Appropriations and Patterns in the Use of Group Support Systems

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

The Data Base for Advances in Information Systems

Volume

30

Issue

3 & 4

Publisher

Association for Computing Machinery

Publication Date

1999

First Page

131

Last Page

143

Abstract

This paper describes a macro-level coding scheme to distinguish patterns that occur in groups using a group support system (GSS). The coding scheme has roots in adaptive structuration theory (AST) with its emphasis on how technology is appropriated or used, and discourse analysis that requires one consider the context of the larger discussion when analyzing textual data. The macro-level coding scheme revolves around junctures that occur during group meetings such as when a group either chooses to use the GSS software or chooses to accomplish some aspect of the task without the software. After identifying a juncture, a brief description is written detailing how group members responded to the opportunity presented by the juncture. Qualitative analysis is then used to identify patterns in how the technology is used. Application of the coding scheme is demonstrated with data gathered from 17 groups that met three times over a two-week period.

Comments

Originally published by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). Publisher's PDF available through remote link.

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