An empirical assessment of a multimedia executive support system

An experiment was conducted to assess the use of `Multimedia' in ESS (executive support system) and its potential impact on the effectiveness of information analysis. Data was collected from 40 managers and/or professional employees in three business organizations. The primary task was to analyze information, stored in an ESS prototype, in order to identify some possible threats and opportunities. The results of the study suggest that multimedia may not be an appropriate presentation format for analytical tasks. Managers and professional employees who used a multimedia ESS identi®ed fewer threats and opportunities than those who used a text-based system. Contrary to the results of several previous studies, the use of multimedia did not improve information retention. During the post-experiment interview, subjects indicated that the use of sound annotations had adversely affected their ability to analyze information. They also suggested that some multimedia components, such as animated charts or animated text blocks, were unnecessary. # 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved