Information Overload: Addressing the Productivity Paradox in Face-to-Face Electronic Meetings

The Electronic Brainstorming System (EBS) is a group support system (GSS) tool considered particularly productive in supporting idea generation. Unfortunately, as computer-supported groups are confronted with larger numbers of ideas and supporting comments to organize and evaluate, they may experien...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of management information systems Vol. 16; no. 3; pp. 157 - 185
Main Authors Grisé, Mary-Liz, Gallupe, R. Brent
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 01.12.1999
M. E. Sharpe
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Brainstorming
Cheating
Cognitive models
Cognitive processes
Communication
Complexity theory
Decision support systems
electronic brainstorming
Group facilitation
group support systems
Ideation
Information management
Information overload
Information processing
Integrative Complexity Theory
Load
Meetings
Multivariate analysis
Productivity
School year
Studies
System theory
Workloads
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:The Electronic Brainstorming System (EBS) is a group support system (GSS) tool considered particularly productive in supporting idea generation. Unfortunately, as computer-supported groups are confronted with larger numbers of ideas and supporting comments to organize and evaluate, they may experience information overload. This study explores the problem of information overload within the context of an idea-organization task in a face-to-face electronic meeting. Integrative Complexity Theory provides the primary theoretical foundation, and an Information Overload Model for GSS is introduced. Results from a laboratory experiment provide support for the idea that effective GSS tools can be designed based on a theoretical understanding of information processing, in particular, how information is processed under conditions of high information load. Use of a GSS tool designed to regulate the flow of information, called an Idea Regulator, led subjects to organize ideas with higher levels of complexity, but they also reported higher levels of mental workload. This research suggests that particular attention to the problem of information overload, and research focused on finding theory-based solutions, can lead to more effective meetings.
Bibliography:SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 14
ISSN:0742-1222
1557-928X
DOI:10.1080/07421222.1999.11518260