Management support systems II

1. Management support systems II 1. Multiparticipant support systems

2. Multiparticipant Decision Support • Objectives-- Afterstudyingthislecture, youshouldbeable to: • Offeranorganizationalperspectivethatidentifies and relatesmultiplekindsofdecision support systemsfound in anorganization. • Outlinetheorganizationalcomputingfield and discussits relevance to thedecision support systemfield. • Identifythecategoriesofmultiparticipantdecision support systems. • Describethenatureofgroupware, computer-mediatedcommunication, computersupportedcooperativework, and coordination technology.

3. Multiparticipant Decision Support • Whydo organizationsexist? • Participantscollectivelycanaccomplish more thantheycouldindividually • Knowledgeresources are distributed, yielding a range and complexityoforganizationknowledgebeyondany single participant

4. Multiparticipant Decision Support • Mustbeproperlyprocessed to accomplishorganization’swork • depends on organizationinfrastructure (OI) • supportingtechnologicalinfrastructure (TI) • OI and TI • OI refers to • roles • relationshipsamongthem • regulationsgoverning use ofroles and relationships

5. Multiparticipant Decision Support • Forexample, OI forgroupsdifferfrom OI forteams • TI refers to computer-basedmeansfordesigning, enabling, monitoring, evaluating, enforcing, modifying OI • Forexample, TI mayallow • rolesthat are otherwise not practicalfor a single participant due to cognitivelimitations • relationshipsthat are otherwiseimpracticaldue to time/spacedifferences • regulationsthatpermitsimultaneousmessagepassing, anonymouscommunication, market-orienteddecisionmaking

6. Multiparticipant Decision Support • Good fit of TI with OI isimportantforanorganization’s performance • seek TI to fit existing OI • redefine OI to fit advances in TI (business processreengineering) • Organizationalcomputing (OC) • Concernedwith • creatingnewkindsof TI • studyingfitsbetween TI and OI

7. Multiparticipant Decision Support • Portionof OC fieldofinteresthereinvolvesDSSsforsupportingmultiplepersonsinvolved in making a decision (in contrast to DSSsforindividualsmakingdecisions) • multiparticipantDSSs are subject to allgeneric DSS featuresidentifiedearlier • haveaddedfeaturesmakingthemsuitableforsupportingdecisionmakingofmultipleparticipants • organizedaccording to somestructureofinterrelation • operatingaccording to some set ofregulation

8. Multiparticipant Decision Support • these featurescomefromresearch in such OC areas as • groupware technology • computer-supportedcooperativework technology • computer-mediatedcommunication technology • coordination technology • stillevolving • Organization-widedecision support systems • Lookatthe big pictureofmultipleDSSsexistingsimultaneously in anorganization

9. Multiparticipant Decision Support • Fromthisperspective, 4 typesofDSSshavebeenidentified • corporateplanningsystems • hold/deriveknowledgerelevant to overallplanningdecisionsoforganization’s top managers • decisionsthatcutacrossdepartments and divisions • decisionsthataffectallofanorganization’sfunctions • KS includesextensive data abouttheorganization and itsenvironment • DSS includessolversthatmathematically model theorganization’sprocesses • designed to respond to what-ifquestionsofcorporateplanner to show corporate-wideimplicationsofscenarios posed by planner

10. Multiparticipant Decision Support • actuallypredatethe DSS term • widespread in largeorganizations • built and maintained by professionaldevelopers • functionaldecision support systems • hold/deriveknowledgerelevantfordecisionsaboutsomefunctionanorganizationperforms - deploying cash on hand - budgetinganadvertisingcampaign - schedulingproductionofbackorderedproducts • relative to CPS, FDSS supportsdecisions - within a function - withshortertimehorizon - oflowerlevelmanagers

11. Multiparticipant Decision Support • requireslesseffortthan CPS to create/maintain • executiveinformationsystems • holdsknowledgerelevant to wide-rangingdecisions made by a highlevelexecutive • not restricted to planningoranyparticularfunction • supports diverse mix ofimmediate, short-term decisionsexecutivemust make • satisfies ad hoc informationneedsaboutcurrent performance and anticipatedactivities • mayhaverelativelysimple modeling capabilities • built and maintained by professionaldevelopers

12. Multiparticipant Decision Support • localdecision support systems • tends to belocalizedwithinsomefunction (more specializedthan FDSS) • usuallybuilt and maintained by the end user • Organization-wideframeworkforDSSs • Allfour DSS typescanexist in a single organization • Howshouldtheybemanaged, coordinated, evaluated? • Basisforstudying these issuesis a frameworkthatrelatesthefour DSS types on threedimensions • organizationallevel/scope - operational/narrow: FDSS, LDSS - strategic/wide: CPS, EIS

13. Multiparticipant Decision Support • formality of design and documentation - formaldue to support ofrecurringdecisions: CPS, FDSS - lessformalforunanticipated, one-shot decisions: LDSS, EIS • user class - support forindividualdecision maker - support formultiparticipantdecision maker • DSS planningshould • assignresponsibilityfordevelopment, maintenance, control, and evaluationofeach DSS type • specifywhetherthey are to bedeveloped in parallelorsomesequence

14. Multiparticipant Decision Support • indicatehowthey are to belinked (ifatall) • clarifyrelationshipsthatdevelopers and usersofeach type canhavewithothercomputer-relatedelementsoforganization • establishoversightauthority and regulations to ensureconsistencyacrossDSSs’ KSs • Theoverlapof OC and decision support • UnderstandingtypesofDSSsavailableforimprovingorganizationalproductivity • Organization-wideplanningfortheirdevelopment and coordination

