Comparative Study of Idea Generation between Traditional Value Management Workshops and GDSS-Supported Workshops
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 133, Issue 10
Abstract
Value management (VM) has been widely used to meet challenges arising from the construction industry. However, it has also encountered some problems such as passive participation in VM workshops and a lack of time and information to complete all tasks in the workshops. A group decision support system (GDSS), entitled interactive value management system (IVMS), has been developed by the writers to overcome these problems. This paper starts with an introduction to GDSS and a critical review of technologies used in the process of idea generation in VM workshops. This is followed by findings of a laboratory experiment designed to compare the productivity of traditional brainstorming and brainstorming with IVMS support in VM workshops. The results of the experiment showed that IVMS has a positive influence on idea generation in VM workshops. Finally, the implications of the study and directions for future research are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The work described in this paper was supported by the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Grant Nos. UNSPECIFIEDPolyU 5114/03E and UNSPECIFIEDPolyU 5161/04E).
References
Australian/New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS). (1994). “Value management.” AS/NZS 4183, Joint Technical Committee OB/6.
Briggs, R. O., Balthazard, P., and Dennis, A. R. (1996). “Graduate business students as surrogates for executives in the evaluation of technology.” J. End-User Computing, 8(4), 11–17.
Camacho, L. M., and Paulus, P. B. (1995). “The role of social anxiousness in group brainstorming.” J. Pers Soc. Psychol., 68(6), 1071–1080.
Connolly, T., Jessup, L. M., and Valacich, J. S. (1990). “Effects of anonymity and evaluative tone on idea generation in computer mediated groups.” Manage. Sci., 36(6), 689–703.
Dennis, A. R., George, J. F., Jessup, L. M., Nunamaker, J. F., and Vogel, D. R. (1988). “Information technology to support electronic meetings.” MIS Q., 12(4), 591–624.
Dennis, A. R., Heminger, A. R., Nunamaker, J. F., and Vogel, D. R. (1990). “Bring automated support to large groups: The Burr-Brown experience.” Inf. Manage., 18(3), 111–121.
Dennis, A. R., and Valacich, J. S. (1993). “Computer brainstorms: More heads are better than one.” J. Appl. Psychol., 78(4), 531–537.
Diehl, M., and Stroebe, W. (1987). “Productivity loss in brainstorming groups: Toward the solution of a riddle.” J. Pers Soc. Psychol., 53(3), 497–509.
Diehl, M., and Stroebe, W. (1991). “Productivity loss in idea-generating groups: Tracking down the blocking effects.” J. Pers Soc. Psychol., 61(3), 392–403.
DeSanctis, G., and Galluple, R. B. (1987). “A foundation for the study of group decision support systems.” Manage. Sci., 33(5), 589–609.
Er, M. C., and Ng, A. C. (1995). “The anonymity and proximity factors in group decision support systems.” Decision Support Sys., 14(1), 75–83.
Fjermestad, J., and Hiltz, S. R. (1999). “An assessment of group support systems experimental research methodology and results.” J. Manage. Inf. Sys., 15(3), 7–149.
Gallupe, R. B., Bastianutti, L., and Cooper, W. H. (1991). “Unblocking brainstorms.” J. Appl. Psychol., 76(1), 137–142.
Gallupe, R. B., Dennis, A. R., Cooper, W., Valacich, J. S., Bastianutti, L. M., and Nunamaker, J. F. (1992). “Electronic brainstorming and group size.” Acad. Manage J., 35(2), 350–369.
Greenbery, S. (1991). Computer-supported cooperative work and groupware, Academic, London, 133–154.
Harkins, S. G., and Pretty, R. E. (1982). “Effects of task difficulty and task uniqueness on social loafing.” J. Pers Soc. Psychol., 43(6), 1214–1229.
Jessup, L. M., Connolly, T., and Tansik, D. A. (1990). “Toward a theory of automated group work: The de-individuating effects of anonymity.” Small Group Research, 21(3), 333–348.
