The evaluation of DSS groups

DSS research has largely ignored evaluation procedures for organizational units which support DSS work. This article reports on a study to explore evaluation variables and procedures for DSS groups. It suggests the importance of multiple perspectives in evaluation and identifies evaluation variables relevant to these perspectives. Recommendations are made for evaluating DSS groups by matching evaluation variables with appropriate evaluation techniques.     

An examination of decision-makers' utilization of decision support system output

A study was conducted of 18 decision support systems in major U.S. corporations in order to examine their methods of operation and the ways in which the DSS contribute to the decision making process. These DSS were studied with respect to organizational level of the decision maker, phases of the decision making process, interaction among decision makers using the DSS, requirement for and regularity of DSS use, impact on job tasks and performance, and perceived value of the DSS. Study results provide substantial support for generalized conceptualizations in the literature. Decision support is primarily for upper and/or middle management working in interaction. Use of the DSS is at the discretion of the decision maker and the majority of DSS users are highly satisfied with their systems.     

Organizational reconciliation and its implications for organizational decision support systems: a semiotic approach

This paper describes the key problems with the core concepts behind ODSS, and provides a critique from a theoretical perspective that draws on organizational theory and semiotics. We argue that any distinction between organizational decision support systems (ODSS) and other related systems such as DSS or group decision support systems (GDSS) should be based on the difference between the characteristics of groups and organizations. Our approach uses characteristics of communication within organizations to model information in order to support organizational level decisions. We illustrate the usefulness of this approach by examining a decision-making problem in the context of a British hospital.     

The impact of DSS on organizational communication

There is some controversy in the MIS literature concerning the potential impact of computer systems on interpersonal communication in organizations. Generally, MIS researchers have found that effective communication between users and designers is an important factor in determining user satisfaction and MIS success.Recently, however, Naylor [8] has argued that decision support systems (DSS) may isolate managers from interaction with others. This is in marked contrast to the contentions of Wagner [16] and Huber [6] that DSS may lead to more effective managerial communication.We would argue that DSS encourage communication for several reasons: adaptive DSS development requires continued manager-analyst interaction; DSS-based decisions often require groups of managers; and there is a greater need for human information processing in a DSS environment.This paper reports the results of a study of the relationships between DSS usage and organizational communications. It was found that users in three different categories (managers, financial or planning analysts (FPAs), and “others”) felt that DSS usage encouraged communication. Also, significant positive relationships were found between increased communication and overall satisfaction with the DSS for all three groups. Finally, for managers and FPAs, significant positive relationships were found between increased communication and satisfaction with the DSS in decision-making activities.     

A synopsis of present day practices concerning decision support systems

Selecting a decision support system that fits specific needs, both technically and financially, is a difficult task. The marketplace has been flooded with software bearing the “DSS” label. To provide a clearer picture, the article examines a number of popular DSS definitions and its development. DSS are broken into groups with similar characteristics to examine current software and applications. These groups include Personal Support Systems, DSS and Local Area Networks, DSS and Emulation, Timesharing Systems, Commercial Data Base Systems, and Integrated System. Within each group, current software and practices are reviewed. The potential buyer has the opportunity to compare DSS packages and possible applications. In addition, a list of important questions to ask when choosing DSS Software is included.     

MSMiner—a developing platform for OLAP

Since the early 1970s, decision support systems (DSS) have evolved significantly. In this paper, the design and implementation of MSMiner, a developing platform for DSS, is introduced. The system is constructed on a data warehouse and integrated with a number of data mining algorithms. It is well suited for on-line analytical processing (OLAP). The characteristics of MSMiner include the ability to support multiple data sources and data mining strategies, additional organizational flexibility in regard to data and mining strategies, and the powerful expansibility of data mining tasks.     

