Group Decision Support Practice “as it happens”

Abstract

Getting close to the work of group decision support (GDS) practitioners do in “real time” has received increasing attention from GDS scholars in recent years. What motivates this interest is the recognition that to develop better GDS practice, one must first pay attention to those engaged with the practice in situ. By zooming in on what GDS practitioners actually do with their craft, and the critical role of these doings on generating group outputs and outcomes, a more nuanced understanding of GDS practice can be achieved. Furthermore, this understanding can inform the development of more effective GDS practi-tioner training and teaching materials. One approach of studying GDS practice “as it happens” on the ground is based on ethnomethodology (EM). To illustrate the approach, an example of its application to study GDS practice in a facilitated, computer-supported causal mapping workshop is provided. Overall, the analysis shows the various ways in which actual GDS practice is accomplished over time and with what effects. Specifically, GDS practice is revealed as a “skilled accomplishment”: an achievement based on the contingent and coordinated assembling of material and conversational resources. Following the analysis, departures from current theorizing about GDS practice resulting from the adoption of an ethnomethodologically-informed perspective are discussed. Two potentially useful avenues for future research are then proposed.