In search of GSS impact on groups: an exploratory field study

The fundamental goal of a group support system (GSS) is to support the work performed by groups and teams. More often than not, the projects undertaken by groups and teams occur over a period of time longer than a single meeting. However, the lack of longitudinal studies is a concern that has been highlighted in meta‐analyses of GSS research. For example, little is known in regard to the GSS impacts on group member behavior in traditional meetings after their exposure to GSSs. This field study looks at a single work group using a GSS to complete an organizational restructure over a period of ten weeks. The goal is to observe the impact of changes in two sets of groupware‐team member characteristics: the perceptions of groupware over time and the impact of GSS usage on individual team member behavior in future meetings.