Anonymous mechanisms in group decision support systems communication

Abstract Using group decision support systems (GDSS) as a backdrop, this paper looks at the issues surrounding anonymity, with particular emphasis on how it may be achieved. Ensuring anonymity requires more than simple encryption. Anonymity is viewed as a composite of three types of anonymity—environmental, content-based and procedural. Each type is investigated and procedures developed to improve the anonymity of the system. Behavioral and operational costs are identified for each of the three types of anonymity. For some meetings, the benefits of supporting anonymous communication may not justify the costs. Mechanisms providing complete procedural anonymity in various system configurations are presented. It is shown that five separate mechanisms can be used to provide procedural anonymity. The impact of relaxing each of these mechanisms is also investigated. Even though a system provides anonymity, participants may be skeptical. This skepticism can reduce the overall efficiency of the group. For this reason it is important to be able to convince groups that their comments are indeed anonymous. The issue of how to convince individuals that their anonymity is secure is discussed and a partial solution to this problem is presented.

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