The emergence of a theoretical framework for gss facilitation: The dualities of e‐facilitation
| Pages | 59-74 |
| Date | 01 June 2001 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/13287260180000759 |
| Published date | 01 June 2001 |
| Author | Pak Yoong,Brent Gallupe |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
Journal of Systems & Information Technology 5(1) Special Edition
59
THE EMERGENCE OF A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR
GSS FACILITATION:
THE DUALITIES OF E-FACILITATION
1
Pak Yoong
School of Information Management
Victoria University of Wellington
Brent Gallupe
School of Business, Queen’s University
Kingston, Canada
ABSTRACT
Electronic meeting facilita tion (e-facilitation) continues to be a critical
success factor in the use of information technology to support face-to-face
collaborative work. Yet researchers and practitioners continue to struggle to
understand the subtleties and difficulties in the ap plication of me eting
facilitation techniques in the ‘electronic’ context. To clarify that understanding,
this paper develops a new theoretical framework that examines how tech nology
interacts with human facilitator behavior in an electronic group meeting. This
framework, The Dualities o f E-Facilitation, is composed of two dualities: the
Duality of Co mputer and Human Interaction, and the Duality of Routine and
Intuitive Actions. The framework emerged from an analysis of the e-facilitation
behaviors of newly trained face-to-face ele ctronic meeting facilitators.
Keywords: group support systems, duality, electronic meeting facilitation
1
The support o f the Resear ch Leave Committee, Victoria University of Wellington,
Wellington, New Zealand and School of Business Visiting Scholar Program, Queen’s
University, Ontario, Canada is gratefully acknowledged.
Journal of Systems & Information Technology 5(1) Special Edition
60
INTRODUCTION
Something happens in face-to-face meetings when information technology is used
to support group interaction that is different from traditional meetings. Research has
shown that these meetings tend to be more productive (Dennis and Gallupe, 1993;
Fjermestad and Hiltz, 1999) but they also show that the productivity is largely due to the
skill of an electronic meeting facilitator (Benbasat and Lim, 1993; Nunamaker, B riggs,
and Mittleman, 1996). The skilled facilitator aids the group in using the technology and
helps with group process. Conversely, an ineffective facilitator can be a disaster in an
electronic meeting
2
. Participants can b ecome frustrated with the technology,
inappropriate tools may be used, and technology-supported group dynamics may lead to
mass confusion. Indeed, poor facilitation may be a reason why the adoption and
implementation of group suppor t systems (GSS) has slowed over the last few years
(Grise and Gallupe, 1999).
Why is facilitating an ele ctronic meeting so difficult? Can we develop a better
theoretical understanding of the electronic facilitation process? These are the questions
we address in this paper. Our purpose is to develo p a theoretical framework to describe
the competing force s that an electronic meeting facilitator (e-facilitator) must address if
facilitation is to be effective. This framework seeks to explain the b ehaviors o f an e-
facilitator attempting to combine group interactions with technology support.
The paper begins with a d escription of the current state of e lectronic meeting
facilitation3. This is followed by a case study that focuses on the first electronic
meeting experiences and behaviors o f fifteen conventional facilitators who had taken a
GSS facilitation training program to be come e-facilitators. We will then discuss the
nature of the emergent theoretical framework: The Dualities of E-Facilitation. Finally,
some implications of this framework for practice and research are outlined.
CURRENT STATE OF ELECTRONIC MEETING FACILITATION
Electronic meeting facilitation (e-facilitation) has been the subjec t of a number of
studies in recent years. It has been shown to be a dynamic and complex process (Anson,
Bostrom, and Wynne, 1995; B eranek, Beise, and Niederman, 1993; Bostrom, Anson,
and Clawson, 1993; Clawson, 1992; Niederman, Beise, and Beranek, 1996 and Vogel,
Nunamaker, Applegate and Ko nsynski, 1987). Facilitato rs have to consider, among
2
An electronic meeting is a meeting supported by computer technology. A number of
terms have bee n used to describe computer technology support for groups including
Groupware, Electronic Meeting Systems (EMS), Computer-Supported Cooperative
Work (CSCW), Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS), and Group Support Systems
(GSS). In this study, GSS refers to the interactive, multi-user computer systems that
support face-to-face collaborative work.
3
Electronic meeting facilitation refers to the “a p rocess of continual adjustment required
as groups move through phases within which different combinations of technological,
structure, and personal support may be required” (Nunamaker et al., 1991).
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