SOFT DECISION-SUPPORT SYSTEMS - GDSS IN LOOSELY AFFILIATED AND AD HOCGROUPS

The authors describe a novel application of GroupSystems V, an electro nic meeting system designed for structured corporate decision making, in the context of ad hoc, intermittent groups who use the facilities o f the Institute for the Study for Developmental Disability at Indiana University. This unit caters for those who work with the disabled and a wider group of constitutents. A content analysis of user evaluation transcripts has revealed seven areas where the value of an electronic meeting may be explored. The authors suggest that these might be the b asis of a case-based reasoning system, which could act as a benchmark of meeting behaviours.