A FRAMEWORK FOR COMMUNICATION SUPPORT IN GROUP WORK WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NEGOTIATION SYSTEMS

Communication is central to all group interactions, including negotiat ions. Group interfaces can limit or enhance communication flows among participants. Hence, group interface design requires the identificatio n of the communication flows among participants, which in turn require s an identification of the various dimensions of intragroup communicat ion. This article outlines a framework to guide researchers in examini ng the communication needs of group members in computer-supported coll aborative work (CSCW), highlighting its application to the context of negotiation. An analysis of communication flows is provided along four dimensions: concurrency, message, channel and participant characteris tics. The framework is intended to encourage a detailed focus on key a spects of the group interface, to provide a scheme for categorizing th e contributions of empirical work, and to identify factors worthy of e mpirical scrutiny.