Towards a Functional GDSS: A New Framework

One of the deficiencies of most Group Decision Support (GDSS) systems today is that they typically ignore the general processes by which most organizations make decisions. Many purported GDSS systems ignore the decision process almost entirely and function simply as Group Support Systems (GSS) or GroupWare, facilitating group discussion and interaction, but not supporting the whole decision-making process. More well-developed GDSS systems currently available will support a streamlined model of decision-making, but do not account for the many variables involved in organizational decisionmaking (e.g. accounting for the different types of decisions to be made, variables not considered or evident in the recognition and diagnosis of the problem, and interrupts of the decision-making process). This paper proposes a framework for a GDSS based upon the decision-making model conceptualized by Mintzberg, Raisinghani, and Theoret. Mintzberg’s model considers the different processes involved with making decisions based upon the decision type, reiteration of certain phases of the decision-making process, and the likelihood of interrupts which will disrupt or delay the progression of completing the decision. This framework is also modularized which will allow for the incorporation of many related developments in IT and DSS which will assist the decision makers in each phase of the decision-making process.