Q. Write the advantages and disdvantages of GDSS.
Ans. Advantages of Group Decision Support Systems Group Decision Support Systems give groups several advantages over many traditional, non-automated group meetings.
More participation: Because a GDSS allows anonymity, group members may be encouraged to participate because they do not feel as vulnerable to group censure for asking what may be perceived as "foolish" questions or making unpopular comments. Similarly, the participants will not be as subject to group think or conformance pressure (the reluctance to criticize the comments of others due to politeness or fear of reprisals). In addtion, each group member will have more "air time" or time to contribute ideas. In non-automated meetings, people must listen to others speak and pausing to reflect can cost a turn at comment or response; a GDSS allows everyone to "ak" in parallel. In a typical meeting, group members have only few minutes to express their ideas rather than the entire meeting time. In some non-auotmated meetings, a few group members may exert undue influence or monopolize the group's time, a GDSS makes every participant equal, eliminating member status incongruities.
Finally, more information will be presented to the group as more participate
Group synergy: Other group members will be able to use an ides in a manner that the originator did not because participants have different information skills. Also, the group as a whole will be better able to catch errors in a comment than the individual who proposed the idea Reading a comment often gives creative stimulus to others in the group. Also, groups may be more likey to consider an idea as the group's idea rather than an individual's because ideas have been merged together.
Automated record keeping: A GDSS can record all comments generated during the meeting, and consequently, the group participants may not need to take notes. In a non-automated seeing, group members have to remember comments (rather than thinking of new onea) until they have a chance to speak. Participants may also forget what has been said before. In vocal meetings, some participants may not understand what was said or they may not be able to process the information quickly enough. This automated log of the discussion' supports the development of an organizational memory from meeting to meeting.
More structure: A GDSS also provides a certain amount of structure to the meeting With this structure in place, it is more difficult to deviate from the problem-solving cycle and make incomplete premature decisions. The group has a more concentrated discussion, and they stay focused on the issues throughout the meeting Lower levels of non-task interactions (gossiping, for exemple) is such groups have been observed as compared with traditional al meetings
Other benefits: As a result of more participation, group synergy, ord keeping, and structure, many groups have been able record to accomplish more in significantly less time necessary for traditional, non-automated meetings. Also, these factors have contributed to tiger group satisfaction with the meeting process. Finally, the new technology has enabled larger groups to meet, resulting in more information, knowledge, and skills that are brought to bear to the task at hand.
Disadvantages of Group Decision Support Systems
There are some disadvantages to the technology, however, and they include:
Slow Communication Most people speak faster than they type. and thus would usually prefer a verbal environment (other things being equal). However, a GDSS allows participants to review recorded comments (people may read and scan faster than they can hear and process). Other advantages, including anonymity and paralle communication, may override the slow typing speed. The break-even point, where it is more efficient to type in parallel rather than speak and listen in sequence, occurs at a group size of approximately eight members (depending upon typing speed).
Not all Tasks are Agreeable to GDSSS: Group meetings which involve "one-to-many" communication (for example, a leader lecturing to the group) would not bnefit froma GDSS. Only those tasks which require group members to exchange ideas or preferences efficiently ("many-to-many") would benefit.
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