,et al.  A CONCEPTUAL DESCRIPTION OF A FINANCIAL PLANNING MODEL FOR COMMERCIAL BANKS , 1971 .

[10]  Peter G. W. Keen,et al.  Decision support systems : an organizational perspective , 1978 .

[11]  Ananth Srinivasan,et al.  Alternative Measures of Systems Effectiveness: Associations and Implications , 1985, MIS Q..

[12]  Richard Staelin,et al.  Judgment Based Marketing Decision Models: An Experimental Investigation of the Decision Calculus Approach , 1979 .

[13]  E. Sue Weber,et al.  Systems to Think With: A Response to "A Vision for Decision Support Systems" , 1986, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[14]  Ralph H. Sprague,et al.  Information systems management in practice , 1985 .

[15]  Izak Benbasat,et al.  An Experimental Investigation of Some MIS Design Variables , 1977, MIS Q..

[16]  George M. Kasper,et al.  The Effect of User-Developed DSS Applications of Forecasting Decision-Making Performance in an Experimental Setting , 1985, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[17]  James A. Senn,et al.  Research in Management Information Systems: The Minnesota Experiments , 1977 .

[18]  William D. Biggs,et al.  Functional Business Games , 1987 .

[19]  J. D. Johannes,et al.  Systems Simulation: The Art and Science , 1975, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics.

[20]  H. P. Sims,et al.  Statistical Evaluation of Complex Gaming Performance , 1975 .

[21]  James E. Grizzle,et al.  Applications of multivariate analysis of variance to repeated measurements experiments. , 1966 .

[22]  Frederick Betz,et al.  On Managing Science in the Systems Age: Two Schemas for the Study of Science as a Whole Systems Phenomenon , 1974 .

[23]  William Remus,et al.  An Empirical Investigation of the Impact of Graphical and Tabular Data Presentations on Decision Making , 1984 .

[24]  Scott Hamilton,et al.  Evaluating Information Systems Effectiveness - Part I: Comparing Evaluation Approaches , 1981, MIS Q..

[25]  Daniel J. Power,et al.  AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF COMPUTER‐ASSISTED DECISION ANALYSIS* , 1986 .

[26]  J. Kleijnen.  Analyzing simulation experiments with common random numbers , 1988 .

[27]  W. A. Freyenfeld.  Decision Support Systems: An Executive Overview of Interactive Computer-assisted Decision Making in the UK , 1984 .

[28]  Brian L. Dos Santos,et al.  A Study of User Interface Aids for Model-Oriented Decision Support Systems , 1988 .

[29]  William Remus,et al.  Semi-Structured Recurring Decisions: An Experimental Study of Decision Making Models and Some Suggestions for DSS , 1987, MIS Q..

[30]  Scott Hamilton,et al.  Evaluating Information Systems Effectiveness - Part II: Comparing Evaluator Viewpoints , 1981, MIS Q..

[31]  Henk G. Sol,et al.  Aggregating data for decision support , 1985, Decis. Support Syst..

[32]  Nils J. Nilsson,et al.  Problem-solving methods in artificial intelligence , 1971, McGraw-Hill computer science series.

[33]  Richard L. Van Horn,et al.  Empirical studies of management information systems , 1973, DATB.

[34]  Paul Gray.  Guide to Ifps/Interactive Financial Planning System , 1987 .

[35]  Michael Colclough.  Games for Society, Business and War: Towards a Theory of Gaming , 1976 .

[36]  Henk G. Sol,et al.  Conflicting experiences with DSS , 1987, Decis. Support Syst..

[37]  Paul H. Cheney,et al.  Concepts, Theory, and Techniques: FACTORS AFFECTING THE PERCEIVED UTILIZATION OF COMPUTER-BASED DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS IN THE OIL INDUSTRY , 1982 .

[38]  Gerald L. Matlin,et al.  SIM Competition Paper: What Is the Value of Investment in Information Systems? , 1979, MIS Q..

[39]  I. Benbasat,et al.  Individual-Differences In The Use Of Decision Support Aids , 1982 .

[40]  Pieter W. G. Bots,et al.  An environment to support problem solving , 1987, Decis. Support Syst..

[41]  Joseph Wolfe,et al.  The External Validity of a Business Management Game , 1983 .

[42]  Dan R. Pieptea,et al.  Price and Value of Decision Support Systems , 1987, MIS Q..

[43]  Norman L. Chervany,et al.  An Experimental Evaluation of Information Overload in a Production Environment , 1974 .

[44]  Thomas F. Pray,et al.  Modeling Market- and Firm-Level Demand Functions in Computerized Business Simulations , 1984 .

[45]  J. Kleijnen.  Computers and Profits: Quantifying Financial Benefits of Information , 1980 .

