Title :
How task uncertainty and coordination impact the appropriation of GSSs
Author :
Perez-Alvarez, Cesar ; Silberman, Samuel J.
Author_Institution :
Coll. of Bus. Adm., Fairleigh Dickinson Univ., Teaneck, NJ, USA
Abstract :
Appropriate coordination mechanisms support goal attainment. The structural characteristics of the group and the nature of the task determine the type of coordination that promotes effective group performance. When group size and cohesiveness are controlled for, the coordination mode is determined by the complexity of the task. Task complexity depends upon the amount of relevant information available, and by the task´s ill-structured or unstructured nature. According to the adaptative structuration theory, group outcomes are determined by a rather complex and continuous process in which technological artifacts are appropriated by the group. When groups select a particular set of structural features, they also choose the coordination structure that enables them to accomplish their goals. This study explores the effects that effective coordination has on the ways in which group appropriate GSSs.
Keywords :
decision support systems; groupware; adaptative structuration theory; coordination mechanism; decision making; group support systems; groupware; task complexity; Appropriate technology; Collaborative software; Collaborative work; Decision making; Educational institutions; Problem-solving; Productivity; Rivers; Size control; Uncertainty;
Conference_Titel :
Information Technology: Research and Education, 2003. Proceedings. ITRE2003. International Conference on
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-7724-9
DOI :
10.1109/ITRE.2003.1270593