Exploring attitudinal development in computer-supported groups

To explore the development of group attitudes in a group decision support system (GDSS) environment, eight groups of four and five persons each met in a computer-supported conference room over a period of two months. The groups addressed two strategic planning tasks; each group met for a total of eight 2-h sessions. Members' attitudes toward the group decision process and the quality of meeting outcomes were assessed following each meeting. Results suggest three patterns of adoption of the GDSS technology: adopters, discarders, and rejecters. The authors discuss attitudinal development in these three types of groups and the relationship between attitudes and the quality of group planning in the GDSS environment.<>