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Top2. Group And Negotiation Support Systems Research
A GSS “consists of a set of software, hardware, and language components and procedures that support a group of people engaged in a decision-related meeting” (Niederman & Bryson, 1998). GSS are typically implemented as group decision systems (GDS) (Pervan & Atkinson, 1995) or electronic meeting systems (EMS) (Dennis et al., 1988). Group Support Systems directly evolved from personal decision support systems by using theories of group behaviour and processes and behavioural decision theory with networked microcomputers (Arnott & Pervan, 2005).
Group environments that require the support of GSS can be classified by the time of the meetings, either synchronous (same time) or asynchronous (different times), or the location of the group (either face to face or dispersed) (DeSanctis & Gallupe, 1985). In the early 1980s, GSS research initially focused on “decision rooms” (synchronous and face to face) such as those facilities established at the University of Arizona and the University of Minnesota.
Negotiation support systems (NSS) also operate in a group context but as the name suggests they involve the application of computer technologies to facilitate negotiations (Rangaswamy & Shell, 1997). As GSS were developed, the need to provide electronic support for groups involved in negotiation problems and processes evolved as a focused sub-branch of GSS with different conceptual foundations to support those needs (Jelassi & Foroughi, 1989). In essence, a negotiation support system is:
software which implements models and procedures, has communication and coordination facilities, and is designed to support two or more parties and/or a third party in their negotiation activities. (Kersten & Lai, 2007, p555)