A comparison of Malaysian and American groups using a Group Decision Support System

Abstract

The vast majority of research conducted on Group Decision Support Systems has been based upon groups using the English language. In this paper, we describe a Group Decision Support System developed at the University of Mis sissippi that supports meetings of groups speaking English, German, French, Malay, or any other language which uses the Roman alphabet (including accent marks). A pilot study was conducted comparing American students using English with Malaysian students using alternatively English and Malay. All groups used a Group Decision Support System to exchange comments or solutions regarding the assigned problem. In general, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of production blocking (ease of communica tion), evaluation apprehension (fear of peer criticism), and overall meeting satisfaction in either language. These results support our hypothesis that Group Decision Support Systems can be used effectively regardless of a group's nationality or language.