Coordination in Distributed Group Support Systems

这是对为期两年的连续奖的第一年资助。分布式群体支持系统将群体决策支持系统(GDSS)类型的工具和程序嵌入到计算机中介的通信系统中，以支持分散的人群之间的协作工作。“分布式”有几种含义：时间、空间和技术。小组成员使用该系统在一段时间内共同工作以达成决定或完成他们的合作工作，每个人在任何方便的时间和地点工作。这一阶段研究计划的理论重点将是通过构建一个公共数据库，将至少六个实验的结果建立在四种不同类型的任务中，从而测试有助于分布式群体协调的一般理论的命题。实证研究的重点将是支持创造性和计划任务的协调机制和过程，例如软件设计团队。这一研究方案的产品将有助于为利用目前正在建设的“信息高速公路”有效协调协作小组的工作提供知识库。

This is the first year funding of a two-year ontinuing award. `Distributed Group Support Systems` embed Group Decision Support System (GDSS)-type tools and procedures within a computer-mediated communication system, to support collaborative work among dispersed groups of people. `Distributed` has several meanings: temporal, spatial and technological. The group members use the system to work together to reach a decision or complete their cooperative work over a period of time, with each person working at whatever time and place is convenient. The theoretical focus of this phase of the research program will be to test propositions that will contribute to a general theory of coordination in distributed groups, by constructing a common database of the results of at least six experiments spanning four different types of tasks. The focus of empirical studies will be coordination mechanisms and processes to support creative and planning tasks, such as software design teams. The products of this program of research will help to provide the knowledge base for effective coordination of the work of collaborative groups using the `information superhighways` that are currently being constructed.