An analysis of the effects of mode of communication on group decision making

Group support systems (GSS) have been the subject of many investigations and meta-analyses over the past decade. The study presents, summarizes and analyzes the results of 100 experiments that used the communication mode as an independent variable. The results suggest that use of a GSS improves decision quality, depth of analysis, equality of participation, and satisfaction compared to manual methods. Additionally, more detailed analysis suggests that task type, GSS type and the interaction of both have a moderating effect on adaptation and outcome factors.