Electronic meeting system

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An electronic meeting system (EMS) is a type of computer software that facilitates group decision-making within an organisation. To work with such a system, networked computers, a projection screen, and EMS software are required. The term was coined by Jay Nunamaker et al. in 1991. The term is synonymous with Group Support Systems (GSS) and essentially synonymous with Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS).

An electronic meeting system is a suite of highly-configurable collaborative software tools that can be used to create predictable, repeatable patterns of collaboration among people working toward a goal. With an electronic meeting system, each user typically has his or her own computer, and each user can contribute to the same shared object at the same time. Thus, nobody needs to wait for a turn to speak; so people don't forget what they want to say while they are waiting for the floor. When a group or a group leader deems it appropriate, people can contribute anonymously to most electronic meeting systems tool, so the group can focus on the content and meaning of ideas, rather than on their sources. Anonymous contributions are particularly useful when a team is generating or evaluating ideas. It is less useful when a team is establishing the agreed meaning of ideas, or building consensus.

The mix of tools in an electronic meeting system varies from system to system. Some fairly common examples of those tools appear in the list below.

Electronic Brainstorming. Each user starts on a different electronic comment page. When the user submits a comment, the system takes away the current page and jumps the user to a different page at random, where they can read comments added by other users, then add another comment of their own. Used for a variety of idea generation techniques, and for an impasse-breaking technique called point-counterpoint.

Categorizer. A list of categories which present on the screen with bucket icons. Users may add ideas to any category, and may drag-and-drop ideas from one category to another. Users may also comment on any idea in any category. Used for a variety of techniques to generate, converge, organize, and evaluate ideas.

Group Outliner. A shared outline. All users may add headings and branches to the outline, and re-arrange the branches of the outline. Used to support a variety of techniques for generating, converging, and organizing ideas.

Rank Order Vote. A list of ballot items that participants may drag-and-drop into the order they prefer. The system displays the results in rank-sum order.

Alternative Analysis. A multi-item, multi-criteria polling tool. Teams use it for a variety of evaluation and consensus-building activities. Offers a variety of polling methods including numeric scale, numeric range, checkmark, allocation, and multiple choice.

Topic Commenter. A list of topics, each linked to a comment window. Users may open any topic, read the comments of others, and add comments of their own. Used for a variety of idea generation techniques for generating ideas in depth and detail.

Electronic Meeting Systems were originally developed in the 1980's by researchers in the Information Systems department at the University of Arizona under the leadership of Professor Jay F. Nunamaker, Jr. In 1989, the University founded a company to transfer the technology from the laboratory to the workplace. Half-a-dozen commercial enterprises now actively market electronic meeting systems.

Before beginning a meeting, a facilitator or group leader designs a step-by-step process for the team to follow in order to achieve its goal. Often (though by no means always) a team will begin with a brainstorming session to generate ideas or alternatives. When teams work in a face-to-face setting, they often projected on the big screen at the front of the room to support further discussion about the meaning and relevance of the ideas. The ideas deemed worthy of further attention are often carried forward to another tool to be cleaned up, organized, evaluated, and perhaps elaborated upon.

References

Fjermestad, J., Hiltz, S.R.: An assessment of Group Support Systems experimental research: methodology and results. Journal of Management Information Systems, 15(3), (1999) 7-149.

Fjermestad, J., Hiltz, S.R.: Group Support Systems: A descriptive evaluation of case and field studies. Journal of Management Information Systems, 17(3), (2001) 112-157 .

Jay Nunamaker, Alan Dennis, Joseph Valacich, Douglas Vogel, and Joey George, "Electronic Meeting Systems to Support Group Work," Communications of the ACM, July 1991, 34(7), pp 40-61.

Jay Nunamaker, Robert Briggs, Daniel Mittleman, Douglas Vogel, and Pierre Balthazard, "Lessons from a Dozen Years of Group Support Systems Research: A Discussion of Lab and Field Findings," Journal of Management Information Systems, Winter 1996-97, 13(3), pp.163-207.