15. Multiparticipant Decision Support • Evaluationoftheircollectiveimpacts on theorganization • Multiparticipantdecision support systems (MDSSs) • twomaincategoriesstudied by researchers • groupdecision support systems (GDSSs) • organizationaldecision support systems (ODSSs) • team decision support systems (TDSSs) haveyet to beresearched • cuttingacross these are negotiation support systems (NSSs) • related to other major OC subjects

16. Multiparticipant Decision Support - groupware - computer-mediatedcommunication - computersupportedcooperativework - coordination technology • Groupware • Computer-basedsystemsthat • providean interface to anenvironmentshared by a groupofpersons • support thegroup in carryingout a commontaskor meeting a commongoal

17. Multiparticipant Decision Support • Classesofgroupware • messagesystems • use message management • allowspersons to passmessagesamongthemselves • examples: e-mail, bulletin boards • permitasynchronouscommunication (sending/viewingofmessagedoes not need to besynchronized) • decision support in senseofknowledgeacquisition

18. Multiparticipant Decision Support • conferencingsystems • insteadof a face-to-face conference, participantsinteract via theircomputers to have a conference • threeapproaches: - real-timecomputerconferencing - interactatsametime - canbesupplementedwith audio/linkage (conference call) - lack video capability

19. Multiparticipant Decision Support - computerteleconferencing - video conferencing - speciallyequippedrooms plus linkages to other sites - lackability to share text and graphicsimages - desktop conferencing - interact via desktop computers - eachscreenpartitionedintowindows - somefor text/graphicalinteraction - othersfor video imagesofparticipants - computersalsoequippedfor audio interaction • decision support to theextentthatconferenceobjectiveis to informor make a decision

20. Multiparticipant Decision Support • collaborativeauthoring • allowsgroup to collaborate on creation/revisionof a document • documentcomposedofsections • anyonecanview and comment on anysectionatanytime • onlyone participant canmodify a sectionat a time • decision support to theextentthatthedocumentdescribes a collectivedecision • groupdecision support systems • otherkindsofgroupware not devisedsolelyfordecision support

21. Multiparticipant Decision Support • GDSS assistanceincludes - removalofcommunicationbarriers - facilitiesforstructuringflowofdeliberations • GDSS canhelpgenerateideas, organizecomments on relevanttopics, analyzeissues, rank alternatives, etc. • typicalsetup - participantsmeet in roomequippedwith network ofcomputers and a large public display screen: “electronic meeting room” - eachcomputerscreen has a privatespace (for preparingcontributions) and public space (for viewingcollectiveresults)

22. Multiparticipant Decision Support • someGDSSsallowparticipants to be in differentplaces • coordinationsystems • aim to help in integration and harmonizingof participant activities - show each participant status ofownactions and whatothershave done - issuealerts and reminders • forexample, systemthatcirculateselectronicforms • intelligent agent systems • software thatemployssome AI mechanism to carryout a certain set oftasks

23. Multiparticipant Decision Support • forexample, thosethatbehavelikepersonalassistants - concealingtaskcomplexity - doingtasksfor user - monitoring events - notifying user aboutsituations • intelligentagentscan - function as participants in groupwork - helpparticipantscollaborate - helpparticipants use othergroupware

24. Multiparticipant Decision Support • Computer-mediatedcommunication (CMC) • Use ofcomputers to create, store, deliver, processcommunications • CMC systemusually has allorsomeofthefollowingtraits • text management facility to create/modifymessages • notebook foreach participant to keep notes, drafts, personaldocuments • messages, eachsent to oneor more participants and heldatreceivingcomputeruntilprocessed

25. Multiparticipant Decision Support • journalswhich are sharedspacesforposting and viewingmessages • conferences, eachofwhichis a storagespacecommon to a set ofparticipantsdetermined by anorganizer, forwhicheach participant canaddorviewcomments • CMC impacts on groupdecisionmakers • CMC groupslesslikely to • reachtotalconsensus • have a dominant participant

26. Multiparticipant Decision Support • CMC groups more likely to • haverequestsforsharingofopinions • use fewerwords in producingdecisions • havehigherqualitydecisions • reachdecisionsfartherawayfromindividualpreferences • Computersupportedcooperativework • Varyingviews on whatitis • just another term forgroupware • but not allcooperativeworkis done by groups • and not allgroupworkiscooperative

27. Multiparticipant Decision Support • more comprehensivethangroupware • attempts to understandnatureofcooperativework as a basisfordesigningsupportivecomputer-basedsystems • aim to reduceoverheadcoordinationcostsofcooperativework • aim to improveoutcomeofcooperativework • not defined by a set oftechnologies • Support provided by CSCW systemsdistinguished in 3 ways • systemlikely to bedistributedacrossmultiplecomputers in a waythatallowsthem to functiontogether to support cooperativework

28. Multiparticipant Decision Support • systemwillestablish, maintain, processrepresentationsofthecooperativeworkcontext • systemwilltry to actively support cooperationthatisoccurring, as well as keeping a recordofit • Coordination technology • Use of technology to helppeople in activitiesthatmaybecooperative, competitive, orinvolveconflictsofinterest • Rooted in coordinationtheoryaboutwaysofmanagingdependenciesamongactivities