Evaluation of a decision support system for credit management decisions

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a decision support system (DSS) for credit management. This study formed a part of a larger initiative to assess the effectiveness of IT-based credit management processes at the State Bank of India (SBI). Such a study was necessitated since credit appraisal has emerged to become a critical sub-function in Indian banks in view of growing incidence of non-performing assets. The DSS that we assessed was a credit appraisal system developed in Quattro Pro® at SBI. This system helps in the analysis of balance sheets, calculation of financial ratios, cash flow analysis, future projections, sensitivity analysis and risk evaluation as per SBI norms. We used a strong quasi-experimental design, called the Solomon's four-group design, for our assessment. In our experiment, managers of SBI who attended training programs at the SBI training college, were the subjects. The experiment consisted of measurements that were taken as pre- and post-tests. An experimental intervention was applied between the pre-tests and the post-tests. The intervention, or stimulus, consisted of DSS training and use. There were four groups in our experiment. The stimulus remained constant as we took care to ensure that the course contents as well as the instructors remained the same during the course of our experiment. Two were experimental groups and two were the control groups. All four groups underwent training in credit management between the pre- and post-tests. Results from our research show that while the DSS is effective, improvements need to be made in the methodology to assess such improvements. Moreover, such assessment frameworks, while being adequate from a DSS-centric viewpoint, do not respond to the assessment of a DSS in an organizational setting. In our concluding section, we have discussed how this evaluative framework can be strengthened to initiate an activity that will allow the long-term, and possibly the only meaningful, evaluation framework for such a system.     

Supporting decision support: Where information on DSS is located

DSS professionals may differ in their opinion and practice as to where they locate the most useful information relevant to their work. Online and other electronic form databases are increasingly becoming the key resource for literature searches. This study empirically compared 31 online databases identified as promising for DSS relevant information according to their coverage of DSS. Rankings for recent years and temporally unconstrained conditions were obtained and discussed. INSPEC was the highest ranked database overall and for recent information. INSPEC was also the highest rated database for coverage of major DSS journals. However, there are many other databases that also provide coverage of DSS materials. It is hoped that DSS professionals will use these results to improve the effectiveness of their information search process.     

Do men and women use feedback provided by their Decision Support Systems (DSS) differently

This study investigates the effect gender has on the use of computer-based feedback and the impact that this feedback has on mood. The decision making process of men and women are investigated via a laboratory experiment using a previously validated Decision Support System (DSS) and a commonly used and negatively framed feedback. Grounded in human-computer interaction theories highlighting the strong social component of computers and social feedback theories showing that men and women react to negative feedback differently, we argue that the commonly used outcome feedback in DSS studies will influence both the decision accuracy of male and female users and their moods differently. The results, which support our basic theoretical argument, indicate that outcome feedback (in particular the more negative outcome feedback) improved the decision accuracy of the female users compared to their male counterparts. The results also indicate that the outcome feedback affect the overall mood of men and women differently as well. The overall moods of the female subjects were significantly less positive before and after completing the task (receiving this commonly used negative form of feedback), the moods of the male subjects before and after completing the task (receiving the same negative feedback) did not change. These results not only extend prior DSS feedback studies but also highlight the need and provide support for examining gender differences in such investigations.     

Job performance through mobile enterprise systems: The role of organizational agility,location independence,and task characteristics

This study examines how organizational workers improve their perceived job performance through the use of Mobile Enterprise Systems (MES), while also investigating the impact of perceived organizational agility and location independence on technology acceptance of MES. This study also tests the moderating role of task characteristics (task significance and feedback) on the relationship between MES usage and perceived job performance. Based on the extant technology acceptance model (TAM), we proposed an extended TAM and conducted a large-scale survey among organizational workers who use MES in their workplace across industries. Our findings suggest that both positive attitude toward MES and a high level of habitual MES usage are positively associated with perceived job performance, and that task characteristics positively moderate the relationship between habitual usage (attitude toward MES) and perceived job performance. More importantly, we also found that organizational agility is positively associated with both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, while location independence is positively associated with perceived ease of use. The present findings provide us with a deeper understanding of how organizational workers utilize MES and how they improve their perceived job performance through the use of MES. Based on these findings, we discuss further implications and limitations.     

