A Comparative Study of GDSS (Group Decision Support System) Use: Empirical Evidence and Model Design

Although the technology is in its infancy, Group Decision Support Systems GDSS have attracted attention as a possible means of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the ever-increasing number of group decisions that are made in modern organizations. The authors conducted an empirical study in which groups of three were tested in two different settings. One setting involved unaided face-to-face problem solving and the other involved GDSS-aided face-to-face problem solving. This study expanded the research of Fijol and Woodbury and thus replicated the conditions of their experiment. In support of a major premise of our model, it was found that the case used was too simple to be efficiently solved using a GDSS. Further research is necessary to define precisely which characteristics and settings are best used to support each problem type and to make GDSS a useful management tool. Research has suggested that a wide range of options may be included in a GDSS and that there are several possible settings for its use. Not all settings and options, however, are feasible for all problem types. A model, based on problem type, that recommends optimal settings and characteristics for GDSS use with a particular problem type was developed.