The Impact of Decision Support Systems on the Effectiveness of Small Group Decisions - an Exploratory Study

This paper presents the results of an empirical investigation of the impact of Decision Support Systems on small group decision effectiveness. The study is conducted in the context of the Business Management Laboratory. Wolfe’s Business Management Laboratory Decision Support System (BMLDSS) was utilized to aid decision making by all treatment groups. Results indicate use of the BMLDSS did not lead to significantly superior performance as measured by financial performance variables. Further, no significant increase in satisfaction with or confidence in the decision making process could be attributed to the use of the BMLDSS.