[46]  J. Kleijnen.  Statistical tools for simulation practitioners , 1986 .

[47]  Martin D. Goslar,et al.  Decision support systems: an empirical assessment for decision making , 1986 .

[48]  Norman L. Eckel.  THE IMPACT OF PROBABILISTIC INFORMATION ON DECISION BEHAVIOR AND PERFORMANCE IN AN EXPERIMENTAL GAME , 1983 .

[49]  Izak Benbasat,et al.  An experimental program investigating color-enhanced and graphical information presentation: an integration of the findings , 1986, CACM.

[50]  D. Sculli,et al.  Designing Management Games for Production Management Training , 1984 .

[51]  Dwight R. Norris.  External Validity of Business Games , 1986 .

[52]  Shelby H. McIntyre,et al.  An Experimental Study of the Impact of Judgment-Based Marketing Models , 1982 .

[53]  Ralph H. Sprague,et al.  A Framework for the Development of Decision Support Systems , 1993 .

[54]  Gerardine DeSanctis,et al.  CONTINUITY IN MIS/DSS LABORATORY RESEARCH: THE CASE FOR A COMMON GAMING SIMULATOR* , 1983 .

[55]  James R. Slagle.  Artificial intelligence : the heuristic programming approach , 1971 .

[56]  Ramesh Sharda,et al.  Decision support system effectiveness: a review and an empirical test , 1988 .

[57]  Kalman J. Cohen,et al.  The Role of Management Games in Education and Research , 1961 .

[58]  James W. Gentry,et al.  Group Size and Attitudes Toward the Simulation Experience , 1980 .

[59]  Gerardine DeSanctis,et al.  Understanding the effectiveness of computer graphics for decision support: a cumulative experimental approach , 1986, CACM.

[60]  Niv Ahituv,et al.  A Systematic Approach Toward Assessing the Value of an Information System , 1980, MIS Q..

[61]  William R. King,et al.  ASSESSING INFORMATION SYSTEM VALUE: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY , 1983 .

[62]  Henk Sol,et al.  Simulation in information systems development. , 1982 .

[63]  Izak Benbasat,et al.  An experimental study of the human/computer interface , 1981, CACM.

[64]  Herbert A. Simon,et al.  The new science of management decision , 1960 .

[65]  John S. Chandler.  A Multiple Criteria Approach for Evaluating Information Systems , 1982, MIS Q..

[66]  Varghese S. Jacob,et al.  Organizational Decision Support Systems , 1992, Int. J. Man Mach. Stud..

[67]  Richard W. Scamell,et al.  An experimental evaluation of the impact of data display format on recall performance , 1988, CACM.

[68]  Robert L. Leitheiser,et al.  Computer support for knowledge workers: A review of laboratory experiments , 1986, DATB.

[69]  Harold Stanislaw,et al.  Tests of Computer Simulation Validity , 1986 .

[70]  R. Anthony,et al.  Planning and Control Systems: A Framework for Analysis , 1965 .

[71]  A. Bosman,et al.  Relations between specific decision support systems , 1987, Decis. Support Syst..

[72]  Edward J. Lusk,et al.  The Effect of Cognitive Style and Report Format on Task Performance: The MIS Design Consequences , 1979 .

[73]  Paul W. Miniard,et al.  The Misuse of Repeated Measures Analysis in Marketing Research , 1983 .

[74]  Daniel Pascot,et al.  Can DSS evolve without changing our view of the concept of 'problem'? , 1985, Decis. Support Syst..

[75]  Peter G. W. Keen,et al.  Decision support systems: The next decade , 1987, Decis. Support Syst..

[76]  Robert C. Joyner,et al.  Computer Augmented Organizational Problem Solving , 1970 .

[77]  G. Huber.  Cognitive Style as a Basis for MIS and DSS Designs: Much ADO About Nothing? , 1983 .

[78]  Ralph H. Sprague,et al.  DSS in context , 1987, Decis. Support Syst..

[79]  Izak Benbasat,et al.  An Investigation of the Effectiveness of Color and Graphical Information Presentation Under Varying Time Constraints , 1986, MIS Q..

[80]  Steven L. Alter,et al.  Decision support systems : current practice and continuing challenges , 1980 .

[81]  James F. Courtney,et al.  A Field Study of Organizational Factors Influencing DSS Success , 1985, MIS Q..

[82]  Chris Argyris,et al.  Inner Contradictions of Rigorous Research. , 1984 .

[83]  Izak Benbasat,et al.  An Experimental Evaluation of Graphical and Color-Enhanced Information Presentation , 1985 .

[84]  Bernhard C. Reimann,et al.  User-oriented criteria for the selection of DSS software , 1985, CACM.

[85]  Howard Carter,et al.  Foundations of Decision Support Systems , 1982 .