Experience with Self-Guiding Group Support Systems for Creative Problem Solving Tasks

Many teams and groups use brainstorming to improve their creativity. Brainstorming can be supported with Group Support Systems (GSS). However, GSS are most successful when offered in combination with facilitation or at least training. Unfortunately, facilitation or training will impose a barrier to use such systems. In this chapter the use of a GSS for a multi-step creative problem solving task was evaluated. The groups using this GSS got no training, had no GSS experience and got no support, other than a 1 page log-in instruction. With this limited instruction and no training all participating groups handed in a report with the results of their brainstorm, using the tool. This chapter will report the process, the way it is embedded in the tool, and the results of our exploratory questionnaire among the participants.

[1]  Gert-Jan de Vreede,et al.  Exploring the Boundaries of Successful GSS Application: Supporting Inter-Organizational Policy Networks , 1999, HICSS.

[2]  F. Ackermann.  Participants' perceptions on the role of facilitators using Group Decision Support Systems , 1996 .

[3]  Moez Limayem,et al.  Facilitating computer-supported meetings: A cumulative analysis in a multiple-criteria task environment , 1996 .

[4]  Stefan Werner Knoll,et al.  Changing the Perspective: Improving Generate thinkLets for Ideation , 2010, 2010 43rd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.

[5]  Alan R. Dennis,et al.  Investigating the Moderators of the Group Support Systems Use with Meta-Analysis , 2002, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[6]  Starr Roxanne Hiltz,et al.  Group Support Systems: A Descriptive Evaluation of Case and Field Studies , 2000, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[7]  Robert O. Briggs,et al.  A conceptual foundation of the thinkLet concept for Collaboration Engineering , 2006, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[8]  Starr Roxanne Hiltz,et al.  An Assessment of Group Support Systems Experimental Research: Methodology and Results , 1998, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[9]  Jay F. Nunamaker,et al.  Collaboration Engineering with ThinkLets to Pursue Sustained Success with Group Support Systems , 2003, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[10]  Jay F. Nunamaker,et al.  Distributed GSS facilitation and participation: field action research , 1999, Proceedings of the 32nd Annual Hawaii International Conference on Systems Sciences. 1999. HICSS-32. Abstracts and CD-ROM of Full Papers.

[11]  Eric L. Santanen,et al.  Resolving Ideation Paradoxes: Seeing Apples as Oranges through the Clarity of ThinkLets , 2005, Proceedings of the 38th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.

[12]  Robert O. Briggs,et al.  Collaboration Engineering: Designing Repeatable Processes for High-Value Collaborative Tasks , 2005, Proceedings of the 38th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.

[13]  Luís Carriço,et al.  A GDSS Agenda Builder for Inexperienced Facilitators , 1999 .

[14]  Gwendolyn L. Kolfschoten,et al.  Tool Support for GSS Session Design , 2005, Proceedings of the 38th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.

[15]  Robert O. Briggs,et al.  A tale of two cities: case studies of GSS transition in two organizations , 2004 .

[16]  Brad Quinn Post,et al.  A Business Case Framework for Group Support Technology , 1992, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[17]  Victoria K. Clawson,et al.  The Role of the Facilitator in Computer-Supported Meetings , 1993 .

[18]  Alan R. Dennis,et al.  Understanding Fit and Appropriation Effects in Group Support Systems via Meta-Analysis , 2001, MIS Q..

[19]  Robert O. Briggs,et al.  A Tale of Two Cities: Case Studies of Group Support Systems Transition , 2005 .

[20]  Jay F. Nunamaker,et al.  Lessons from a Dozen Years of Group Support Systems Research: A Discussion of Lab and Field Findings , 1996, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[21]  Douglas R. Vogel,et al.  Fifteen years of GSS in the field: a comparison across time and national boundaries , 2003, 36th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2003. Proceedings of the.

[22]  Bjørn Erik Munkvold,et al.  Organizational adoption and diffusion of electronic meeting systems: a case study , 2001, GROUP.

[23]  Gert-Jan de Vreede,et al.  Creative approaches to measuring creativity: comparing the effectiveness of four divergence thinkLets , 2004, 37th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2004. Proceedings of the.

[24]  Robert M. Davison,et al.  How a silver bullet may lose its shine , 2003, CACM.