Gary W. Dickson

Facilitating computer-supported meetings: A cumulative analysis in a multiple-criteria task environment

There have been many instances of the ineffective applications of new information technology. This article describes a program of enhancing the effectiveness of a new technology, Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS), through a series of studies which resulted in improvements in the technology itself as well as in how the technology is supported. Our approach emphasizes human facilitation and facilitative features embedded in the GDSS software.

Teams and technology Interactions over time

In a longitudinal field study we tested several hypotheses of adaptive structuration theory, which predicts the impacts of advanced information technologies on work teams. We observed 47 technical and administrative work teams in a large, multinational energy company. The teams varied in their structural properties—team size and geographical dispersion—and in their degree of interaction with one another. We tracked the extent to which the teams used advanced information technologies, and we assessed the impacts of technology use practices on teams views of the quality of their coordination and their overall group effectiveness. The teams in our study had access to a range of traditional and advanced technologies, and we observed the impacts of team structural properties on technology use practices and outcomes across a three-year period. Use practices varied between the two types of teams. We found that, early on introduction of technology, team size, geographic dispersion, and meeting frequency predicted advanced technology use by administrative teams. Larger administrative teams reported more comfort with technology use, and they were more likely to use the technology to dominate one another rather than to collaborate. These effects diminished over time, however, and the influence of team structure and interaction patterns on advanced technology use were not clearcut. Use practices, which we label “appropriation,” impacted perceptions of coordination quality, especially in the case of technical teams. The most consistent pattern was that use of technology to dominate rather than to collaborate was negatively related to outcomes. Surprisingly, teams with relatively high use of advanced technologies grew in their use of the technology for domination purposes over the course of our study. Our findings suggest the need for more in-depth study of technology use practices in teams over time.

Redefining the High-Technology Classroom

Abstract This article describes the high-technology classroom in terms of both physical and virtual space. Information technology is crucial in expanding the walls of the physical classroom to create a “virtual” space for learning. The article takes a communications-based perspective to suggest that faculty need to understand the nature of new technology-enabled teaching environments, appreciate the opportunities the environment affords, and rethink their teaching assumptions and paradigms accordingly. In addition, the article briefly describes how administrators and faculty can create a culture that supports and encourages the change process needed for full-scale and effective use of the new teaching capabilities that are being created.

Using GSS to Design Organizational Processes and Information Systems: An Action Research Study on Collaborative Business Engineering

During an action research study a collaborative business engineering approach was developed, applied, and evaluated. Key characteristic of the approach is its focus on the participative design of organizational processes and supporting information systems. Following the approach, various design activities are carried out in close cooperation with groups of stakeholders supported by a Group Support System (GSS). This paper describes and reflects on the execution of these collaborative design activities in a police organization. Lessons learned with respect to GSS and collaborative design are formulated. Key insights illustrate the stakeholders perception of the group technology and the way in which it facilitated an efficient design process.

Infrastructure for telework: electronic communication at Texaco

Support of global, cross-functional, and mobile workers in a large organization requires f~ responsive, and highly integrated electronic communication systems. This case illustrates the technical, social, and political complexities involved in developing such an infmshuctum in large fins. This study shows how the investment by Texaco in the late 1980s in ehxtronic communications systems enabled efficiencies in the divisional form of organization, but by the 1990s, this investment also served as a constraint toward further change toward a nehvork form of organization.

A group problem solving approach to business process redesign: combating organized crime in Amsterdam

This paper presents and evaluates an approach that can be used to support modifications both in an organization (reengineering) and especially, in its supporting information systems. The approach is a blend of the (group) problem solving approach from Delft University of Technology with work involving group decision support in the context of information system design coming from the University of Minnesota. A study performed at the Amsterdam Municipal Police Force is used to illustrate and evaluate this approach. Results from this experience show the effectiveness and efficiency of the approach and point toward directions for enhancements.<<ETX>>