A new approach to water quality modelling and environmental decision support systems

The concepts and technology of environmental decision support systems (EDSS) have developed considerably over recent decades, although core concepts such as flexibility and adaptability within a changing decision environment remain paramount. Much recent EDSS theory has focussed on model integration and re-use in decision support system (DSS) tools and for design and construction of ‘DSS generators’. Many current specific DSS have architectures, tools, models and operational characteristics that are either fixed or difficult to change in the face of changing management needs. This paper reports on development and deployment of an EDSS that encompasses a new approach to DSS tools, generators and specific DSS applications. The system, named E2, is built upon a conceptualisation of terrestrial and aquatic environmental systems that has resulted in a robust and flexible system architecture. The architecture provides a set of base classes to represent fundamental concepts, and which can be instantiated and combined to form DSS generators of varying complexity. A DSS generator is described within which system users are able to select and link models, data, analysis tools and reporting tools to create specific DSS for particular problems, and for which new models and tools can be created and, through software reflection (introspection), discovered to provide expanded capability where required. This system offers a new approach within which environmental systems can be described in the form of specific DSS at a scale and level of complexity suited to the problems and needs of decision makers.     

基于网格的DSS框架研究

网格是继Internet和Web之后的第三个信息技术浪潮,它将为整个网络资源的无缝连接和全面共享提供技术平台和支撑环境。这给决策支持系统(DSS)的研究带来了新思路。基于网格的决策支持系统的研究不但具有重大的理论意义,而且具有很高的应用价值。文中首先介绍了网格技术的基本概念,然后分析了当前决策支持系统研究中所面临的一些问题,阐述了网格的出现和成熟对DSS发展将产生的影响。最后给出了一个基于网格的DSS框架。     

The wildspace™ decision support system

A system architecture was developed for the wildspace decision support system (DSS) to provide a better understanding of complex wildlife and habitat problems. The system makes use of two key concepts, SPECIES and SPACES, to define the study domain. wildspace DSS’s flexible user interface allows users to select SPECIES through a number of different approaches, including direct selection and selection using information such as avian life history and project metadata. On the SPACES side, the system uses the raison™ object system (ROS) for mapping functions and spatial analysis. The key element in wildspace DSS is its knowledge-based database manager that provides intelligent support to various components of the system. It keeps track of all the legitimate databases, provides intelligence within the SPECIES and SPACES selection process and, more importantly, interfaces with the knowledge templates which are sets of operations implementing pre-defined analysis routines used for integrated analysis. This integrated decision support approach allows users to combine a diverse set of tools within a common framework. wildspace DSS is used to study complex wildlife problems involving multiple projects and data that are temporally and spatially heterogeneous. A case study about a relevant wildlife conservation question is presented using a series of queries and analyses performed within wildspace DSS. The system also serves as the repository for all past, current and future wildlife data collected by the Canadian Wildlife Service—Ontario Region.     

Change, attitude to change, and decision support system success

It is generally recognized that user attitudes are important determinants of success in the implementation of information systems. Among these, users' attitudes towards the changes introduced by a system are thought to be especially important in the implementation of MIS and OR/MS applications. Based on the results of a survey of 32 decision support systems (DSS), this study investigates the relationships between the extent of changes caused by the systems to users' work environments, the users' attitudes towards work related changes, and four measures of DSS success. The results indicate that DSS users are more satisfied with, and use more extensively, those DSS that bring change than DSS that do not result in substantial changes to their work environment. Implications for the measurement of DSS success are also discussed.     

A comprehensive framework of information system design to provide organizational creativity support

This research is motivated by two considerations: (1) organizational creativity is a component that enhances the ability of organizations to retain their competitive advantage and (2) too little research has been conducted worldwide that focuses on the design of information systems to provide organizational creativity support. This research proposes a comprehensive and conceptual framework for the design of organizational creativity support systems. To address the objective of this study, two theories, the resource-based view and a multiagent approach, are used to build the model proposed. The customer opinions from websites concerning a consumer electronics product are used to validate such a system. The theoretical contributions, practical implications, and future directions of the study are presented and discussed.     

