THE FACILITATOR AND THE CHAUFFEUR IN GSS - EXPLORATIONS IN THE FORGING OF A RELATIONSHIP

This study investigates two roles in Group Support Systems (GSS) meeti ngs, those of the facilitator and the technical support person or ''ch auffeur.'' GSS technology originated as a support for cooperative work in groups. The work of facilitators, who have traditionally supported group work both in terms of structure and process is changing. GSS in volve a ''mechanistic'' approach, and, typically, in such GSS systems as MeetingWorks, a technical operator or chauffeur within the software environment will take over some of the facilitator functions. The fac ilitator can accommodate this in various ways. One approach is to deve lop a role relationship with the chauffeur, if possible, given the two seemingly distinct areas of expertise. This study attempts to address what form this relationship might take and how it might develop. We u se an interpretivist framework and grounded theory methodology, togeth er with focused interviews to investigate these questions from two sel ected case studies of a facilitator and chauffeur team who conducted G SS meetings with nine client groups. The study outcomes were the devel opment of a descriptive model (EDASA) of the relationship development process between the team members and a description of alternative role relationships for facilitator and chauffeur.