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Unit 10: Enhancing Decision Making for the Digital Firm

give each participant access to the corporate data while he or she is in the meeting. If a question Notes
raises about various facts, the computer can find the answer without waiting for a second
meeting.

10.4.3 Goals of GDSS

The goals of GDSS are:
 Mitigate the Problems of Group Work:
 Social pressures of conformity may result in “groupthink”.

 Lack of co-ordination of work and poor planning of meetings.
 Inappropriate influence of group dynamics.
 Tendency of group members to rely on others to do most of the work.
 Tendency toward compromised solutions of poor quality.

 Social “loafing”
 Tendency to repeat what was already said.
 Larger costs of making decisions.
 Tendency of group to take riskier decisions than they should.

 Incomplete or inappropriate use of information.
 Inappropriate representation in group.
 Accentuate the Benefits of Group Work:
 Groups are better than individuals at understanding problems.

 Groups are better than individuals at catching errors.
 A group has more knowledge/information than any one member.
 Working in a group may stimulate the participants and the process.
 The participation of the members in a decision means less likelihood to resist
implementation.
 People are accountable for the decisions that they participate in.
 Support Multiple Group Processes:

 Provide methods that aid the decision and judgment process.
 Provide access to rules that will aid the choice between alternatives.
 Provide methods for reconciling conflict.

Task Discuss how GDSS differ from DSS?

10.4.4 Limitations of GDSS

Perhaps the greatest drawback to a GDSS is that it requires participants to type in their ideas,
comments and criticisms. Most people are used to meetings based on oral discussions. Even if
they have adequate typing skills, a GDSS can inhibit some managers.

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