The emerging role of DSS: From passive to active

Existing decision support systems (DSS) are passive in their operation; their sole aim is to help maintain the current position of the firm. Conversely, Information Technology has recently adopted a more active role in the corporate strategy. This suggests that DSS could also undertake a far more active stance by identifying gaps in existing operations and suggesting ways to strengthen the standing of the firm. We renamed DSS containing this characteristics as Active Decision Support Systems (or ADSS) to emphasize their new orientation. Managers draw on their knowledge to suggest ways of alleviating problems or exploiting opportunities, and to evaluate each alternative in relation to the corporate objectives. Patterns and alternatives must be identified and incorporated into the ADSS. They should then be compared with the current position of the firm in order to determine whether any such problems/opportunities exist. This paper proposes an approach for designing ADSS; it introduces a knowledge-based component within the DSS framework and applies the concept of triggers to control the invocation of rule sets. A logical structure for ADSS is provided and the system use is illustrated through an example of strategic management. Issues for future research are highlighted.     

User characteristics—DSS effectiveness linkage: an empirical assessment

Despite extensive research on various factors affecting the acceptance and effectiveness of decision support systems (DSS), considerable ambiguity still exists regarding the role and influence of user characteristics. Although researchers have advocated DSS effectiveness as a multi-dimensional construct, specific guidelines regarding its dimensions or the approach to derive it is lacking. The study reported here attempts to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by proposing a multi-dimensional construct for DSS effectiveness and identifying a comprehensive set of user characteristics that influences DSS effectiveness. It critically examines the relationship between these two sets through canonical correlation analysis technique. Thirty seven students, taking a graduate level course in financial management, in a large university located in the north eastern part of the United States participated in the study acting as surrogates for real-world managers. The results of the study highlight that user's domain-related expertise, system experience, gender, intelligence, and cognitive style have important influence on one or more dimensions of DSS effectiveness. However, their relative importance vary with the outcome measure of choice.     

New horizons at the core of information systems: decision support system advances

Here, we argue that decision support systems (DSSs) research is a core area of the information systems (IS) discipline, being one of six major expansions that have occurred in the IS field. Interestingly, DSS research is often blended with some other expansions experienced by the IS field: namely, organizational computing, electronic commerce/business, and pervasive computing. The DSS core of IS research continues to grow along ever-widening horizons. Diverse exemplars of such DSS advances are found in the papers of this special issue.     

An examination of the factors contributing to microcomputer technology acceptance

This paper examines the factors that explain variations in microcomputer acceptance. Results of this study identify two main factors contributing to microcomputer acceptance: behavioral beliefs and normative beliefs. We found that individuals use microcomputers if they believe that (a) using the system will increase their performance and productivity, and (b) if they feel social pressure to use microcomputers, mainly pressure from individuals or groups with whom they are motivated to comply think they should use them. We also found that perceived usefulness and computer anxiety had strong direct effects on attitudes and that both computer anxiety and perceived usefulness mediated the effects of the external factors (computer skills and organizational support) on microcomputer usage. Subjective norms also had a direct effect on microcomputer usage and mediated the effect of normative beleifs on microcomputer usage. Finally, results also show that organizational usage (peer usage, management usage, and subordinate usage) and organizational support (management and information center support) had direct effects on normative beliefs. Implications for practitioners and researchers are offered on user acceptance of microcomputer technology. We also provided some design and implementation guidelines that foster computer technology acceptance.     

基于GIS的SDSS模式研究和分析

本文首先分析了ＧＩＳ作为决策支持系统的分析方法,说明管理信息系统向决策支持系统的发展状况,从而推出地理信息系统作为一种空间信息管理信息系统,向空间决策支持系统的发展的必然性;在此基础上,给出基于ＧＩＳ的ＳＤＳＳ的若干模式,研究其分析方法,最后,描述解决这一问题的合理模式