Date of Award

12-1999

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Systems Engineering and Management

First Advisor

Paul W. Thurston, PhD

Abstract

The growth of distributed group support systems (GSS) suggests that organizations will continue to bring dispersed groups of people together to make decisions over computer networks. In many instances those groups are temporarily assembled to address a task and then summarily disbanded never to work together again. In order for users to effectively use the GSS issues of trust and control need to be addressed within the GSS design. Users have perceptions about the fairness of structural and social determinants of the GSS design. These perceptions influence both the decision making process and process outcomes. This article shows the negative impacts that facilitator alignment and co-location with a single meeting member has on the other group members' perception of GSS fairness and equality of power distribution. This study also demonstrated how video could effectively reduce or mitigate the negative justice perceptions that users experience from facilitator alignment and co-location. The findings suggest that the increased communications capabilities available from video can help users overcome limitations that would otherwise be present from the design.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GIR-LAL-99D-4

DTIC Accession Number

ADA374229

Comments

Co-authored thesis.
The authors' Vita pages are omitted.

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