Kerr, N. L., and Bruun, S. E. (1983). “Dispensability of member effort and group motivation losses: Free-rider effects.” J. Pers Soc. Psychol., 44(1), 78–94.
Lamm, H., and Trommsdorf, G. (1973). “Group versus individual performance on tasks requiring ideational proficiency (brainstorming): A review of European.” J. Soc. Psychol., 3(4), 361–387.
Latane, B., Williams, K., and Harkins, S. (1979). “Many hands make light the work: The cause and consequences of social loafing.” J. Pers Soc. Psychol., 37(6), 822–832.
Lorge, I., Fox, D., Davitz, J., and Brenner, M. A. (1958). “A survey of studies contrasting the quality of group performance and individual performance, 1920-1957.” Psychol. Bull., 55(6), 337–372.
Mullen, B., Johnson, C., and Salas, E. (1991). “Productivity loss in brainstorming groups: A meta-analytic integration.” Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 12(1), 3–23.
Nunamaker, J. F., Jr., Briggs, R. O., Mittleman, D. D., and Vogel, D. R. (1996). “Lessons from a dozen years of group support systems research: A discussion of lab and field findings.” J. Manage. Inf. Sys., 13(3), 163–207.
Nunamaker, J. F., Jr., Dennis, A. R., Valacich, J. S., Vogel, D. R., and George, J. F. (1993). “Group support systems research: Experience from the lab and field.” Group support systems: New perspectives, L. M. Jessup and J. S. Valacich, eds., Macmillan, New York, 125–145.
Paulus, P. B., Dzindolet, M. T., Poletes, G., and Camacho, L. M. (1993). “Perceptions of performance in group brainstorming: The illusion of productivity.” J. Pers Soc. Psychol., 19(1), 78–89.
Paulus, P. B., Larey, T. S., and Ortega, A. H. (1995). “Performance and perceptions of brainstormers in an organizational setting.” Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 17(1/2), 249–265.
Pinsonneault, A., Barki, H., Gallupe, B. R., and Hoppen, N. (1999). “Electronic brainstorming: The illusion of productivity.” Information Systems Research, 10(2), 110–130.
Pinsonneault, A., and Kraemer, K. L. (1990). “The effects of electronic meetings on group processes and outcomes: An assessment of the empirical research.” Eur. J. Oper. Res., 46(2), 143–161.
Remus, W. (1986). “Graduate students as surrogates for managers in experiments on business decision making.” J. Bus. Res., 14(1), 19–25.
SAVE International. (1998). Value methodology standard, 2nd revised Ed., Northbrook 4–18.
Shen, Q. P., and Chung, K. H. (2000). “Overcome difficulties in VM studies: The use of information technology.” Proc., 4th HKIVM Int. Value Management Conf., HKIVM, Hong Kong, 28–36.
Shen, Q. P., and Kwok, E. (1999). “The economic downturn in Hong Kong: Crisis or opportunity for sustainable value management applications.” Proc., HKIVM 3rd Int. Value Management Conf., Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, 1–7.
Sutton, R. I., and Hargadon, A. (1996). “Brainstorming groups in context: Effectiveness in a product design firm.” Adm. Sci. Q., 41(4), 685–718.
Valacich, J. S., Dennis, A. R., and Connolly, T. (1994). “Idea generation in computer-based groups: A new ending to an old story.” Org. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process, 57(3), 448–467.
Walker, H. A., Ilardi, B. C., McMahon, A. M., and Fennell, M. L. (1996). “Gender, interaction, and leadership.” Soc. Psychol. Q., 59(3), 255–272.
Williams, K., Harkins, S., and Latane, B. (1981). “Identifiability as a deterrent to social loafing: Two cheering experiments.” J. Pers Soc. Psychol., 40(2), 303–311.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 23, 2005
Accepted: Feb 22, 2007
Published online: Oct 1, 2007
Published in print: Oct 2007
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.