The theory, design and evaluation of an information system application for group support that incorporates emotional intelligence.

摘要

Researchers in IS have conducted extensive research into various kinds of group support systems over the last twenty-five years. A parallel stream of inquiry in Management has developed an important body of research in organizational Emotional Intelligence, which has been shown to contribute to the effectiveness of group interactions by increasing cooperation and reducing conflict. Group support system technologies present a special opportunity to introduce soft management functions such as Emotional Intelligence because they are designed as a channel of interaction between group members. This research used a design theory approach to guide the integration of Emotional Intelligence functions into Group Support Systems. The design drew on six contributing, or kernel, theory areas from the organizational and group support systems literature. Two artifact systems were constructed based on these designs, one with five classes and fifteen instances of functions designed to facilitate Emotional Intelligence, and another with basic group communication tools but no special functions. These systems were utilized and compared in a lab exercise that required group interaction, using evaluation groups (total n=126) assigned to use the enhanced application (n=66) or the standard, non-enhanced application (n=60). Results of the comparison of these applications revealed a number of findings related to the potential of enhanced applications to enable communication of the emotional subtext of virtual communications. Results also suggest that there is the potential for triggering or stimulation of negative emotions by providing tools for expression of feelings that are not normally a part of virtual, text-based communications. The findings of the research provide support for additional design and evaluation cycles devoted to development of more advanced expressive, interactive or advisory functions, as well as the evaluation of such functions in professional organizational contexts. Implications for theory include potential extensions of group support system and organizational theory to include new dimensions of emotion-based subtext and advisory capabilities that enhance Emotional Intelligence.