EFFECT OF REPEATED USE OF A GROUP SUPPORT SYSTEM ONPERFORMANCE PATTERNS

摘要

Geographic location is no longer a constraint in currentrnglobal markets. Decision makers are more oftenrnlocated in remote settings. As a result, virtual teamsrnare likely to play a primary role in decision-makingrnactivities in the near future. Virtual groups usuallyrnrequire a computer-based platform that facilitatesrneffective group communication. This research wasrnundertaken to investigate the effect that two differentrncommunication platforms have in group performancernover a period of time. In particular, we sought tornunderstand the differences in patterns between a faceto-rnface and a computer-supported platform withrnrespect to certain performance variables. Responsernvariables assessed by this study included grouprnperformance and group synergy. Overall means andrnperformance patterns over time were compared acrossrnplatforms.rnResults allowed drawing reasonable conclusionsrnabout the impact of training on the dynamics ofrncomputer-supported teams. Additional inferencesrnregarding platform effect on group dynamics were alsorndrawn. To do so required an understanding of howrncomputer-supported (CS) and face-to-face (FTF)rnplatforms compare to each other on their patterns overrntime. Implications of the study and suggestions forrnfuture research are also provided.