Facilitating technology-supported group work: a new category of IS personnel

Abstract

This paper discusses the group support systems facilitator as a new category of IS personnel, in terms of background, skills, and training, and how facilitation might be related to existing IS personnel categories, particularly that of the systems analyst. A study is then presented which aims to increase our understanding of the role of the human facilitator, by documenting and comparing skills, experiences, and perceptions of group process facilitators who have used GSS and those who have not.