A Mathematical Model of Performance of Computer-Mediated Groups during Idea Generation

Abstract:

As the use of computer-mediated systems for group work grows, the need for a better understanding of the impact of such systems becomes more important. Studies of non-computer-mediated group work have long been guided by mathematical models of group interaction and performance, but recent research suggests that these models do not fit the unique capabilities of computer-mediated systems. This article builds on previous group research to create a mathematical model of computer-mediated group performance which is then tested using data from two prior studies. This testing enabled us to conclude that models of computer-mediated groups run counter to the many guiding models of non-computer-mediated groups. We therefore discuss the implications of these differences in relation to users of this technology and to future developmental and empirical research.

Key Words and Phrases::

• group interaction modeling
• group process gains
• group process losses
• group support systems
• idea generation

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joseph S. Valacich

Joseph S. Valacich is an Assistant Professor of Decision and Information Systems at Indiana University, Bloomington. His research interests include technology diffusion in organizations and group decision behavior and he has recent publications in Academy of Management Journal, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Management Science, Journal of Applied Psychology, Communication Research, Communications of the ACM, and Small Group Research.

Alan R. Dennis

Alan R. Dennis is an Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems in the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. He received his Ph.D. in MIS from the University of Arizona. He has published articles in a variety of journals, including Management Science, Academy of Management Journal, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Journal of Applied Psychology, MIS Quarterly, Communications of the ACM and IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics. His current research focuses on the use of information technology to improve group work.